A Dangerous Resurrection

Jesus was the most dangerous man who ever lived. He was so dangerous that when he was 33, the religious establishment decided he needed to be removed from this earth; he needed to die. He was a radical, going around acting like he was God. And they hated him because he did God things. He fed multitudes, healed the sick, forgave sings, healed the blind and even raised the dead.

Jesus did not just poke the religious establishment in the eye; he confronted it with a whip. He called them whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones. That is, he declared religion dead.

Jesus was dangerous. Dangerous to religion; dangerous to hell; dangerous to demons.

Most people when resurrected went back to doing the things they had been doing before they died. Lazarus went back home and went back to doing Lazarus things; the same with the boy at Nain. What made Jesus’ resurrection dangerous is that he went back to doing Jesus things.

The last Resurrection appearance:

Acts 9:1-31

• Damascus is the ancient capital of Syria.
• A growing church in Damascus was lead by a man named Ananias.
• Saul was from Tarsus, a university own that ranked up with Athens in prestige.
• He was trained in Jerusalem by Gamaliel, one of the most respected Jewish rabbi’s of that day.
• Saul committed his energy to eradicating the name of Jesus and his followers from earth. In fact, he held the coats of those who murdered Stephen.

Acts 9:3

• This is the last Resurrection appearance. That is: After Jesus rose again, he appeared to people physically for a period of 40 days before ascending into heaven. He still communicates in visions, etc. But what Paul experienced was not a vision, but an actual resurrection appearance. He calls his experience a resurrection encounter, as one “abnormally born” (1 Cor. 15:18)
• Paul says in Acts 26:13 that it was noon when this occurred. That means that the glory of the risen Christ out shown the sun.

What makes Jesus dangerous is that he is still doing Jesus things. The life of Jesus did not end with the cross, the empty tomb or the Ascension. Saul discovered that Jesus continued (and continues now) to be dangerous.

1. Jesus is dangerous because He still (Acts 9:10-18)

2. Jesus is dangerous because He still . (Acts 9:16)

• We can’t do that. But notice the “I” in the verse. “I will show him…” God will be the one that changes Saul’s heart.
• One of the most exciting things about young believers is their raw passionate love for Jesus. Their hearts have fallen in love with him.

3. Jesus is dangerous because He still (Acts 9:6, 9:17-18)

• Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is also a symbol of our new life in Christ.
• Throughout his ministry Jesus raised the dead. He still does that. First spiritually, we are raised with him to the newness of life. Also physically, death has no hold on us. Our hope is not the grave, but heaven. And ultimately we will be raised up into new bodies.

4. Jesus is dangerous because He is still . (Acts 9:31, Acts 9:27)

5. Jesus is dangerous because He is still (Acts 9:15)