week 6 evidence for the resurrection

for the Resurrection

Making the Case that Jesus Rose From the Dead

Evidence

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

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?

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.

Acts 17:31

What’s at Stake?

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?

THERE ARE 4 CENTRAL, HISTORICAL FACTS

THAT SUPPORT THE CLAIM THAT JESUS

ROSE FROM THE DEAD

So what are they?

4 Historical Facts

The Burial

about the resurrection

1 The Empty Tomb2

Appearances of Jesus3

The Disciples’ Lives and Deaths4

FACT #1:After Being Crucified,

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?




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.

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

condemned Jesus (Pharisees) would then honor him with a proper burial instead of allowing him

to be dispatched as a common criminal.”

- William Lane Craig



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,


On the Sunday following the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb was found

empty by some of his women followers.

FACT #2:

FACT #2: On the Sunday following

the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb was found empty by some of his women

followers.

This was also part of the earliest source

material of the Bible.


The story is simple and lacks legendary embellishment.

Why Does This Matter?FACT #2:

On the Sunday following the crucifixion, Jesus’

tomb was found empty by some of his women

followers.

“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.




followers.

Women’s testimony was worthless in the first

century.




followers.

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

finding the empty tomb first would have been laughable in

that time.




followers.

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




followers.

On multiple occasions and circumstances, different individuals and groups of people

experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.

FACT #3:

FACT #3: On multiple occasions

and 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.

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?FACT #3: On multiple occasions




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’ brother James was an unbeliever

until after the resurrection.





Then he became a leader in the church and was killed for preaching

the resurrection.





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 #3: On multiple occasions




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:

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 gave their LIVES and DEATHS to the preaching of the Resurrection

of Jesus Christ

What did they have to gain for this?

“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: Jesus was buried.

FACT #2: Women found the tomb empty on Easter

FACT #3: People experienced appearances of Jesus

FACT #4: The disciples preached the resurrection and were killed for it.

GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD

But what if the disciples lied?

Burial

Empty Tomb

Appearances

Disciples Lives

Did the disciples

make up the resurrection

story?

X

X

X

The "cruncher" in this argument is the historical fact that no one, weak or strong, saint or sinner, Christian or

heretic, ever confessed, freely or under pressure, bribe or even torture, that the

whole story of the resurrection was a fake a lie, a deliberate deception…

Even when people broke under torture, denied Christ and worshiped Caesar, they

never let that cat out of the bag, never revealed that the resurrection was their

conspiracy.

No Christians believed the resurrection was a conspiracy; if they had, they wouldn't have become Christians.”

- Peter Kreeft

So what best explains these 4 historical facts?

GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD

We have a solid foundation for the trust we place in

Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His

abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of

Jesus Christ from the dead

to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in

heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to

be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

week 6 evidence for the resurrection

Education