The Resurrection as Historical Miracle

Two ways to believe in the resurrected Jesus

1. Faith • Trust

2. Evidence • Historical investigation

Why it matters

1 Corinthians 15:14-15 14AndifChristhasnotbeenraised,ourpreachingisuselessandsoisyourfaith.15Morethanthat,wearethenfoundtobefalsewitnessesaboutGod,forwehavetestifiedaboutGodthatheraisedChristfromthedead.

Christianity is a historical faith

Christians don’t have a single source, they have a library

• Gospels (Greco-Roman biographies) •Matthew, Mark, Luke, John •Sources: Mark, M, L, Q, John

• Epistles (letters)

The New Testament, faith, and history

“Somehow or other, there are people who regard a ‘sacred book’ as ipso facto under suspicion, and demand much more corroborative evidence for such a work than they would for an ordinary secular or pagan writing.”

F.F. Bruce

How does one do a historical investigation?Develop the best theory to explain all the available evidence

Who ate the cookie?

(1)your puppy looks guilty (2)he has crumbs on his muzzle (3)Nobody else is around

1 Corinthians 15 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5

and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

How early is the teaching in 1 Cor. 15:3-7?• AD 54: 1 Corinthians • AD 51: “What I received I passed on to you…” (15:3)

• When did Paul receive it? • AD 37: “Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to

get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.” (Gal. 1:18-19)

• AD 33: Ground Zero

What we need to explain1. The rabbinic context 2. Jesus died for our sins and was buried 3. Jesus was raised (and the tomb found empty) 4. Jesus was seen alive again by his followers

and some skeptics 5. Teaching about Jesus spread out from

Jerusalem

The Christian Telephone Game?

1. The Rabbinic Context• I passed on to you…

• I Cor. 15:3: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance…”

• I Cor. 11:2: “I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.”

• I Cor. 11:23: [instructions for Lord’s Supper]: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…”

• Implication • A Guarded Tradition (Gal. 1:8-9) with moral commitment

and intellectual skill

2. Jesus died for our sins and was buried• Edwards, et. Al, “On the physical death of Jesus Christ,” JAMA,

(1986).

EXCRUCIATING: OUT OF THE CROSS

2. Jesus died for our sins and was buried

Deuteronomy 21:22-23

22 If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 23 you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

How did the ultimate shame become the greatest news?

3. Jesus was raised (and the tomb was found empty)

• that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

• John 5:25: “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”

• egēgertai, “he was raised”; i.e. bodily returned to life.

4. Jesus was seen alive again by his followers and some skeptics• he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

• Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

• Mark 3:21: “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind.“

• John 7:5: "For even his own brothers did not believe in him."

• and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

• What changed Paul from persecutor to disciple?

5. Teaching about Jesus spread out from Jerusalem What best explains all the facts?

• Legend? • Wrong tomb? • Swoon? • Conspiracy? • Visions? • Resurrection

• This explanation has unparalleled explanatory scope (it explains all the facts) and explanatory power (it explains them effectively).

Two ways to believe in the resurrected Jesus

1. Faith • Trust

2. Evidence • Historical investigation

Discussion Questions1. How did you come to believe that Jesus rose from

the dead?

2.Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important?

3.Did you ever meet anyone who was skeptical about Christian claims? If so, how did you address them?