One of the main elements of a Gospel presentation is an explanation that Jesus rose from the dead. Without the resurrection of Jesus, we have no hope. Everything in Christianity rises or falls with Jesus’ resurrection. If that event happened, it means that Christianity is true. If that event did not happen, it means that Christianity is a fraud, a hoax.

The NT writers repeatedly and strongly assert that Jesus really did rise from the dead. In fact, Jesus’ resurrection is what gives us confidence that Jesus is who he claimed to be.

Ro 1:4  [Jesus is] declared to be the Son of God with power, … by the resurrection from the dead:

The most basic statement of the Gospel message is found in1 Corinthians 15:3–4

… Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

These truths form the basic, fundamental teachings of Christianity. Without them, you simply do not have the Christian faith.

We should not be surprised that the apostles proclaimed the resurrection as they were preaching the Gospel.

Our text today is Acts 4:33.

Context: Peter, John, and the other apostles were preaching the Gospel message in Jerusalem at the Temple. There had been a great disturbance because of this – read Acts 4:1-3. That disturbance gave the apostles the opportunity to preach the Gospel to a large crowd of people. The Jewish leaders told them to quit preaching, but the apostles refused—vs. 20. Vss. 24f record an eloquent prayer that Peter or one of the other apostles prayed, and the result is vs. 31 (read). Then we come to our text for today:

Ac 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Today I want to explore what it means to give witness of the resurrection of Jesus. The apostles did it, and we ought to do it as well. Whenever we proclaim the Gospel, we must testify to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

What does it mean to give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus?