Evidences for Resurrection

IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

A. Christianity Stands on the Resurrection
Mentioned 104 times in the New Testament
If Christ was not raised then: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
1. Our preaching is in vain
2. Your faith is in vain
3. You are still lost in your sins

B. All hope of life after death is based on Resurrection
1. Declared to be Son of God by – Romans 1:4
2. First gospel based on – Acts 2:23-24
3. Gospel is centered on – Acts 13:32-33

THE EMPTY TOMB - the world's explanations:

A. Swoon Theory – Jesus did not die, only fainted.
Counter points:
1. Surviving Crucifixion Impossible
– see
http://brainshavings.com/supplements/crucifixion/death2.htm

2. Stone too large for one man Mark 16:4
3. What happened to the body?
4. Why leave the burial clothes? John 20:5-7
5. How did He get pass the guards? Matthew 27:62-66

B. Friends Stole the Body while guards slept.
Counter points:
1. Guards suffer penalty of death if fail. Matthew 28:13-19
2. How can one sleeping, be a witness?
3. The disciples all died testifying to resurrection.

C. Legend Theory – nothing more than a myth.
Counter points:
1. Not enough time for a myth to develop.
2. Legends do not have eye witnesses. Luke 1:1-2; John 19:35
3. Myths increase, Jesus’ appearances decreased.

D. Hallucination Theory
Counter points:
1. 500 witnesses at one time, impossible! 1 Corinthians 15:6
2. No one expected the resurrection, John 20:24-28; Luke 24:11

EVIDENCE FOR RESURRECTION

A. Changes in People
1. Peter – from 3 denials to dying for Christ.
2. Thomas – from skeptic to “My lord and my God.” John 20:28
3. Saul of Tarsus
– Persecutor of church Galatians 1:13-14
– Who converted Saul? Jews? Christians?
– Was he unstable? he was a trained scholar. Acts 22:3-4
– Was he mad? read his writings 2 Peter 3;15-16
– He claims he saw the risen Lord 1 Corinthians 15:8

B. Historical Witnesses
a. Honesty of Witnesses
No contradictory evidence, ever proven.
Motives of men is usually fame, fortune, fear.
Lived poor men, Acts 3:6
Suffered through persecution 2 Corinthians 11:23-26

b. Competency of Witnesses
They were eye witnesses to the resurrection.
Mentally capable, their writings prove that.
They were not gullible Luke 24:22-25; John 20:24-29

c. Number Of Witnesses
1 Corinthians 15:3-8; can’t believe 500, won’t believe 10,000

Too much evidence to disregard their writings and it’s reliability.
d. Historicity of Writings

AUTHOR

Plato

Aristotle

Thucydides

Tacitus

DATE WRITTEN

350BC

410BC

100AD

EARLIEST COPY

900AD

1100AD

950AD

860AD

SPAN

1200yrs

1400yrs

760yrs

New Testament Manuscripts

Sinaiticus

Alexandrius

Vaticanus

Ephraemic

Bezae

75AD

340AD

425AD

350AD

450AD

500AD

250yrs

350yrs

275yrs

375yrs

425yrs

5 of 500 manuscripts of the New Testament dating within 400 yrs of events.

Nelson Glueck, Palestinian Archeologist, wrote: “It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference. Scores of Archeological findings have been made which confirm in exact detail, historical statements in the Bible.”

F.F. Bruce, Historian “There is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament.”