resurrection: fact or fiction

the Resurrection

fact or fiction?

Christianity depends on the resurrection.

If Jesus stayed dead, he is an impostor.

If Jesus did not stay dead...

If Jesus did not stay dead:

•He is who he says he is.

•He will do what he says he will do.

Facts we all can agree on:

•Jesus lived.

•Jesus died

•The earliest Christians believed Jesus arose from the dead.

•Christianity would have died in infancy if her enemies could have produced a body.

The big question:

Where’s the body?

Conspiracy theory 1:The disciples stole the body.

•Civilians vs. the SWAT team?

•Cowards vs. the SWAT team?

•Why did the women discover the empty tomb first?

•What cased the radical transformation in the disciples?

•Why would the disciples die for something they knew was a lie?

PETER

ANDREW

THOMAS

Conspiracy theory 2:The family stole the body.

•Why did Jesus’ brothers only believe after the resurrection? (John 7:5, Acts 1:14)

•Why would someone who knew he was lying write things like James 1:1 or James 5:12?

•Why would James die for something he knew was a lie?

The Sherlock Holmes Test

“Once you eliminate

the impossible, whatever

remains, no matter how improbable, must be the

truth.”

The inescapable truth: Jesus did not stay dead!