Topic:
The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our salvation. In dying and rising from the dead Jesus conquered death and defeated sin. Paul writes that if Christ didn’t rise from the dead or faith is worthless and we are to be pitied (1 Cor 15:14-19). Is there really reason to believe Jesus rose from the dead as the Bible said he did?
Facts of the Resurrection: (Adapted from an article by Sean McDowell)
Miracles happen. Even today countless people have stories of being healed without any medical explanation, getting checks or money to cover expenses that a person had no money to pay for, and countless little miracles that we often miss.
Jesus Died. All four gospels agree about this. Jesus was crucified by Romans. The Romans were professional killers and would not make a mistake. Crucifixions have not been practiced for hundreds of years because of the brutality of them. If Jesus were sentenced to be crucified it would happen. In John 19 water and blood come out of Jesus’ side. Biologically this can only happen when someone is dead. Jesus’ death by crucifixion is recorded by ancient historians (Josephus and Tacitus)
The Tomb was Empty. It was a new tomb. When the women and the disciples went to see Jesus’ grave it was empty. Women would be the least credible people in Jesus day to report about anything let alone Jesus coming back to life. The government trying to cover up what happened by saying the apostles moved the body suggests they were scrambling and needed to come up with another plausible story.
Jesus Appeared to People After His Death. The gospels tell us that Jesus appeared to the women in the garden, the apostles, and even 500 people at once. When the gospels were written, many of these people were still alive and would have been able to speak up if something was being misconstrued.
Biblical foundation:
Read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection in Matthew 27:33-28:20, Mark 15:22-16:20, Luke 23:33-24:53, Acts 1:1-11 (The end of Luke’s account), John 19:16-21:25.
Where to start:
There is significant evidence for the reliability of the Bible including the Gospels. Many people try to discredit the Gospels because it means they don’t have to deal with what Jesus said and did. We can be confident in Christ and God’s work in us because of the resurrection.
Where to learn more:
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel is one of the strongest apologetics for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
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