A young software engineer was asked by his manager
Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? . . . the day you took off to attend your grandfather’s funeral he stopped by to visit you.
It seems to me most people here this morning are probably not interested in the evidence of the resurrection-we already believe. There is no need to be convinced.
As far as I’m concerned if you believe in the first verse of the Bible “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” you shouldn’t have any trouble believing the rest of it. If you don’t believe that first verse you’ll find all forms of excuses for rejecting the rest. I know most people here have accepted both the first verse of the Bible and all the rest, even if you have to struggle with some portions of the text, as those portions of text struggle with you-we all do.
Yet, I think there may be a few here who have not yet taken that step of faith.
If you have not yet chosen to believe in or follow Jesus, this message is for you.
If you have already placed your faith in Him, I pray you will be strengthened in the life you have in His name.
Malcolm Gladwell was asked to speak February 2013 at University of Pennsylvania on the subject of proof. He asked the question “What kind of proof is required before we decide something is dangerous enough that we take action to change”? He gave the example of Frederick Hofmann
Born in Germany in 1865, moves to the US, gets a job with Prudential insurance company.
According to his research:
• Miners do not have any statistical benefit against tuberculosis
• Miners’ lungs are 30% saturated in coal dust/normal lungs 1%
• If you put a normal lung in water it floats. Coal miners’ lungs sink.
• Coal miners die of asthma at a rate 5 times that of the rest of the population
Hofmann argued coal mining was hazardous, and 1. they should pay a higher premium & 2. Significant changes should be made in the coal mining industry to protect workers.
The mining industry said there was no evidence. Hofmann published his “Mortality from Respiratory Disease in Dusty Trades” in 1917. The mining industry did not make changes in its policy based on research until 1972.
Gladwell relates this to football and repeated blows to the head causing Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The Football industry says there is not enough evidence. How much evidence is required? Gladwell recommends a moratorium on football at least in high schools and colleges. I think his recommendation is reasonable, considering the evidence.
And I ask this question today
How much evidence is sufficient for us to make a decision concerning Jesus?
Review the evidence:
-Eyewitness accounts: Jesus appeared to many people after his death. He appeared to individuals, to the groups, and one time appeared to a group of over 500 people. When the Biblical accounts were being written most of these people were still alive and could have denied that it ever happened. But they didn’t.
-Confessions under torture and threat of imminent death: Some went to their deaths with the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ proclaimed boldly from their lips. Under torture and threat of imminent certain death not a single disciple recanted. Yet there is more evidence which is just as powerful.
-Transformation of the Disciples “Perhaps the transformation of the disciples is the greatest evidence of all for the resurrection… When Jesus died, they were heartbroken, confused and frightened. But within less than two months they came out of hiding, full of joy, confidence and courage. What can account for this dramatic transformation? Only the resurrection, together with Pentecost which followed soon afterwards.” John Stott (Second part taken from “The Contemporary Christian” . . . ill from sermoncentral.com)
Martin Luther said God has written the promise of the resurrection not only in books. He has written the resurrection on every leaf of spring. The evidence, it seems to me, is sufficient. It is only a question of a willingness to take a step of faith and believe, to respond positively to the evidence.
Pastor Bob Hostetler prepared a wonderful sermon based on the three resurrections in the Gospels with the following three points:
D.L. Moody said near the time of his death said
“Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody . . . is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now… I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.”
Nathaniel and Thomas, the beginning and end of the Gospel of John:
I know nobody likes charts, but a comparison of Nathaniel and Thomas may help us understand the process of moving from doubt to faith:
Nathaniel (1:45-51) Thomas (20:24-31)
1. Phillip tells Nathaniel ‘we have found the one about whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth’. The disciples relate to Thomas that they had seen Jesus after his resurrection.
2. Nathaniel responds, ‘can anything good come from Nazareth’? Phillip tells him ‘come and see’ Thomas answered ‘unless I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.’
3. Jesus sees Nathaniel, says ‘this is a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile’. Nathaniel responds, ‘how do you know me’? Jesus says, ‘before Phillip called you I saw you sitting under the fig tree.’ When Jesus appears a week later he says to Thomas “Place your finger here, and see my hands; and put your hand here, and thrust it into my side: and do not be faithless, but believing.
4. Nathaniel said ‘teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the king of Israel’. Thomas said ‘My Lord and my God’.
5. Jesus said, ‘you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You shall see greater things than these. . .’ Jesus said, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Nathaniel and Thomas were the cynics of the Gospels. They had to have evidence. Yet when confronted with the evidence, seeing Jesus, encountering who He was, they humbled themselves and placed their faith in Him.
John’s closing commentary on the exchanges and his Gospel
And many other signs Jesus truly did in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book but these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
We live in an age that demands proof-and that’s good. But what evidence is sufficient? Surely the evidence of the story of Jesus, the story of the whole Bible in fact, stands up to the strictest rules of evidence. Evidence is NOT the issue-our heart is the issue.
The Heart is the issue.
ILL.- Charles Spurgeon said: “I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two.” (sermoncentral.com)
Philip –A young boy named Philip was born with a debilitating condition-Down’s Syndrome. In the 8th Standard Sunday School class the SS teacher gave a special assignement to the kids-distributing large egg-shaped containers to the kids she asked them to go out on the campus and find symbols of resurrection. The kids were enthusiastic in their task. Some brought back leaves, one a butterfly, still others flowers and fruit. When the teacher opened Philip’s shell there was nothing there. The children (children that age are often not very kind to people who are different) snickered and started making fun of Philip’s offering. He said “You don’t get it. The tomb is empty!” All the children quieted down. Even the teacher was stunned to silence. Philip had brought probably the most profound find off all.
Later that same year, Philip died of complications associated with his condition. All of his Sunday School classmates attended his funeral. One-by-one they each brought an empty egg-shaped container to place in his casket. They were buried with him.
Again, Martin Luther said God has written the promise of the resurrection not only in books. He has written the resurrection on every leaf of spring.
Malcolm Gladwell ended his address at U of Penn saying “sometimes proof is just another word for letting people suffer.” Maybe it’s time your suffering and doubt and bitterness came to an end. The proof is there. Why not take that step of faith and see what God might do?
I believe some 19th and 20th Century philosophers like Kierkegaard and Schweitzer were wrong. They taught that believing in Jesus takes a “leap of faith”. There is no leap. There is evidence all around us of the wonder of our God. It is a tiny baby step of faith, faith the size of a mustard seed, that is required to accept Jesus. Won’t you take that step today?
