Certain things appear to be Certain things appear to be unbelievable…unbelievable…

““Everything that can be invented has Everything that can be invented has been invented.”been invented.”

~ Charles H. Duell, ~ Charles H. Duell, U.S. Patent Office director, 1899U.S. Patent Office director, 1899

““Sensible and responsible women do Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.”not want to vote.”

~ Grover Cleveland, 1905~ Grover Cleveland, 1905

““There is no likelihood man can ever There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom.”tap the power of the atom.”

~ Robert Millikan, ~ Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in physics, 1923Nobel Prize winner in physics, 1923

““Heavier-than-air flying machines are Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.”impossible.”

~ Lord Kelvin, ~ Lord Kelvin, president of the Royal Society, 1895president of the Royal Society, 1895

““The horse is here to stay, but the The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty.”automobile is only a novelty.”

~ The Michigan banker who advised ~ The Michigan banker who advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in

Ford’s new motor car companyFord’s new motor car company

““There is no precedent for anything There is no precedent for anything that happens, until it happens. And that happens, until it happens. And

then there is.”then there is.”

~ Anne Hesh~ Anne Hesh

““Who would ever have thought that a Who would ever have thought that a Galilean carpenter would come to be Galilean carpenter would come to be regarded by millions as the human regarded by millions as the human being most like God ever to have being most like God ever to have

walked this planet?”walked this planet?”

~ Angela Tilby, ~ Angela Tilby, BBC Documentary writerBBC Documentary writer

““That Jesus’ followers had That Jesus’ followers had resurrection experiences is, in my resurrection experiences is, in my

judgment, a fact. What the reality was judgment, a fact. What the reality was that gave rise to the experiences I do that gave rise to the experiences I do

not know.”not know.”

~ E. P. Sanders, ~ E. P. Sanders, said to be America’s foremost first said to be America’s foremost first

century historiancentury historian

““Quite what transpired on that third Quite what transpired on that third day after the crucifixion is of course a day after the crucifixion is of course a complex problem. Nevertheless, it is a complex problem. Nevertheless, it is a

matter of historical record that matter of historical record that somethingsomething happened – and that this happened – and that this changed the course of world history changed the course of world history like no other event before or since.”like no other event before or since.”

~ Markus Bockmuehl, ~ Markus Bockmuehl, The Cambridge Companion To JesusThe Cambridge Companion To Jesus

““If the thing happened, it was the If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the central event in the history of the

earth.”earth.”

~ C.S. Lewis~ C.S. Lewis

““Our old history ends with the Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins cross; our new history begins

with the resurrection.”with the resurrection.”

~ Watchman Nee~ Watchman Nee

““If all the evidence is weighed If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed carefully and fairly, it is indeed

justifiable, according to the canons of justifiable, according to the canons of historical research, to conclude that historical research, to conclude that the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, in

which Jesus was buried, was actually which Jesus was buried, was actually empty on the morning of the first empty on the morning of the first

Easter.”Easter.”

~ Dr. Paul Maier, First Century Historian~ Dr. Paul Maier, First Century Historian

““If Christ has not been raised, your If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your faith is futile and you are still in your

sins.”sins.”

~ 1 Corinthians 15:17, NRSV~ 1 Corinthians 15:17, NRSV

““I am the door; if anyone enters through I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in

and out, and find pasture.”and out, and find pasture.”

~ John 10:9, NASB~ John 10:9, NASB

““POSITIVE EVIDENCE POSITIVE EVIDENCE

FROM A HOSTILE SOURCE”FROM A HOSTILE SOURCE”

Maybe the body was Maybe the body was stolen…stolen…

Maybe he survived…Maybe he survived…

Maybe the appearances Maybe the appearances were hallucinations…were hallucinations…

Maybe they experienced Maybe they experienced his spirit, on his way to his spirit, on his way to

heaven…heaven…

Maybe he was never Maybe he was never crucified…crucified…

““They denied the truth and They denied the truth and uttered a monstrous falsehood uttered a monstrous falsehood against Mary. They declared: against Mary. They declared:

‘We have put to death the ‘We have put to death the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the apostle of God.’ They did not apostle of God.’ They did not kill him, nor did they crucify kill him, nor did they crucify

him, but he was made to him, but he was made to resemble another for them. resemble another for them.

They did not slay him.”They did not slay him.”

~ The Qur’an, Sura 4:157~ The Qur’an, Sura 4:157

IF A MESSIANIC LEADER WAS IF A MESSIANIC LEADER WAS KILLED,KILLED,

HIS FOLLOWERS HAD TWO HIS FOLLOWERS HAD TWO CHOICES:CHOICES:

a)a) Give up the revolution.Give up the revolution.

b)b) Find a new Messiah.Find a new Messiah.

““But dead people just don’t But dead people just don’t come back to life!”come back to life!”

““Let us be clear: the fact that all other Let us be clear: the fact that all other dead people stay dead is part of the dead people stay dead is part of the Christian case, not evidence against Christian case, not evidence against

it.” it.”

~ N.T. Wright, ~ N.T. Wright, First Century HistorianFirst Century Historian

“Come, let us return to the LORD.For He has torn us, but He will heal us;

He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before

Him.”

~ Hosea 6:1-2, NASB

““Therefore my heart is glad, and my Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell

securely. For You will not abandon securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”Your Holy One to undergo decay.”

~ Psalm 16:9-10, NASB~ Psalm 16:9-10, NASB

““Easter is the only festival that looks Easter is the only festival that looks in two directions at the same time: in two directions at the same time: back into history to fathom what back into history to fathom what

happened in the week that changed happened in the week that changed the world, and forward into the future the world, and forward into the future with the assurance that people who with the assurance that people who

die will live again.”die will live again.”

~ Dr. Paul Maier, First Century Historian~ Dr. Paul Maier, First Century Historian

““He has rescued us from the power of He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the darkness and transferred us into the

kingdom of his beloved Son, kingdom of his beloved Son, 1414 in in whom we have redemption, the whom we have redemption, the

forgiveness of sins.”forgiveness of sins.”

~ Colossians 1:13, NRSV~ Colossians 1:13, NRSV

““He disarmed the rulers and He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.”of them, triumphing over them in it.”

~ Colossians 2:15, NRSV~ Colossians 2:15, NRSV