Physical Evidence of the Resurrection
1) It starts with faith.
Tonight we will look at proof the resurrection of Jesus actually took place.
*It is however important to remember that our starting place must be faith.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Jesus said to Thomas after the Resurrection “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
We have started our study recognizing that we must
start with faith… but what are some proofs of that the resurrection of Jesus actually hapened?
2) Archeological Proof of the resurrection.
Many base their hope on artifacts that as they say prove Jesus rose from the dead.
A) Shroud of Turin:
Many claim that the Shroud is an undeniable proof of Jesus’ resurrection.
Most shroud researchers agree this ancient cloth does date back at least to the 13th century, but there is no proof that it existed before that point.
What if a scientific breakthrough proved that this cloth was simply a mideval forgery… a hoax?
WOULD THOSE WHO PUT SO MUCH HOPE IN THIS ARTIFACT KEEP THEIR FAITH IN JESUS?
B) Location of The Empty tomb.
Often times we preachers put our proclamation of faith in another archeological artifact. -The empty tomb in Jerusalem
What if the empty tomb that so many people tour each year was proven to be false?
The tomb Jesus was placed in is empty… no doubt about that… in a few minutes we will discuss how the empty tomb provides proof that Jesus rose from the dead.
**But what if the specific tomb tour guides and archeologist claim to be authentic was proven to be false?
WOULD THOSE WHO PUT SO MUCH HOPE IN A SPECIFIC ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE KEEP THEIR FAITH IN JESUS?
It is important to realize that archeology has never disproved anything in the Bible… but archeology alone cannot be the basses of our faith…
To answer our question “Does Archeology Prove the resurrection?”
*Archeology findings do support our faith, but they cannot be what we base our faith on*!
3) Does Logic prove the Resurrection?
Jesus’ body was gone from the tomb. No one has ever produced a body. No one has ever successfully dis-prooved the fact that Jesus’ rose from the dead.
Lets look at four Logical Arguments of what may have happened to the body of this man Jesus Christ!
Argument 1: His followers could have stolen the body.
There are several problems with the theory that Jesus’ followers stole His body.
(1) They were too fearful to steal the Body of Jesus.
This is the story that the Bible says the religious leaders circulated about Christ.
Mat. 28:11-15
This story which was originally circulated is a ridiculous story if you look at the character of the fearful followers of Jesus.
Listen to what the New Testament says about Jesus’ closest circle of friends after the cruxifiction.
“That evening, on the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.” John 20:19 (NLT)
At Jesus’ execution only one of them had the courage to even be there.
John… JN 19:26
The rest of his ‘friends& followers’ were scared & scattered like sheep.
(2) These men just didn’t understand or even believe
in the resurrection.
Not only were they fearful, these men just didn’t understand or even believe in the resurrection. Although Jesus had told them over and over it would happen they never got it and must have concluded he was speaking figuratively.
”When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene …She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.” Mark 16:9-11 (NIV)
Initially they doubted, but something did happen that changed these fearful men to bold witnesses - the resurrection.
(3) Tradition tells us that all the remaining
disciples of Jesus, except for one, were tortured
and executed for their faith.
Each one was given the choice: deny Jesus Christ of Nazareth or die.
-They all chose death. They saw Jesus, back from the grave, and it changed their lives forever.
Some people throughout history have died for things that were not true. I’d agree. But nowhere in history do you find people suffering torture and death for something they know is a lie.
-If they had stolen his body and made up the story they would have never been willing to suffer this way.
Logically we CANNOT conclude that Jesus’ followers stole the body and fabricated the story.
Argument 2: The authorities stole the body
A simple question to ask here is "What would be their motive?"
The Jewish leaders and Roman authorities would have loved nothing more than to squash Christianity from the start. They viewed this new sect as an erosion of their power base.
If the authorities stole Jesus’ body it would only lend credibility to the Christian movement. That was the last thing they wanted.
If the Jewish authorities could have produced his body…After Res. Claims.
They would have paraded Jesus’ corpse around Jerusalem.
They could not do this because the authorities didn’t take the body.
Logic supports that the authorities did not take the body.
Argument 3: Jesus didn’t really die
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A number of years ago some “intelligent” person devised the "Swoon Theory."
This theory says that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, but merely lost consciousness.
-When he was placed in the cool tomb he revived and walked out rejoining his disciples.
One lady wrote in to a question and answer forum. "Dear Sirs, Our preacher said on Easter, that
Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health. What do
you think? Sincerely, Bewildered.”
“Dear Bewildered, Next Sunday, Beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails with 39 heavy strokes, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun for 6 hours; run a spear thru his side...put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours and see what happens." Sincerely, Charles.”
**This Swoon idea is harder to believe than the truth.
-Death on the Roman cross occurred when the victim gave in to exhaustion.
-To stay alive on a cross you have to constantly push your body up to exhale. If you passed out you’d die of suffocation.
**Even if Jesus did survive hanging on the cross.
-How did he survive a spear thrust up under his rib cage?
-The wound was so deep that the pericardial sac surrounding his heart was ruptured causing blood and water to flow from his side.
How could someone who had been beat severely… crucified…and had a spear stuck in his side…survive three days in a sealed tomb with no water, food or medical attention?
How could a man in Jesus’ condition roll away the huge boulder from the tomb entrance which normally took several men to move.
How could Jesus get past the guards?
The "Swoon Theory" takes more faith to believe than the Truth.
Logic tells us that Jesus really did die…and rise again.
Argument 4: The Resurrection Is Real!
The evidence weighs strongly in favor of this option.
1Cor. 15:3-8
History documents that Jesus made a minimum of 10 bodily appearances after the resurrection.
-Even to more than 500 people at once.
-History also documents the tomb empty.
You can have confidence in Jesus and all his claims because the validity of the resurrection is Logically completely trustworthy.
BUT WHAT IF SOMEONE WERE TO COME UP WITH A GREATOR LOGIC THAN YOURS WOULD YOU LOOSE YOUR FAITH IN JESUS?
-The logical Proof of the resurrection is greater than the Logical proof that slavery was abolished under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
-There is greater proof that Jesus rose from the dead than the proof that man walked on the moon.
* But even Logical proof of the resurrection must be accepted by faith.
4) Does the Bible provide proof of the resurrection of
Jesus?
-YES!
-But this must also be accepted by faith.
Psm. 16:10 “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”
Holy One … is capitalized… This is a prophesy that the coming Messiah will rise from the dead.
Luke 24:44 (Jesus speaking after the resurrection)
“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
The Scritpture provide may other proofs that Jesus died and rose from the dead… but the proofs of the Bible must be taken by faith.
So farWe have asked:
-Does Archeology provide proof of the Resurrection?
-Does Logic Provide proof of the Resurrection?
-Does the Bible Provide Proof of the Resurrection?
Looking at each of these categories individually you may not be convenced that Jesus rose from the dead… but when you put them together with other facts… they give you a greator proof of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead than any other event in history!
*******And we have not even gotten to the greatest
Proof of All!*********
The greatest proof of all that Jesus rose from the dead is the proof of changed lives!
5) The greatest proof is physical evidence of the Res
is (changed lives)
1 Cor. 1:18-31
All of the poof of the resurrection may sound like Mubo Jumbo to you… but once you have experienced the life changing power of God…. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead becomes undeniable!
-Perhaps you were looking for a sign to prove the res.
-Perhaps you were looking for wisdom to prove the res.
****Once you are saved you get both – but they can
only be experienced by faith!***
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Call up some people from the chruch who were once some of the worst sinnners in town.
One by one begin naming off their names and past life style.
NOW THEY ARE CHANGED - NOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT!
***THATS PHYSICAL PROOF OF THE RESURECTION!
What we were powerless to change…God changes!
(that’s a sign)
**What we were so inorant of becomes clear! (
that is the wisdom)
*** The greatest proof of the resurrection is that Jesus –the living God…millions of hopeless people into people full of hope.
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Last I heard the Teen Challenge International had a recovery rate of around 80%.
-That means 80% of the (drug / alcohol) addicts who check into teen challenge come out clean.. and do not return to the old lifestyle.
-The secular world has a recovery rate of around 20%
*What is the difference???? –A risen, resurrected Lord…
