Over the last two weeks, I talked about why Jesus had to die
Four quick ways that we can believe the resurrection took place
- Jesus death and burial – Contemporary historians are virtually unanimous in their acceptance of Jesus’s death on the cross. His death by crucifixion is the single fact most mentioned in all the historical records of his life, both Christian and non-Christian. It is recorded in numerous books of the New Testament, including all four Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and Revelation. It is mentioned by non-Christians like Josephus and Tacitus…. Agnostic Bart Ehrman writes: “It is hard today to understand just how offensive the idea of a crucified messiah would have been to most first-century Jews. . . . Since no one would have made up the idea of a crucified messiah, Jesus must really have existed, must really have raised messianic expectations, and must really have been crucified.”
- 2. The empty tomb – The strongest piece of evidence in favor of the historicity of the empty tomb is the report that it was discovered by women. This detail may not strike us as odd, but it is surprising, given the low status of women in the first century. (Luke 24:1-12) For example, the first-century Jewish historian Josephus claimed that Jewish law expressed the following sentiment regarding the reliability of women: “Let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex.”…… A second factor supporting the historicity of the empty tomb is the fact that just seven weeks after Jesus’s death, the apostles began preaching the resurrection in Jerusalem itself, the very city in which Jesus had been crucified. Had he been lying in a tomb even for this length of time, his features such as hair, teeth, stature, and the wounds of crucifixion would have still been identifiable.
- 3. The faith of the apostles – many claimed to have seen him alive; in fact, they claimed to have seen him eat fish and touched him. Paul wrote that over 500 saw him at one time. (1 Corinthians 15:6) If he had not risen, this could have easily been refuted by the people alive at that time. When you add to that the suffering the apostles went through, if they were making up a tale about the resurrection, they would have never died for their belief in a resurrected Christ. I know many die today in the name of Islam, but they believe based on what they have been taught. These men died because of what they saw and experienced.
- 4. The hostile witness – Paul was no friend to the early church. He participated in the stoning of Stephen, had many early Christians killed, families separated and thrown into jail. Paul was not inclined to believe Christ, Christians, or Christianity. Yet something dramatic happened, and he became a committed believer. So much so that he had been beaten, imprisoned, and shipwrecked multiple times. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) He stayed faithful to Christ and wrote most of the New Testament.
I could go deeper into these things but today I wanted to give you a quick apologetic so you can believe today….let’s look at something else quickly
“God is dead!” Fredrick Nietzsche (Nee- chuh) declared in the late 1800’s. George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells added to that stating the 20th century would mark the end of the world’s religious phase.
Yet today a church still meets in the building where that was the former center for atheism in Russia. God is moving in even more powerful ways in the underground church in Iran and China. Youth in the United Kingdom are coming to Christ in droves, and Bible sales are up in the United States by over 22%….
While Nietzsche, Shaw, and Wells are turning to dust in their graves, Jesus is alive….He is risen!
Why do we believe?
Let me share a story from John T. Seamonds, former professor of Christian Missions at Ashbury college!
Recently an African Muslim was converted to Christ. When someone asked him why he had become a Christian, he answered. “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down a road when suddenly it forked in two directions, you didn’t know which way to take. There at the fork in the road you could see two persons, one dead and one alive. Of which one would you inquire the way?” This is a supreme difference between Islam and the gospel. The Muslim regards both Muhammad and Christ as prophets of God. But whereas Muhammad lived and died and passed from the scene of history, Jesus lived, died, and arose!.
Buddha, Mohammed, and others all have adherents who travel to visit their graves or places they frequented. These men died and are buried. It is not true of Jesus. You can travel to Jerusalem and visit one of the three tombs people claim to have been Jesus’, but you won’t find any bones because he is not there! He is alive!
We know from the past two weeks of the story that Jesus had to die just as the scripture predicted. Without a death, there could be no resurrection! At the cross, he showed his great love for us by willingly laying down his life! How did those closest to him at the time view the cross?
From a distance….only John the disciple whom Jesus loved was there. These men left everything for Jesus, businesses, connection to the Roman government, family, homes only to watch their teacher and friend die a most vile death among criminals on a cross, an object that “good people” should have nothing to do with!
They were disillusioned, disappointed, and fearful. I am sure they doubted even choosing to follow him. Would they be the next victims of a cross?
Then it happened Jesus did just as he promised, just as was predicted
Psalm 16:10
For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
Hosea 6:2
After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
Jesus is recorded as predicting his resurrection at least twice in Matthew and Luke and three times in Mark.
He broke the chain of death, he appeared to a group of women at the tomb, spoke to some disciples and shared communion with them on the road to Emmaus, and appeared to most of them except Thomas was not there!
John 20:24,25
One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Thomas is heart-broken. He may have been the most passionate of all, feeling so disillusioned by the death of his friend and teacher. He simply can’t believe what he is being told, the wound is too deep. BUT….
John 20:26-28
26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe! 28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Even in his despair, although Jesus was not in the room, He heard Thomas’s anguish, broken heart, and sorrow. Overwhelmed upon seeing Jesus, Thomas, not needing to touch Him, cries out the loudest proclamation of Jesus being savior: “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas saw, and now he believed. While it blesses Jesus and he loved these men so much, He is blessed by an even greater blessing…you and I.
John 20:29
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
We are blessed because we have not seen but we believe…and we believe because he first loved us…
John 15:12,13
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Today we celebrate…he died for you so you would have eternal life with him! He rose again to prove death is only temporary for those who are his friends!
The best way to celebrate is to acknowledge what Jesus did for you…heaven is not a place you go because you have earned or born with the right to be there, neither of those is true…heaven is only gained by grace through faith by accepting Jesus Christ as savior. Making that decision today is the best way to celebrate! Hell can’t have you and death can’t hold you, you win heaven!
Maybe in some way, you have made him your savior you believe he died for you and that is great, you have confessed your sins to him and he has forgiven them all but have you made him your Lord….Lord is a surrendering of all you are to him, laying down your life and allowing Him to pick it up, all the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is a great way to celebrate. If you make Him Lord this world, and the flesh can’t hold you, and you become a hero to set people free!
Either of these things give you real cause to celebrate you have a new life or a renewed life in Him! Why not do both today!