evidence for the resurrection - part 1

Evidence for the ResurrectionMaking the Case that Jesus Rose From the Dead

What’s at Stake?

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the

dead?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your

faith is also empty.

What’s at Stake?

Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God

that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is

not risen.

What’s at Stake?

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins! Then also

those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

What’s at Stake?

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

God will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed.

He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

What’s at Stake?

Acts 17:31

EVERYTHING

What’s at Stake?

Positive ?

I serve a risen Savior He’s in the world today. I know that He is living, Whatever men may say.

“He Lives” Hymn Lyrics

I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer;

And just the time I need Him He’s always near.


He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.


He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?


He lives within my heart.

Is this positive evidence?

Yes, but it is NOT persuasive evidence.

So what persuasive evidence do we

have?

Christianity is rooted in

history.

Also Remember…

measured investigated tested

• Top Christian debater in the world • Holds M.A Ph.D & D.Theol • Author of 30 Books • World Expert on the Resurrection • One of my personal heroes • The person I am stealing most of this content from

Dr. William Lane Craig, Talbot School of Theology

“Suppose, then, that we approach the New Testament writings, not as inspired Scripture, but merely as a collection of

Greek documents coming down to us out of the first century, without any

assumption as to their reliability other than the way we normally regard other

sources of ancient history…

We may be surprised to learn that the majority of New Testament critics investigating the gospels in this way accept the central facts

undergirding the resurrection of Jesus. I want to emphasize that I am not talking about

evangelical or conservative scholars only, but about the broad spectrum of New Testament critics who teach at secular universities and

non-evangelical seminaries.

Amazing as it may seem, most of them have come to regard as historical the

basic facts which support the resurrection of Jesus.

- Dr. William Lane Craig

So what are they?

THERE ARE 4 CENTRAL, HISTORICAL FACTS

THAT SUPPORT THE CLAIM THAT JESUS

ROSE FROM THE DEAD

FACT #1:After His Crucifixion, Jesus was

buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.

FACT #1: After His Crucifixion, Jesus was buried in a

tomb by Joseph of Arimathea. Why Does This

Matter?


tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.

Why Does This Matter?

This was a location anyone could go

investigate




It would be pretty hard to proclaim that Jesus rose from the dead when anyone could go visit his tomb and see Him still lying

dead there.




The burial story is a very early claim, not something

that got made up later.




For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

. . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and

that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he

appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.





Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the

group that killed Jesus.

“As a member of the Jewish court that condemned Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea is unlikely to be a

Christian invention. There was strong resentment against the Jewish leadership for their role in the

condemnation of Jesus (I Thess. 2.15).

It is therefore highly improbable that Christians would invent a member of the court that

condemned Jesus who honors Jesus by giving him a proper burial instead of allowing him to be

dispatched as a common criminal.” -WLC




1. Location of tomb known 2. Burial story very early tradition 3. Joseph of Arimathea inclusion

“The burial of Jesus in the tomb is one of the earliest and best-attested facts about Jesus.”

- John A. T. Robinson of Cambridge University,

FACT #2:On the Sunday following the crucifixion,

Jesus’ tomb was found empty by a group of his women followers.

FACT #2: On the Sunday following

the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb was found empty

by a group of his women followers.

This was also part of the earliest source

material of the Bible.





The story is simple and lacks legendary embellishment.


“And in the night in which the Lord's day was drawing on, as the soldiers kept guard two by two in a watch, there was a great voice in the heaven; and they saw the heavens opened, and two men descend from thence with great light and approach the tomb.

And that stone which was put at the door rolled of itself and made way in part; and the tomb was opened, and both the

young men entered in.

…When therefore those soldiers saw it, they awakened the centurion and the elders; for they too were hard by keeping

guard. And as they declared what things they had seen, again they see three men come forth from the tomb, and two

of them supporting one, and a cross following them…

…and of the two the head reached unto the heaven, but the head of him who was lead by them overpassed the heavens. And they heard a voice from the heavens, saying, Thou hast

preached to them that sleep. And a response was heard from the cross, Yea.”

The Gospel of Peter 2:10 (Apocraphal Gospel)




The story is simple and lacks legendary embellishment.





Women’s testimony was worthless in the first

century.





Any made up legend about Jesus rising from the dead and women

finding the empty tomb first would have been laughable in

that time.



1. Earliest Source Material 2. Simple and Lacks Embellishment 3. Women’s testimony worthless

““By far most exegetes hold firmly to the reliability of the biblical statements concerning the empty tomb.””

- Jacob Kremer, Astrian specialist in the resurrection




FACT #3:On multiple occasions and under various

circumstances, different individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus

alive from the dead.

FACT #3: On multiple occasions

and under various circumstances, different

individuals and groups of people experienced

appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.


There are multiple independent claims of Jesus being seen alive

after dying.






Each of the gospels contain resurrection appearance that

totally separate from appearances in the other gospels.

They are not retelling of the same event.


For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

. . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and

that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he

appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.






Why Does This Matter?After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen

asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time











Jesus’ brothers were unbelievers until after the resurrection, where they

became leaders and eventually martyrs.

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO CONVINCE

YOU THAT YOUR BROTHER IS THE

LORD TO THE DEGREE THAT

YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO

DIE FOR THAT BELIEF?

Can there be any doubt that this remarkable transformation in Jesus’ younger brother

took place because, in Paul’s words, “then he appeared to James”? - WLC


1. Multiple Resurrection Claims 2. Independent Resurrection Claims 3. Conversion of Jesus’ brothers

“It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus

appeared to them as the risen Christ.”

-Gerd Ludemann, Critic of the historical resurrection story





FACT #4:The original disciples believed and preached that Jesus was risen from the dead despite their having little to gain and much to lose.

FACT #4: The original disciples

believed and preached that Jesus was risen

from the dead despite their having little to

gain and much to lose.


Their leader was dead. Nobody at that time

believed in a dying and rising messiah.






Jesus’s execution on the cross was viewed as someone who was

cursed by God.






“his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury

him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.”

Deut 21:23






Imagine the dismay and discouragement of the disciples after Jesus’ death, thinking they had left everything to follow an

accursed criminal. They were wrong and the Pharisees were right. Ouch.






They had given up everything for Jesus

and He was gone.

YET…

DESPITE ALL THIS, THE DISCIPLES DEVOTED THEIR

LIVES AND DEATHS TO PREACHING THE MESSAGE OF

THE RESURRECTION

“Some sort of powerful, transformative experience is required to generate the sort of movement

earliest Christianity was.”

- Luke Johnson, a New Testament scholar ,Emory University






1. Hope gone after Jesus’ death 2. Nothing to gain much to lose 3. All disciples died to proclaim this!

“That is why, as a historian, I cannot explain the rise of early Christianity unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty

tomb behind him.”

- NT Wright, British Theologian and Author

So what best explains these 4 historical facts?

FACT #1: After His Crucifixion, Jesus was buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.

FACT #2: On the Sunday following the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb was found empty by a group of his women followers.

FACT #3: On multiple occasions and under various circumstances, different individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.

FACT #4: The original disciples believed and preached that Jesus was risen from the dead despite their having little to gain and much to lose.

GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD

Next Week…

Is “God raised Jesus from the Dead” the best explanation of these facts, or

are there others?

What are the biggest objections to the resurrection of Jesus?

See You Then!

evidence for the resurrection - part 1

Education