Christ’s Resurrection: Scriptural Basis

Scriptural Basis—The Facts

Prophecies

In the New Testament

Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Matthew 17:9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.

Matthew 17:22-23 (22) And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, (23) and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised. And they were greatly grieved.

Matthew 20:18-19 (18) Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes. And they will condemn Him to death, (19) and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised.

Matthew 26:31-32 (31) Then Jesus said to them, You will all be stumbled because of Me this night, for it is written, “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” (32) But after I have been raised, I will go before you into Galilee.

Matthew 27:62-63 (62) On the next day, which is the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered unto Pilate, (63) saying, Sir, we have remembered that while He was still living, that deceiver said, After three days I will arise.

Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise.

Mark 9:9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, He ordered them not to relate to anyone the things which they had seen, except when the Son of Man has risen from the dead.

Mark 9:31 For He was teaching His disciples. And He said to them, The Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, after three days He will rise.

Mark 10:33-34 “(33) Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and to the scribes. And they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles, (34) and they will mock Him and spit at Him and scourge Him, and they will kill Him. And after three days He will rise.”

Mark 14:27-28 (27) And Jesus said to them, You will all be stumbled, because it is written, “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” (28) But after I have been raised, I will go before you into Galilee.

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

Luke 13:31-32 (31) In the same hour some Pharisees came up, saying to Him, Get out and go from here, for Herod wants to kill you. (32) And He said to them, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and accomplish healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I am perfected.

Luke 18:31-33 (31) And taking the twelve aside, He said to them, Behold we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which have been written through the prophets regarding the Son of Man will be accomplished, (32) for He will be delivered up to the Gentiles and will be mocked and outrageously treated and spit upon; (33) and when they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise.

John 2:19-22 (19) Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (20) Then the Jews said, This temple was built in forty-six years, and You will raise it up in three days? (21) But He spoke of the temple of His body. (22) When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

The following prophecies are unveiled through the types of the grain of wheat and the newborn child.

John 12:23-24 (23) And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (24) Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

The grain of wheat falling into the ground, dying, and bearing much fruit typifies Christ, who is the Son of Man, dying and rising up in resurrection to produce many grains, who are His many brothers, to become His multiplied expression, His glorification (1 Peter 1:3; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:22-23) (Conclusion 790).

John 16:21-22 (21) A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her hour has come; but when she brings forth the little child, she no longer remembers the affliction because of the joy that a man has been born into the world. (22) Therefore you also now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.

In the context of these verses, Christ was explaining to His disciples that for a short period of time they would no longer behold Him but that they would soon see Him (v. 16). His disciples did not understand what the Lord meant by this (vv. 17-19). The Lord continued by telling them that they would weep and lament during His absence but their sorrow would be turned into joy (v. 20). Then, in verse 21 Christ revealed to them what would was about to take place, through a parable of a woman giving birth to a child. “In this parable the Lord indicated that the disciples were then like a woman travailing in birth, and that He was the little child to be brought forth in His resurrection (Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; Rom. 1:4)” (Witness Lee, Recovery Version, John 16:21, note 2). In fulfillment of this prophecy, after being “born” in resurrection, the Lord returned to His disciples and they indeed rejoiced in His presence (John 20:20) (Witness Lee, Recovery Version, John 16:22, note 1).

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