Why I believe...The Resurrection

Jon Brokke

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Have you ever heard a story too incredible to be true?

Intro

- In the early 2000s, Hollywood released a movie called The Body featuring Antonio Banderas, who plays a former Green Beret who became a priest.

- In the film, a tomb is discovered in first-century Palestine with a body that was crucified with nails, but the legs were not broken, as the Bible describes happened to Jesus in John 19:36.

-And they also found a coin from the era of Pilate. The Catholic Church desperately tries to cover up the discovery because they realize that if the body is Jesus then their entire religion is false.

-Here’s an interesting question to ask: Could you make a movie like this of any other religious founder? The answer is no. Christianity is uniquely based upon the historical resurrection of its founder, which we can investigate.

- But if this event didn’t happen, Christianity crumbles.

- Unlike myths and philosophies, Christianity is a historically-based religion.

- And this isn’t just my opinion. The Apostle Paul tells us so in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19

1 Corinthians 15:13–19 ESV

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

So, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead:

● our faith is useless

● we are still slaves to sin

● Christians are false witnesses who are to be pitied

Paul goes on to say that if Jesus didn’t rise, why face persecution and suffering? Instead, eat, drink, and have fun, because this life is all we have (v. 30-32). We should be living selfishly for pleasure if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, since this life is ultimately meaningless.

1 Corinthians 15:30–32 ESV

Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

The resurrection is the core of Christianity. But how do we know it really happened other than having blind faith? Let’s examine the evidence.

Evidence for the Resurrection

-Now, the Bible isn’t just a religious text. It’s also history.

- It contains facts about real people and events that are supported in the historical record outside the Bible.

- We’re going to examine biblical facts that a majority of experts accept as historical.

-And based on this, we can make a simple yet powerful case that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead.

Resurrection Creed

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

- This passage is what is known as the “Resurrection Creed.”

It was written by Paul in the mid AD 50s, roughly 25 years after the death of Jesus.

Note how it begins: “For what I received I passed on to you….”

-This means that Paul is passing on a teaching he had learned from others, probably when he visited the apostles shortly after his conversion (Galatians 1-2).

- This leads most scholars to date this creed to within a few years after Jesus’ crucifixion.

Some date it within months.

- Thus, we can immediately dismiss objections that Jesus’ resurrection was just a legend that developed over time.

- Something happened that caused people to believe Jesus rose from the dead.

Now, there are four key facts from the Resurrection Creed that we will use to build our case:

● Jesus died (v 3)

● He was buried (v 4)

● He was raised (v 4)

● He appeared (v 5-8)

Jesus Died

- Jesus’ death by crucifixion is recorded in all four gospels, and most historians – both modern and ancient – hold this fact as being undeniable.

- Consider some quotes from leading non-Christian New Testament scholars:

● Gerd Lüdemann, atheist: “Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.”

● Bart Ehrman, agnostic: “The crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans is one of the most secure facts we have about his life.”

● John Dominic Crossan, atheist: “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus… agree with the Christian accounts on this basic fact.”

Two ancient writers that mention Jesus’ crucifixion and death:

● Cornelius Tacitus (AD 56-120), Roman historian, in Annals.

● Flavius Josephus (AD 37-100), Jewish politician, soldier, and historian in Antiquities of the Jews.

Although most affirm Jesus Christ was crucified and died, there are some people who would fight against this idea.

Objection #1: Swoon Theory

Some critics dismiss the resurrection is by claiming that Jesus never actually died on the cross. Instead, He merely passed out, or “swooned,” and then revealed Himself alive to His followers three days later. Is this possible? No way. Jesus endured torture and one of the most brutal forms of execution in history. He was then buried and would have had to recover in three days, roll away the stone, and convince His followers He was resurrected in a glorified, heavenly, better-than-new body. There is no way this could have happened.

Objection #2: Cruci-FICTION

Could the early Christians have invented the crucifixion for dramatic effect? The problem with this claim is that crucifixion was a shameful way to die. If your “savior” was crucified, then it meant he was a failed Messiah. Early Christians were observant Jews, and they would have associated crucifixion with being cursed by God (Deut. 21:23). Why fabricate such a horrific, accursed death for their Savior? It would have been counter-productive, unless, of course, it was true!

Conclusion to fact #1

Not only do we have the biblical account of the crucifixion, which is addressed by different writers in different books, but we also have two solid references to it outside of the Bible. Any objections to Jesus dying by crucifixion fail. It is an indisputable historical fact.

He was buried

Jesus’ burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea is also recorded in all four gospels. His tomb would have been carved out of solid rock and sealed with an immense stone, one that was difficult to roll into place and even harder to roll away. Then, to prevent any tampering, a Roman guard was placed at the tomb.

Three critical facts:

● According to the Gospels, Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin. Why would the disciples have invented a heroic burial of someone from the very group that condemned Jesus to death?

● The tomb was secure. Anyone trying to get in - or out - was going to have a very difficult time.

● Being the tomb of a prominent man, the tomb was well known.

He was Raised

On the third day, a group of women found Jesus’ tomb empty. There are three key points that help establish the historicity of the empty tomb:

1. Female witnesses

2. Enemy response

3. Jerusalem factor

Female Witnesses

Apostles fled in fear

Women’s testimonies were not considered as solid as a man’s

When women saw the empty tomb and angel, they went back to tell the apostles and the apostles checked for themselves

Why would the apostles put themselves in this light

When we post something on instagram, do we always share all the details even though they may make us look bad?

Apostles told the true story, even though it made them look bad. This leads to a thinking of truth.

Enemy Response

In Matthew 28:12-13, the Jewish leaders accused the disciples of stealing Jesus’ body. Why is this important? One of the first objections to the resurrection actually assumes the body was gone and the tomb was empty.

Jerusalem Factor

Maybe the women and disciples were mistaken and discovered the wrong tomb empty. But since Jesus was buried in a known location, anyone could have easily found the correct tomb, shown it was still sealed, and squashed the resurrection story.

- Furthermore,

in Acts 2:22, Peter reminds the people of Jerusalem “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.”

- Jesus’ life was very public, so the people of Jerusalem knew who He was and the works He did.

- And the disciples marched back to the very city where these events happened and proclaimed their truth with confidence!

He appeared

The fourth key fact of the Resurrection Creed is that Jesus appeared to many people after His death and burial. Consider the different appearance accounts:

● Mary and the other women at the tomb

● Peter, the coward who had denied he knew Jesus prior to his trial

● The disciples (minus Judas)

● 500 believers who could be questioned

● James, brother of Christ, who was initially skeptical of Jesus along with the rest of his family

● Paul, Christian persecutor!

Regarding these appearances, agnostic New Testament scholar, Bart Ehrman, says:

It is indisputable that some of the followers of Jesus came to think that he had been raised from the dead, and something had to have happened to make them think so. Our earliest records are consistent on this point, and I think they provide us with historically reliable information in one key respect: the disciples’ belief in the resurrection was based on visionary experiences.-Bart Ehrman

Assessing the Facts

We’ve gathered our four facts:

● Jesus died.

● He was buried.

● He was raised.

● He appeared.

Now we must assess the facts and make the best conclusion. When we examine the facts, it’s hard to deny the resurrection. But of course, many skeptics do. So let’s look at the three most popular objections to Jesus’ resurrection:

Alternate theory #1: Mass Hallucination Theory

Maybe Jesus’ followers hallucinated seeing their risen Lord due to their immense grief.

Problems:

● Hallucinations are private and individual, like dreams, not collective experiences. Jesus had encounters with groups of people (the Twelve, the 500, his apostles) at the same time. While individuals do have hallucinations, groups cannot share hallucinations.

● Hallucinations are visual, not physical. When Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36), they thought they were seeing a ghost (v. 37), so he invited them to touch him (v. 39) and ate in front of them (v. 42-43).

Alternate theory #2: Conspiracy Theory

The disciples lied that they saw their risen Lord. They fabricated the story of the resurrection and created a new religion around Jesus of Nazareth.

Problems:

● Why would they do this? What is their motive: money, power, fame?

● All of Jesus’ disciples were willing to suffer and die for their belief in the resurrection. While many people are willing to die for their beliefs, they are convinced those beliefs are true. But if this theory were true, the disciples would not have sacrificed themselves for something they knew was false.

Alternate explanation #3: Pagan Myth Theory

A popular theory amongst Internet skeptics is that Jesus’ life, death, and crucifixion are just a rip-off of other dying and rising pagan gods, such as Horus, Mithras, Attis, and Dionysus. For example, the popular online movie Zeitgeist claims the Egyptian god Horus was born of a virgin on December 25; had 12 disciples; performed great miracles; was crucified, buried, and rose again on the third day, as well as other facts that shockingly match the life of Jesus. These and other facts were recycled to create Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity.

Problems:

· Unlike Horus or Mithras, Jesus of Nazareth is a true figure of history with extra biblical proofs.

· The supposed parallels involve massive exaggeration and manipulation of the facts. For example, Horus was not crucified like Jesus; he was stung by a scorpion and died. Osiris is said to have “resurrected,” but he did not return to this life but instead lived on in the underworld. Regarding virgin births, Dionysus’ mother was impregnated by Zeus and Attis and sprung forth from a rock.

· The differences between Jesus and these pagan gods far outweigh the similarities.

· Parallels don’t prove anything. Proponents of the Jesus Myth need to prove that the first followers were aware of these stories and borrowed from them. Plus, it discounts all of the other historical evidence of Jesus’ existence.

· The dating is wrong. Many of the supposed parallels, especially involving a resurrection, occur in the pagan stories after the Christian era. So, if any borrowing went on, it was likely the pagan myths borrowing from Christianity.

Conclusion

- The best explanation of the four historical facts we have examined is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, vindicating his claims to be the Son of God.

But what does this mean for us now, nearly two thousand years later?

God affirmed the teachings of Jesus through the resurrection

We can know Jesus was fully God..capable of taking away all of our sins if we trust in His saving grace

We can know the Bible is true and totally without error. Jesus’ death was foretold many years before

We can receive the holy spirit inside of us. Forever with us if we trust in God.

We grieve those who we have lost, but realize death is not the end for those who put their faith in God.