Young Men, Consider the Risen Jesus

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NIV).

These verses enshrine the essence of the Christian faith. They contain the essential message of Easter, the most important even in the church year. Three great truths are emphasized. On Friday Jesus died on the cross. On Saturday He lay in Joseph’s tomb. On Sunday He rose from the dead. Deny these fundamental facts and you negate Christianity.

Two other very important things about Christ emerge from these verses. First, He was truly man because He died. Death is characteristic of mankind. In this fact lay the necessity for the incarnation. He was also really God because He rose from the dead. Man cannot rise from the dead. Because Jesus was infinite, His death was of infinite value and made expiation for the sins of the whole world.

Exactly in the manner and for the purposes revealed in the Scriptures, He died for our sins. He was buried, not in a common grave, but in a new tomb. He rose again on the third day under the circumstances recorded on Scriptures. It was a bodily resurrection. When the women and Peter and John looked into the tomb, it was empty except for the grave clothes, still lying in the folds that had encased Him. The butterfly had flown, leaving an empty chrysalis (Muslims glory in a full coffin in Mecca. Christians glory in an empty tomb in Jerusalem. We have a living Christ; they have a dead prophet).

But how can the resurrection be explained? Christ’s body must have been removed either by human or by superhuman hands. If by human hands, it must have been by the hands of friends or foes. His foes would not, because that would look as if He really had risen. His friends could not remove the body for the tomb was sealed, and a guard of sixty soldiers watched to ensure that it was not rifled. The only alternative is that “God the Father… raised him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1).

If Christ did not rise from the dead as His disciples claimed, we cannot account for the complete transformation of these men who had been cowering behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. Their radiant joy and fearless witness is testimony of His transformation.

You ask me how I know He lives?

He lives within my heart.

(A.H. Ackley)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Examine the Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection: 6 Most Significant Evidences

Investigative journalist Lee Strobel was once a critic of the Bible and a sceptic of the Resurrection. Through a series of circumstances, he began and all-out investigation of the truth of Christianity. He writes in his book, The Case of Christ:

“Setting aside my self-interest and prejudices as best I could, I read books, interviewed experts, asked questions, analysed history, explored archaeology, studied ancient literature, and for the first time in my life picked apart the Bible verse by verse.

            I plunged into the case with more vigour than with any story I had ever pursued. I applied the training I had received at Yale Law School as well as my experience as legal affairs editor of the Chicago Tribune. And over time the evidence of the world – of history, of science, of philosophy, of psychology – began to point toward the unthinkable.”

[Quote from The Case of Christ: A Journalist’s personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), p.14]

Eventually, the evidence of the life of Jesus and the Resurrection so changed Lee Strobel’s life that today he is a Christian speaker, author, and filmmaker living in Southern California. What evidence did Lee Strobel and other investigators discover in their search for the truth of the Resurrection?

6 Evidences are the Most Significant Ones. Click title to Read:

1) The Empty Tomb (Click Here)

2) The Lives of the Disciples (Click Here)

3) The Historical Record (Click Here)

4) “Blood and Water” Flowed Out of Jesus’ Side (Click Here)

5) Eyewitness Accounts (Click Here)

6) The Change in the Apostle Paul (Click Here)

“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”
(Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #6: The change in the Apostle Paul

Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus (from the movie, The Bible) 

One of the most telling examples of a person who saw Christ and whose life was transformed was the apostle Paul. He had been educated with the finest Jewish education, and he had a reputation as a well-trained and respected religious leader. Because of his position and his initial belief that Jesus and his disciples’ claims were false, he hated the new sect of Christian believers. In fact, he was present at the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen (see Acts 6 and 7). Before his conversion, Paul was called Saul.

After a personal encounter with the Resurrected Christ who spoke to him (Acts 9), Paul realized that he had been fighting against the very One who had validated his universal authority through the Resurrection. The day that he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul’s focus in life changed 180 degrees from the persecution of the budding Christian faith to becoming its foremost proponent and evangelist to the corners of the Roman Empire. Now Paul was fully convinced that the Resurrection was a true fact of history.

Paul’s reputation as a persecutor of the Church was so widespread that initially the Christians were afraid to accept him into their group. Eventually, Paul was imprisoned in Rome and martyred because he would not back down from proclaiming the message of the Crucified and Resurrected Christ. Paul was so convinced that the Resurrection of Jesus from the death unto life that he claimed the entire Christian faith rested on this one central truth of the Resurrection and its implications for all believers:

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep [died] in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits [the first to be raised to life forever] of those who have fallen asleep [died]” (1 Corinthians 15:14-15, 17-20).

The Church rapidly grew from a small band of disciples to a worldwide movement. Thousands of early believers – even Paul himself – were martyred for their faith in the first few centuries of Christianity. (Even today, Christians are persecuted for their faith). Know that they were not killing people because of their faith but being killed for their faith in Christ. The Resurrection of Jesus is truly one of the most attested events in history.

The evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #6:
The change in the Apostle Paul

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #5: Eyewitness Accounts

Jesus ascended to heaven as depicted by the A.D. The Bible movie 

“[Jesus] 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”
(Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, ESV).

Obviously, the disciples were eyewitnesses that Jesus had raised from the dead. He appeared to them on numerous occasions over a period of time. Acts 1:3 records: “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.” From these accounts we can clearly see that Jesus himself wanted to convince them that he was truly alive. But they were not the only ones to see Jesus. The Bible records that on one occasion, “more than five hundred” people saw him at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Here are some (only some) of the other people who were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ return:

Eyewitnesses	Scripture reference
Mary Magdalene	John 20:10-18
The other women at the tomb	Matthew 28:8-10
Simon Peter in Jerusalem	Luke 24:34
The two travelers on the road	Mark 16:12-13
Ten disciples behind closed doors	John 20:19-25
All the disciples, with Thomas (excluding Judas Iscariot)	John 20:26-31
Seven disciples while fishing	John 21:1-14
Eleven disciples on the mountain	Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus’ brother James, the apostles and Paul	1 Corinthians 15:7-8
Those who watched Jesus ascend into heaven	Acts 1:3-8

During these appearances, Jesus let people touch him. He ate with them. He traveled with his friends and explained the Scriptures to them, especially how the Old Testament predicted his death and Resurrection. And he continued teaching with his emphasis on “the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Some of his followers even saw him ascend into heaven when his work on earth was completed. In all cases, the ones who witnessed his appearances were convinced beyond doubt that he was the same person who died on the cross just a few days earlier. Having eyewitnesses would be critical in their testimony as Jewish Law requires the testimony of at least two or three witnesses in a court of law. So if Jesus is alive then, he is alive today! He has risen!

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #5:

Eyewitness accounts

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Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #4: "Blood and Water” Flowed Out of Jesus’ Side

The Passion movie. Jesus was flogged with Roman flagrum

One of the most prevalent skepticism about the Crucifixion and the Resurrection was that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross but fainted or swooned and was revived in the coolness of the tomb (as most Muslim apologetic speakers try to explained. And they also speculate that Jesus was taken into heaven just before he was about to be crucified and Allah replaced another man who “looked like Jesus” to die on his behalf). In other words, Jesus wasn’t resurrected because he didn’t really die. Modern medical science has now refuted the claim, that Jesus could have survived the cross and preceding beatings resulting in massive blood loss.

What is so significant about this account? Alexander Metherell, MD, PhD, University of California at Irvine, is a medical doctor proficient in medical diagnoses. He asserts that the flogging Jesus received with a Roman flagrum was a significant factor in his death. The Roman flagrum, an instrument of torture, was a whip that had pieces of metal or bone attached to the ends of the lashes. In some cases, a flogging with a flagrum alone was enough to cause death. The metal-studded whip dug into the skin and muscles of the victim and pulled out pieces of flesh until they were shredded and quivering. The flogging induced heavy blood loss. As was seen depicted in the Crucifixion story, Jesus was already suffering heavily as he walked to Golgotha. On the way to Calvary, he was unable to carry his cross, so the Roman guards forced a bystander to carry it for him. At this time, says, Dr. Metherell, Jesus was already in serious to critical condition medically.

One symptom of the massive loss of blood from flogging was that the victim became very thirsty, a condition of hypovolemic shock. John 19:28 tells of how Jesus cried out from the cross that he was thirsty, and the soldiers lifted up a sponge soaked in wine vinegar to his lips.

Victims of Crucifixion normally died of asphyxiation. As they were hanging, arms extended, wrists nailed, from the crossbeam, they had to strenuously push themselves up by their feel nailed to a crossbeam in order to exhale. In time, they became too fatigued to push themselves up and could no longer breathe.

Since the Sabbath began at sundown and the Jewish leaders didn’t want to leave the bodies on the cross during the Sabbath, the soldiers broke the legs of the Crucified thieves on either side of Jesus to cause them to asphyxiate quickly. But when they came to Jesus, he was already dead. The only disciple brave enough to watch the execution of Jesus was the apostle John. He gives an eyewitness account of what happened to Jesus on the cross: “One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out. This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account; it is presented so that you also can believe” (John 19:34-35, NLT).

This outflow of blood and water was most likely because Jesus died of congestive heart failure secondary to asphyxia, according to Dr, Metherell: “When the spear penetrated Jesus’ side, it probably went through the lung and into the heart. When the spear was pulled out, blood flowed out and then the clear fluid that had gathered around the heart, which would have looked like water. What John wrote in the Bible is consistent with medical fact.”

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #4:
“Blood and Water” flowed out of Jesus’ side.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Reference: Gary R. Habermas, The Case for Christ’s Resurrection, DVD, David W. Balsiger, senior producer, Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc., 2007.

Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection #3: The Historical Record

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.
And when he is killed, after three days he will rise” (Mark 9:31, ESV).

The main written record of the Resurrection is contained in the four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Most accounts are found in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20-21. In Acts 2, the apostle Peter preaches a sermon to gathered crowd of thousands in which he attests to the Resurrection of Jesus.

Later, the apostle Paul, who began as one of the religious leaders (ex-Pharisees) who persecuted Christians before his conversion (became an apostle), gave his testimony to the truth of the Resurrection. He writes: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, NIV).

But what about secular sources? Can we find any proof of the Resurrection of Jesus in sources other than the Bible? Beyond the Bible, there are more than 20 non-Christian sources written between 30 and 130 AD that refer to Jesus of Nazareth as a historical figure. Twelve mention his death and provide details on how he died. Ten of these refer to his Resurrection.

Thallus, a Samaritan historian, who wrote around 25 AD, explained the darkness that occurred during the Cruxification as a solar eclipse. According to modern astronomy, there was no eclipse at that time, but Scripture tells us “from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over all the land” (Matthew 27:45). Thallus’s account was referenced by Julius Africanus.

The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived in the second half of the first century, wrote that the disciples believed that Jesus had risen from the dead: “And there was about this time Jesus a wise man if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was the achiever of extraordinary deeds and was a teacher of those who accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. When he was indicted by the principal men among us and Pilate condemned him to be Crucified, those who had come to love him originally did not cease to do so; for he appeared to them on the third day restored to life, as the prophets of the Deity had foretold these and countless other marvellous things about him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, has not disappeared to this day” (Antiquities 18:63-64).

Another historian during that time period was Cornelius Tacitus, (55 AD – 117 AD), a Roman historian. He writes, “Christus, from whom the name [Christians] had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition… broke out not only in Judea, the first source of evil, but even in Rome…” The “mischievous superstition” most likely referred to the spread of the news of the Resurrection. The spread of the Resurrection account throughout the known world spawned the growing movement of the new sect: “Christians.”  Their willingness to risk persecution and join the unpopular movement of Believers demonstrated that the Early Christians believed the first-hand reports of eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus still living at that time.

To consider the skeptics that say the Resurrection was a legend, Dr. William Lane Craig, Christian philosopher and theologian, says “the short time span between Christ’s Crucifixion and the composition of this early Christian creed [of the death and Resurrection of Christ] precludes the possibility of legendary corruption.” Taken together, the historical sources (such as from Samaritan historian, Jewish historian and Roman historian above) that mention Jesus and the Resurrection provide substantive evidence that the event was real. This amount of written testimony for any event in history in those early days is almost impossible to find. Yet, the Resurrection of Jesus has multiple sources of documentation. Cumulatively, these accounts add authenticity that the Resurrection is a factual historical event rather than a legend fabricated and passed down over time.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

References:

1) Ralph O. Muncaster, What Is the Proof for the Resurrection? (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2000), p.16.

2) Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case of the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2004), p.44-45.

3) Dr. William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith, 285, as cited by Hank Hanegraff, Resurrection (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 2000), p.39.

Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection #2: The Lives of the Disciples

Peter and John, both were former fisherman now become preachers of Good News.

“We must obey God rather than men”

(Peter boldly said to the Sanhedrin council, Acts 5:29, ESV).

Among the most convincing proofs of the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection was the change in the lives of the disciples. They changed from being scared and scattered followers to being confident and courageous evangelists who did not fear for their lives. In fact, all of them but one (Judas Iscariot) died gruesome deaths as martyrs because of their testimony that Christ rose from the dead. Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus during his trial just before his execution, clearly attests, “For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendour [emphasis added] with our own eyes” (2 Peter 1:16). What splendour was Peter taking about? The resurrected Christ!

Who were these disciples? Were they extraordinary people who were prepared from childhood to represent Jesus? Jerry Rose, former president of the National Religious Broadcasters, says, “As individuals, they were completely unremarkable, middle class at best. They came from all walks of life – fishermen, a tax collector, even a militant rebel. But drawn together by the Messiah himself, this unlikely band of brothers would change the world.”

After Christ’s Crucifixion, this band of followers scattered, cowering behind locked doors, in fear for their own lives. What changed them? A miracle beyond what they could ever dream – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. From those early days on, they became a powerful force that spread the news of this miraculous event that changed the world in one generation.

But no one was in the tomb during the Resurrection. How could the disciples be sure that it actually happened? Because Jesus physically appeared to them numerous times after the Resurrection. John tells of the first appearance in his Gospel: “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord’” (John 20:19-20).

But one disciple was not present – Thomas. When he heard of the experience the other disciples had with Jesus, he doubted that it was true. We can feel sympathetic toward Thomas. He was filled with grief; he thought he would never see Jesus again. All his hopes for the future had been dashed. Although Thomas has the reputation as the doubting disciple, none of Jesus’ followers believed in the Resurrection until they saw the proof for themselves – his presence among them.

The apostle John writes about what happened when Jesus appeared to Thomas: “Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:24-28).

One of the most amazing facts of the transformation of the disciples is that they had no reason to claim that Jesus had been raised from the dead. When jurors sit on a case in a court trial, one of the questions they ask about the testimony of the witnesses is: “What does this person have to gain by giving this testimony?” For some, it could be that the testimony will lead to financial gain or status. That puts their testimony into question.

But the disciples had nothing to gain by attesting to the Resurrection – not wealth, political gain or prestige. They weren’t going to get a retirement fund set up in their names or a villa at a Roman resort. The apostles received no benefits outside their reward in the eternity. In fact, they were persecuted and executed for their faith. But they were so convinced that Jesus rose from the dead and was alive that they endured beatings, stoning, ridicule, loss of family, and horrific deaths. There is no doubt that they valiantly claimed to have seen him alive with their own eyes.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

References:

1) David W. Balsiger and Michael Minor, The Case for Christ’s Resurrection (Orlando, Florida: Bridge-Logos, 2007), p. 8-10.

2) Twelve Ordinary Men, DVD, David W. Balsiger, senior producer, Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc. 2005. 

Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection #1: The Empty Tomb

"[Jesus] is not here, for he has risen."

“[The] angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen as he said’... So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples” (Matthew 28:5, 8, ESV).

Gary R. Habermas, PhD confidently says, “The Resurrection is the cornerstone of our [Christian] faith.” And the most important fact of the Resurrection is that the tomb was empty of the body. How do we know this for sure?

The Jewish leaders who despised Jesus heard his prophesy that he was going to come back again. Therefore, they wanted to ensure that his disciples didn’t steal the body to pretend that the prophesy came true and went to Pilate with a request that he secure the tomb of Jesus. In response to their request, Pilate installed a Roman guard of 16 men in front of the tomb and sealed the tomb with a two-ton stone with his own seal on the stone (Matthew 27:62-66) in response to their request. Surely a weak band of followers like the disciples wouldn’t be able to get past a trained Roman guard. Yet in spite of the soldiers’ best efforts, they couldn’t keep Jesus in the tomb. On the third day, he walked right out of the grave.

Just imagine how the religious leaders took the news of the Resurrection! And interesting story is told in the Gospel according to Matthew about the Jewish priests’ reaction to the news that Jesus had risen from the dead. The tomb guards were concerned about their own welfare because they had failed in their mission and could be punished by execution, perhaps even Crucifixion. Some of the guards came and told the priests what had happened at the tomb. The priests bribed the guards to spread the story that the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:11-15). These were the actions of a desperate group who were afraid of Jesus!

Apologetics author Ralph Muncaster, former sceptic, writes: “It would have been virtually impossible for the misfit band of disciples to overcome the guard and steal the body of Jesus. Nor would they have any reason to do so. Despite the explanation presented by the Jewish leaders and the Roman guards that the disciples had stolen the body, the city of Jerusalem was not accepting it. Instead, the people accepted the story presented by the eyewitnesses that Jesus had rose from the dead. Many gave their lives to verify this strong belief.

“In the nutshell, all the Jewish leaders and Romans had to do in order to end Christianity forever was to produce the corpse of Jesus. They couldn’t do it. And Christianity has since become the largest religion in the world. The tomb was empty.”

Evidence of Jesus’ Resurrection #1:

The Empty Tomb

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

References:

1) David W. Balsiger and Michael Minor, The Case for Christ’s Resurrection (Orlando, Florida: Bridge-Logos, 2007), p. 8-10.

2) Gary R. Habermas, The Case for Christ’s Resurrection, DVD, David W. Balsiger, senior producer, Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc., 2007.

3) Ralph O. Muncaster, Examine the Evidence (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2004), p. 393.