We will see that the resurrection of Christ is the best explanation for each of them individually. We must BELIEVE that Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead (Rom 10:9). Evidence for the Resurrection. (2) Some have tried to explain it away as the development of a myth or legend. No other conclusion makes sense. It’s importance to the Christian faith is demonstrated in many ways: (1) Belief in the resurrection is an essential element of the gospel. I'm sure you've heard of the various theories used to explain away the empty tomb, such as that the body was stolen. In essence, if a source admits a fact that is decidedly not in its favor, the fact is genuine." As Gary Habermas has said, "Combining three improbable theories will not produce a probable explanation. Thus, Judaism of that day could have never produced the resurrection hypothesis. "This implies that Caiaphas, who we know was high priest at that time, was still high priest when the story began circulating." Is there good reason to believe that it was inspired by God, or is it simply a bunch of interesting myths and legends? First, it has been shown that these mystery religions had no major influence in Palestine in the 1st century. At best, they would have hallucinated that he had been transported directly to heaven, as Elijah had been in the OT, but they would have never hallucinated a resurrection. If so, Christians are to be pitied above all people, for our hope would then be based on that lie. Number of Views:203. Through the years, the evidence has increasingly mounted for the historicity of Jesus’s resurrection. This legend has all of the Jewish leaders, Roman guards, and many people from the countryside gathered to watch the resurrection. Could it have been Christian influences? He became the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21) and was known as “James the Just” because of his righteous character. During the period Jesus lived, there were at least fifty tombs of prophets or holy persons which served as sites of religious worship and veneration. Hanging from the cross on Calvary's hill, Jesus uttered seven powerful statements that reveal His heart for us. They would have been dying for a lie that they knew was a lie. This is what legend looks like, and we see none of that in Mark's account of the empty tomb--or anywhere else in the gospels for that matter! Now it must be remembered, this isn’t just something the Bible teaches. Empowerment to conquer sin and live a new life comes, in part, from Christ’s resurrection. Not only Peter, the head apostle, but also his wife died for Christ. West was going to demonstrate the fallacy of the resurrection and Lyttleton was going to prove that Saul of Tarsus had never converted to Christianity. Faithful Jews despised Gentiles. In fact, Brooke Foss Westcott, a British scholar who lived from 1825-1901, said this: “Indeed taking all the evidence together, it is not too much to say that there is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Christ.” If we reject the evidence of Christ’s resurrection, then we will have to reject much of what we know about ancient history. We’ll consider evidences for the resurrection below. Ninth, there is very good evidence that the gospels and Acts were written very early. Why? It sounds ridiculous! Category: Tags: evidence | history | resurrection | women. One reason for this is because of the inclusion of Joseph of Arimethea as the one who buried Christ. Share. The penalty for our sins must be paid. In other words, we ought to accept an event as historical if it gives the best explanation for the evidence surrounding it. Consider the following verses: Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know—this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. Hallucinations are highly individual, and not group projections. Evidence for the Resurrection is perfect for Easter, Resurrection Sunday, discipleship, new members, confirmation, and outreach. 2 (1 Kgs 18:16-40), Elijah Series: Steps Towards Revival Pt. That is not long enough for legends. Fifth, we have seen the evidence that the empty tomb story in Mark was very early--within seven years of the events. The situation at the tomb after the resurrection is significant. But we have already seen the implausibility of such theories. The good news is that God, out of His love, became man in Jesus Christ in order to pay the penalty for sinners. He concludes that if Paul’s twenty-five years of suffering and service for Christ were a reality, then his conversion was true, for everything he did began with that sudden change. He not only became a follower of Christ but also an apostle—an official witness of the resurrection. An examination of the evidence for the resurrection goes beyond just exploring the evidence Jesus rose from the dead, but to the reliability of the Bible itself and whether we have evidence the Bible is true. In Acts, the apostles proclaim it throughout the world. You can believe because of the evidence, not in spite of it. It never occurred to me that we would have good historical evidence to corroborate the Bible’s detailing of events. Proof of the Resurrection #7: They Died for Jesus. The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus should shape our faith. Acts 5:34). Because of the strong evidence for the empty tomb, most recent scholars do not deny it. How do we know it’s true?” In John 20:28, Christ said to Thomas, “Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” Does this mean Christ expects us to believe in the resurrection apart from evidence? Possibly, the strongest evidence for the resurrection is the conversion of many of the Jews who convinced Pilate to murder Christ. 1. None were willing to die with him. In addition, medical experts, using scientific research, have examined the circumstances of Christ’s crucifixion, including the fact that he was beaten to disfigurement before his crucifixion (Is 52:14, John 19:1-3), that people crucified typically died by asphyxiation (not being able to breath), and that he was pierced by a professional executioner to confirm his death (John 19:34), and concluded that Christ couldn’t have survived. The latest dates for the Gospels would be around 60 for Mark, 80 for Matthew, 85 for Luke, and 95 for John. As Christianity grew in popularity among the Jews, Paul zealously persecuted all who believed and taught it. Further, the hallucination theory cannot explain the conversion of Paul, three years later. He rose from the dead as a proof that God accepted his sacrifice for our sins and that one day we will rise from the dead to live eternally in glorified bodies. A strong evidence is that of the original apostles. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. So, the resurrection appearances alone demonstrate the resurrection. Much of these arguments are like claiming that the land of Oz must exist because otherwise how do we explain the yellow brick road? Historically, the early church boomed in Jerusalem, and then because of persecution, it spread throughout the ancient world and exists today as the biggest religion in the world. Evidence for the Resurrection After many months of exploring every possible angle to refute it, I concluded that the resurrection is one of the best attested facts in ancient history. Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ. The Gospels record at least three dozen miracles that Jesus performed while He walked on earth. The tomb was empty, and the body was never found. What did Jesus say about the Bible? 1st century Judaism had no conception of a single individual rising from the dead in the middle of history. Therefore, if the burial account is accurate the empty tomb is likely to be accurate as well. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! Inexplicable mystery. been dying for a lie that they really did church is strong proof for the of. Other, hoping each one will help stop up the leaks in Bible. 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