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DID CHRIST REALLY RISE FROM THE DEAD? S S o much depends on the answer to this question. The reliability of the Bible. The answer to your search for meaning. The destiny of all people. It all depends on whether or not Jesus is alive. Did His body ever leave the tomb? No matter which side of the issue you are on—a Christian who has faith in the resurrection or a nonbeliever who finds this miracle too good to be true—we hope this booklet will help you. Explore with us why we can trust the biblical account of what happened on that first Easter morning. Dave Branon, RBC Ministries Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Day Of Discovery Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 1991, 2002, 2010 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA CONTENTS Why Look Back? . . . . . . . 2 Fact Or Fiction? . . . . . . . 4 The Evidence For Christ’s Resurrection The Verification Of Jesus’ Death . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Empty Tomb . . . . . 10 The Appearances Of Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Reaction Of The Jewish Officials . . . 17 The Outlook Of Jesus’ Disciples . . . . . . . 19 The Start Of The Christian Church . . . . . 22 The Expectation Of Christ’s Return. . . . . 23 What The Opposition Says . . . . . . 25 All The Savior’s Men . . . 27 Why Is This So Important? . . . . . . . . 30 It’s Your Decision . . . . . 32

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DID CHRISTREALLY RISEFROM THEDEAD?

SSo much depends on the answer to this question. The reliability of the

Bible. The answer to yoursearch for meaning. The destinyof all people. It all depends onwhether or not Jesus is alive.Did His body ever leave thetomb?No matter which side of the

issue you are on—a Christianwho has faith in the resurrectionor a nonbeliever who finds thismiracle too good to be true—wehope this booklet will help you.Explore with us why we cantrust the biblical account ofwhat happened on that firstEaster morning.

Dave Branon, RBC Ministries

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Day Of Discovery Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.© 1991, 2002, 2010 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

Why Look Back?. . . . . . . 2

Fact Or Fiction? . . . . . . . 4

The Evidence For Christ’s Resurrection

The Verification Of Jesus’ Death . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Empty Tomb . . . . . 10

The Appearances Of Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The Reaction Of The Jewish Officials . . . 17

The Outlook Of Jesus’ Disciples . . . . . . . 19

The Start Of The Christian Church . . . . . 22

The Expectation Of Christ’s Return. . . . . 23

What The Opposition Says . . . . . . 25

All The Savior’s Men . . . 27

Why Is This So Important? . . . . . . . . 30

It’s Your Decision . . . . . 32

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WHY LOOKBACK?

CConsider for a moment what mankind has accomplished.

We’ve built spaceships thatcan leave our solar system.We’ve transplanted heartsinto week-old babies. We’vecomputerized everythingfrom architecture tozoology. We’ve madetremendous progress inmany areas of life.Then why go backward?

Why step 2,000 years intohistory to put our faith inan event that violates thelaws of science? Why insist that the resurrectionis anything more than amyth? After all, isn’t DEADMAN COMES ALIVE the kindof headline we usuallyexpect to find on thosetabloids that litter thesuper market checkoutlanes?Can educated, refined

people living in the 21st

century be convinced thatJesus really did come backfrom the dead? Many sayno. They feel we haveprogressed too far toconsider the resurrection of Jesus to be an authentichistorical event. Theseskeptics say:“Miracles are not

scientific.” To people ofscience, dead means dead.They have no evidence thatanything that was deadever came back to lifespontaneously. Therefore,they aren’t easily convincedthat in one special case thenormal processes of decaywere halted. It goes againsttheir established data tobelieve that a dead mancame back to life.“It was spiritual,

not physical,resurrection.”Some “enlightened”modern-day skepticsmaintain that the disciplesdid not really see Jesus withtheir eyes; they “saw” Him

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with their hearts. They had a spiritual awakeningbecause of Jesus’ greatsacrifice, and that spurredthem on to preach aboutHim. Thus, He could be“resurrected” in the heart of anyone who acceptedHis teachings. To those who hold this view, Jesuswas a great teacher whoseministry ended on the cross but whose influencecontinues through Hiswords and philosophies.“The biblical

accounts are toocontradictory.” Somepeople think that if theGospel writers could notagree on all the details,then we cannot be surethey got any part of thestory straight. For instance,they point out that each ofthe four accounts of themorning scene at the tombrecords a different numberof women who were there.“A contemporary thinker,”they say, “could never

accept as evidence a storywith such discrepancies.”“The historical

accounts aren’ttrustworthy.” Obviously, no reportersfrom the Jerusalem Starwere at the garden on that resurrection morning to record the event. Therefore, the nonbiblicalhistorical accounts we have concerning Jesus’resurrection were writtensome time after the event.To people who have grown accustomed toinstantaneous news, that alone makes thoseaccounts undependable.So, the question

remains. Can atechnologically advanced society thatcontinues to open newvistas of scientificknowledge believe in amiracle that 20 centuries of research have not beenable to duplicate?

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FACT ORFICTION?

TTruth is notnegotiable. Historicalstatements of fact are

not open to question. Whenwe read, for example, thatGeorge Washington and hismen spent the winter of1777 enduring wretchedconditions at Valley Forge,we are obligated to believeit. Although none of usobserved their long, deadlywinter, what we know about it is supported by thewritten testimony of thosewho were there and by the scholarship of laterinquirers who studied theRevolutionary War. Thewritten accounts may differon a few minor details, butwe know that we can trustthe record of the historians.In a historical sense,

the resurrection stands onground that is just as solidas the story of GeorgeWashington’s winter at

Valley Forge. Reliablewitnesses wrote aboutmeeting and talking with Jesus after His death.Skeptical enemies noticedHis disappearance from the tomb. Extrabiblical,historical reports were given of His resurrection.Eyewitnesses of Jesus’ post-death appearances dieddefending their belief in it.In order for an honest

historian to be convincedthat something actuallyhappened, he needs to seetwo specific criteria met: (1) The event in questionmust be supported by thetestimony of believable,trustworthy witnesses. And (2) the circumstantialevidence must be authentic.When both of thesedemands are clearlysupported by the evidenceat hand, the inquirer iscompelled by logic to believethat the event actually tookplace. We will see that eachof these criteria is met by the

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things we know about theresurrection.

Even so, some still don’t believe. To make that

refusal, a person must not only reject theeyewitness accounts andthe circumstantial evidence,but he must make an evengreater leap. The personwho thinks that theresurrection is a fraud or ahoax must reject the entireNew Testament. There canbe no picking and choosing.If the resurrection is a hoax, then so is the NewTestament and everythingJesus said or did. Claimingthat Christ was a greatteacher or a prophet—aseven most unbelieversattest—while rejecting His resurrection is animpossible position.Consider what Jesus said during His ministry—before the crucifixion:The Son of Man mustsuffer many things, andbe rejected by the eldersand chief priests andscribes, and be killed, andbe raised the third day(Lk. 9:22).

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“The ChristianSavior had lived

and associated withmen whose minds

and sensesapprehended Hisperson, acts, andcharacter. Thesewitnesses had

transmitted theirknowledge directly,

and they hadtestified to the lifeof Jesus Christ and

His teaching. Jesus was then a historical, not

a mythical, being.”Clifford Moore

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For as Jonah was threedays and three nights inthe belly of the great fish,so will the Son of Man be three days and threenights in the heart of theearth (Mt. 12:40).Think about it. Wouldn’t

we consider a man whomade such wild claims tobe untrustworthy if hecouldn’t follow through onhis predictions? Instead ofcalling such a person agreat teacher, wouldn’t wecall him a charlatan and athreat to mankind? Therecan be no middle ground. If Jesus did not do what Hesaid He would do, He mustbe rejected completely. And along with Him go theOld Testament (because of its predictions of theMessiah’s coming), thetrustworthiness of Paul(who converted to Christ at the cost of beatings,imprisonments, andbanishment from his former colleagues), and

2,000 years of churchhistory (which rests solelyon the resurrection).

The evidence to bepresented in the next few pages is based on thebiblical and historical dataas we know it. We will see why both secular and religious scholars findJesus to be a captivating,historical person. So, let’sget logical. Let’s take a hardlook at the evidence thatgives us reason to believethat Jesus rose from thedead.

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“It may be said thatthe historical

evidence for theresurrection is

stronger than forany other miracle

anywhere narrated.”William Lyon Phelps, Yale University

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THE EVIDENCEFOR CHRIST’SRESURRECTIONObservation 1: THE VERIFICATION OF JESUS’ DEATH

We have to start with the bad news. Jesus’confrontation with thereligious leaders of Israelcost Him His life. When theRoman soldiers removedHim from that awful crossof Golgotha, He was dead.As horrible as this fact is, the validity of theresurrection accountshinges on it.If, as some critics say,

Jesus did no more thanfaint from the pain, there

would be no need for aresurrection. For a personto be raised from the dead,he must first have died. To deny Christ’s death,therefore, is to remove allpossibility of resurrection.But the Bible teaches thatHe died.In the four Gospel

accounts of Jesus’crucifixion, His death isspoken of in two distinctterms. In Matthew 27:50and in John 19:30, thewriters said He “yielded up”or “gave up” His spirit. Theother accounts both recordthat He “breathed His last”(Mk. 15:37; Lk. 23:46). Remarkably, Matthew,

Mark, and Luke eachrecorded a simultaneousevent that occurred somedistance from Calvary. Theywrote that as Jesus died,“the veil of the temple wastorn in two from top tobottom” (Mk. 15:38). Thismiraculous event signaledthe end of the Old

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Testament era of animalsacrifice and limited accessto God. But that’s not all itmeant. It also verified Jesus’ death, because itdemonstrated that Hiscomplete sacrifice hadsatisfied God’s demands.For centuries, God hadrequired the death of anunblemished lamb as anatonement for sin. NowJesus, the sinless Lamb ofGod, had become the newsacrifice. The veil was nolonger needed, for access to God had been opened toall who would believe inChrist.The following events at

the site of the crucifixionhelp verify that Jesus wasdead:• The Roman soldiers didnot break Jesus’ legs,because they “saw thatHe was already dead”(Jn. 19:33).

• The soldiers plunged aspear into Jesus’ side,and from it came both

water and blood (Jn.19:34). Medical expertssay that if He were notalready dead, this initself would have killedHim. Others haveconcluded that thepouring out of water and blood from His sidewas proof that Jesus wasno longer alive.

• When Joseph ofArimathea asked for thebody of Christ so he andNicodemus could buryHim, Pontius Pilateordered a centurion toverify that Jesus wasdead (Mk. 15:43-45).The Roman governorwould not release thebody to Joseph until thecenturion was certainthat all signs of life weregone. You can be surethat an officer in theRoman army would notmake a mistake about animportant matter likethis in his report to sucha high official as Pilate.

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• Joseph and Nicodemusprepared the body forburial according toJewish custom. Thisincluded wrapping it “in a clean linen cloth”(Mt. 27:59), anointingthe body with “a mixture of myrrh and aloes” (Jn.19:39), and placing it “in a tomb which hadbeen hewn out of therock” (Mk. 15:46). Itseems obvious that anysign of life would havebeen detected by thesebereaved friends. Surelythey would not haveburied a breathing Jesus.

• The Pharisees and chiefpriests met with Pilate to discuss what hadoccurred. They madesuch remarks as “whileHe was still alive” (Mt.27:63). Soldiers wereordered to secure thetomb with a seal. Inaddition, guards wereplaced on duty toprevent the disciples

from coming to “stealHim away” (v.64). TheJewish leaders and theRoman authorities knewbeyond a doubt thatJesus was dead.

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“[Jesus] wascrucified and died under

Pontius Pilate. He really, and not merely in

appearance, wascrucified, and died, and in thesight of beings

in heaven and onearth, and underthe earth . . . . Healso arose again

in 3 days.”Ignatius, second-century

historian

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Observation 2: THE EMPTY TOMB

The Sabbath had ended,and Jesus’ friends couldnow come to visit the tomb.As morning broke on thenew day, the women whohad watched Joseph andNicodemus bury Jesuscame back to anoint Hisbody. It was Sunday now—a somber day that, as far asthe women knew, would befollowed by many moredays just like it. They wereundoubtedly resigned to afuture of sad pilgrimagessuch as this one. Theyknew of nothing else theycould do for their fallenloved one but to grieve atHis tomb and to put spices

on His body. But what asurprise lay ahead! As they walked toward

the garden, they worriedaloud about who could rollaway the heavy stone sothey could go inside thetomb and apply theirspices. But when theyarrived, they saw that thestone had already beenmoved! They were greetedby an angel, who told themthat Jesus had risen. With this background

in mind, let’s look at theevidence that the tomb wasempty. First, we can dependon the historical record.Surely the authorities ofJesus’ day wanted nothingmore than to have Jesusstay where Joseph had putHim. The mere fact thatthey sealed the tomb andplaced guards to protectit—a highly unusual act—indicated that they weredetermined to keep thebody behind that stonebarrier. Suppose they had

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been able to do that. Youcan be sure the Sanhedrinand other officials wouldhave been the first to use the knowledge of anoccupied tomb as evidence

when the disciples began toannounce to everyone thatthey had seen Jesus alive.Yet no historical evidenceexists to suggest that thoseofficials knew where the

body was. As we will see,the evidence shows that itwas no longer in the tomb.Second, there is

something even moreconclusive than theofficials’ inaction—the actions of severaleyewitnesses. The first tosee and report the emptytomb were the women withthe spices. Mark’s accountsets the scene for us: Entering the tomb, theysaw a young man clothedin a long white robesitting on the right side;and they were alarmed.But he said to them, “Donot be alarmed. You seekJesus of Nazareth, whowas crucified. He is risen!He is not here” (16:5-6).John and Peter were the

next to see that Jesus wasgone. When they heard theunbelievably good newsfrom Mary and the otherwomen, they raced to thetomb. John got there firstbut didn’t go in. Instead,

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“The resurrectionproclamation couldnot have beenmaintained inJerusalem for a single day,

for a single hour, if the emptiness ofthe tomb had notbeen established

as a fact.”Paul Althus

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he peered through theopening and saw the linen wrappings that Jesus had left behind.Characteristically, Peter was not content with along-distance view. He

charged right into the tomb and spied the linenwrappings and the facecloth lying undisturbed and neatly arranged. ThenJohn entered and saw thewrappings. John, it shouldbe noted, is the one whowrote this account asrecorded in chapter 20 ofhis Gospel. If you need aneyewitness to convince youthat the tomb was empty,

you have one in the apostleJohn. He was there, and hewrote down what he saw.That is solid historicalevidence in anyone’s book.A third strong piece of

evidence that the tomb wasempty is the reaction of theauthorities when the guardsreported the events in thegarden. They wanted todestroy the credibility and influence of Jesus.Therefore, they wouldsurely have been foolish to spread the rumor that the disciples had stolen the body—if Jesus were still in the tomb. No, Jesus’disappearance was the solecause for their concern.Surely their collusion withthe guards is solid proofthat there was no body in the tomb. We are faced with two

facts. (1) Jesus died andwas buried. (2) In a shorttime, His tomb becameempty. The questionremains: Where was Jesus?

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If you need aneyewitness to

convince you thatthe tomb wasempty, you haveone in John.

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Observation 3:THE APPEARANCESOF JESUS

Jesus’ friends weren’tlooking for what they wereabout to see. Although they had heard and closelyfollowed Jesus’ teaching for3 years, they just never fullyunderstood that He wasgoing to rise from the dead.Therefore, they would havehad no reason to make up stories in which theyclaimed to have seen Him.To them, that wasn’t evenan option. Sure, they missedJesus. And just as anyonewho has lost a loved one orfriend longs to see him, soalso they had the desire tosee Jesus. But they did not

expect that they ever would(see Jn. 20:9).Yet see Him they did!

First at the tomb. Then onthe dusty Emmaus road.Then in the upper room.Over and over, in differentsettings, Jesus appeared toHis friends. For 40 days Hemade His presence knownthroughout the land. Let’slook at who saw Jesus andwhere He appeared. It’s onemore piece of evidence forthe resurrection.To Mary Magdalene

At The Tomb (Jn. 20:11-18).Mary had beenstanding outside the emptytomb crying because, as she said, “They have takenaway my Lord, and I do notknow where they have laidHim” (v.13). His death,combined with her fear thatHis body had been stolen,had engulfed her in heart-wrenching despair. Butwhen Jesus startled her intorecognizing Him by callingout, “Mary!” she rushed to

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Him in joy and relief. Thenshe ran to tell the disciplesthat she had seen the Lord.To Several Women

As They Ran FromThe Tomb (Mt. 28:9-10).These women had alreadyheard that Jesus was alive,even though they had notyet seen Him. They had justleft the tomb, where anangel had told them thatJesus had “risen from thedead.” When they saw theLord, they “held Him by thefeet and worshiped Him”(v.9). Jesus told them tospread the news that Hewas alive and to tell thedisciples to meet Him inGalilee.To Two Disciples

On The Emmaus Road(Lk. 24:13-32). Imagine thedrama of this scene. Twodisciples were walking the 7dusty miles from Jeru salemto Emmaus when a fellowtraveler caught up with them and struck up aconversation, asking what

they were talking about.Apparently, they had beendiscussing the death andentombment of Jesus,because they were surprisedthat the stranger wasn’tfamiliar with their topic.They said, in effect, “Do youmean to say that you don’tknow about Jesus’ death?”The two then explained whythey were so sad—thatthough some women hadseen the empty tomb andclaimed that Jesus was alive,they had not yet seen Him.These disciples would notbelieve without seeing theevidence for themselves.An exciting surprise

awaited the pair when they arrived at Emmaus.The three of them stoppedto eat, and as they ate, the disciples’ “eyes were opened” and theyrecognized that thismysterious stranger wasJesus. But before they couldspeak again, He “vanishedfrom their sight” (v.31).

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To Peter At AnUnknown Location(Lk. 24:33-35). In thispassage, we are not given a direct look at the meetingbetween Peter and Jesus.All we know is that whenthe disciples who had beento Emmaus returned, theylearned that Peter had seenthe Lord too. Imagine theexcitement that must havebeen generated in thatplace!To 10 Disciples

In The Upper Room (Lk. 24:36-43). Suddenlythis praise meeting of thedisciples was interrupted.As they sat comparing notesabout the thrilling reality ofseeing Jesus, He suddenlyappeared. As might beexpected, the men werestartled because theythought they were seeing aspirit (v.37). Jesus quicklylaid that idea to rest byoffering to have them touchHis hands and feet, and byeating supper with them.

To 11 Disciples In The Upper Room(Jn. 20:26-31). It must have been a long week for Thomas. The other 10disciples had met with Jesusin the upper room, but hehad not. Surely they hadspent time trying toconvince Thomas that theyreally had seen Jesus. Buthe reacted the same waythey had when they heardfrom the women who firstsaw Jesus. They were notconvinced without hardevidence, and Thomaswanted the same advantage.Now he was about to get it.Jesus suddenly appeared to the men and said toThomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at Myhands” (v.27). Then Thomasbelieved, exclaiming, “MyLord and my God!” (v.28).To Seven Men At

The Sea Of Galilee (Jn. 21:1-25). Things hadbegun to return to normalfor the disciples. They had

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gone back to work. Somewent on an all-night fishingtrip on the Sea of Galilee.But the fish weren’tcooperating, and the menhad an empty boat. Asdaylight broke over thewater, they saw a manstanding on the shore,shouting advice to them.The seven seamen did whatHe suggested and nearlycapsized their boat with allthe fish they dragged ashore.When John informed

Peter, “It is the Lord!” (Jn. 21:7), Peter jumped inand swam to shore. Whenthey all arrived on thebeach, they saw that Jesus had prepared a hotbreakfast of fish and breadfor them. Jesus then offeredto cook a few of the fishthey had just caught.To 11 Disciples

On A Mountain (Mt. 28:16-20). This is the first planned meetingbetween the disciples andJesus recorded after the

resurrection. Matthew wrote that the disciplesproceeded “into Galilee, tothe mountain which Jesus had appointed for them”(28:16). There He met with the Eleven, andprobably some others.Perhaps this included the“500 brethren” mentionedin 1 Corinthians 15:6. What is significant is

that even though the Elevenworshiped Jesus when theysaw Him, “some doubted”(Mt. 28:17). Although it ispossible that a few of thesemen were still doubtingJesus’ resurrection, it ismore probable that theskeptics were disciples whodidn’t have the advantageof touching Jesus and eatingwith Him. They wouldnaturally have been morehesitant to believe that thiswas the same man who hadbeen crucified a few weeksbefore. Yet the fact thatdoubters are mentionedshows that the disciple

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who wrote the account wasnot afraid to talk about theskepticism of some of theobservers.To His Disciples

Near Bethany (Acts1:9-12). The finalappearance of Jesus to His disciples ended with Hisdisappearance. As He stoodtalking with them about thecommand He had just giventhem to be His witnesses,“He was taken up, and acloud received Him out oftheir sight” (v.9). This turnedout to be a commencementof sorts for the disciples. Justa few weeks earlier, they hadbeen a disheartened groupwhose leader was dead.Now they were enthusiasticevangelists. They “returnedto Jeru salem with great joy”(Lk. 24:52), and “they went out and preachedeverywhere” (Mk. 16:20).The evidence was clear.

Jesus was alive. Now theirjob was to go and tellpeople about it.

Observation 4:THE REACTION OF THE JEWISHOFFICIALS

A Roman soldier was nocoward. He was a speciallytrained, tough-minded, well-equipped warrior. But noticethe reaction of the soldierswho were protecting Jesus’tomb when they felt theearth move and saw anangel roll back the stone(Mt. 28:2). They “shook forfear of him, and became likedead men” (v.4).They probably realized

that they had more to beafraid of than an angel.Their training told themthat keeping watch was an important commission.

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They knew that variouspunishments were handedout to soldiers who couldn’tstay awake on guard duty.Sometimes they werebeaten; other times theywere set afire. Most of thetime they were executed.These brave, well-armedmen had no way to stop theangel, so they had doublereason to be afraid.But look what they

did next. They turnedthemselves in! Facing surepunishment, they still feltthat they must report thisamazing event to theirsuperiors. Once they hadspilled their story to thechief priests and elders,their fears turned to relief.The officials, realizing thatsending Jesus to His deathhad not accomplished theirpurpose, decided to concocta story. They bribed thesoldiers to spread the newsthat “His disciples came atnight and stole Him awaywhile we slept” (v.13).

The soldiers must havedone what they were told,for Matthew commentedthat the story begun bythose chief priests was“commonly reported among the Jews until thisday” (v.15). Devised in the face of the fact of theresurrection, this fabricationstayed alive for many yearsamong those who refused tobelieve that Jesus had risen.It wouldn’t have taken

much effort to refute theirstory. First, if the discipleshad indeed been able tosteal the body of Jesus, how would the guards have known that it was they who had stolen it?Didn’t the story go, “whilewe slept”? Second, it seemspreposterous that a group ofmen could have sneaked upon highly trained, albeitslumbering, soldiers withoutwaking them. And then tothink that they could havemoved the stone, unwrapped100 pounds of graveclothes,

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folded them neatly, lifted thebody, and carried it awaywhile the soldiers slept iseven more ridiculous.Yes, the officials knew

that Jesus had risen. Theirreaction proves it. Theirbribe verifies it. And theirhastily concocted storyauthenticates it.

Observation 5:THE OUTLOOK OFJESUS’ DISCIPLES

Sometimes you have towonder about the disciples.They certainly didn’t seemto be the kind of men youwould recruit if you wantedto promote a revolutionaryconcept.For instance, when Jesus

tried to explain to themwhat would happen in thedays ahead, they oftenmisunderstood. When Heasked some of them to staywith Him during His all-night prayer vigil, they keptfalling asleep. When Hetalked of servanthood, they argued about their owngreatness. When He tried totell them that He would beraised up after 3 days, theydidn’t get it.On the night Jesus was

arrested, the disciples ranfor their lives. Peter couldn’teven stand up to a servantgirl when she identified himas a friend of Jesus. Thedisciples just didn’t seemlike the men of action youwould need if you wantedto win a following andinfluence the world.But something happened

to change all that. Whatwould change a cowardlygroup of mourners into a courageous band ofevangelists who were

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willing to stand up andtestify that the crucifiedJesus was alive? Whatchanged them into willingmartyrs for their faith?Some would say that

the disciples had nothingstronger to spur them onthan a story they had madeup. But can you imaginewhat it would take tobelieve this? Just picturePeter standing up before the disciples, who hadremained safely hiddenbehind locked doors afterJesus’ death for fear of theirlives, and saying, “Well, theentire weight of the Romangovernment was just usedto put Jesus to death bycrucifixion. Even though Heis still dead, we are going tostart a rumor that He isn’t.We are going to say that Herose from the tomb and thatwe all saw Him.”Did they make up the

story? If so, why would they later risk their lives fornothing? If they hadn’t even

understood for sure thatJesus planned to rise fromthe dead, why would theybreak out of their anonymitywith such a far-fetchedscheme? And why wouldthey record their fabricationin the Gospel accounts,complete with details?

A fictional story can’tpossibly account for thechanges in the disciples.Take, for instance, the transformation of Thomas. Of all the

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those men tomaintain to their

dying whispers thatJesus is alive.”Charles Colson

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disciples, he seemed theleast likely to be convinced.His pessimism was firstrevealed earlier, when Jesusmentioned His plans to goto Bethany where Lazarushad just died. Thomas hadsuggested to his fellowdisciples, “Let us also go,that we may die with Him”(Jn. 11:16). Although thisstatement suggests a degreeof courage, it also impliesthat Thomas was resignedto martyrdom. If that washis typical response, it is nowonder he responded to thedisciples’ claim that theyhad seen Jesus after Hisdeath by saying, “Unless Isee . . . I will not believe”(Jn. 20:25). Does this soundlike someone who is willingto rekindle the anger of theRoman officials by claimingthat Jesus was alive if Hereally wasn’t?Now look at Thomas

a week later. In the upperroom, surrounded by his 10 friends who had already

seen Jesus, he saw theSavior face to face. Finally,Thomas was convinced. Hisstatement “My Lord and myGod!” (Jn. 20:28) is theultimate proclamation ofbelief in Jesus’ resurrection.Here was victory that couldbe won only through hardevidence. It’s the only thingthat could have changedthis skeptic into a believer.No, the disciples were

not the type of men whocould have lived a lie as far-reaching as one thatclaimed a dead man wasn’tdead anymore. They mighthave misunderstood Jesuson occasion, but they werebasically honest men. Theyhad no reason to devisesuch a scheme, and theydidn’t have the courage itwould take to defend such a bald-faced lie. Peter wouldnever have been hangedupside down for a trumped-up story. Mark would nothave been dragged throughthe streets to his death if he

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had been defending fiction.James would not have beenbeheaded for a falsehood.Thomas wouldn’t have beenpierced with a lance for alie. Yet tradition says thatthese men died the horribledeaths just described. Whata testimony to the truth oftheir claims! They werewilling to die for the Onewho overcame death forthem—and for us!

Observation 6: THE START OF THE CHRISTIANCHURCH

The Christian church wasnot born nor does it existtoday on the basis of Jesus’life and teachings. The

church that began less than2 months after Jesus’ deathis the result of somethingmore significant than Hisgreat sayings, parables, and philosophies. It beganbecause a group of people inJerusalem testified that theysaw Jesus alive after He hadbeen killed. Without thefaith of those resurrectionwitnesses and the new faithof those who believed theirtestimony about it, therewould be no Christianchurch today. Let’s see what the people

were told when they werefirst given the opportunity toembrace this new faith. Thiswill help us to see whatcaused the church to takehold in the first century.Standing before people

from all over the RomanEmpire, including manyfrom Jerusalem, Peterdescribed Jesus as the One“God raised up” (Acts 2:24). He also said, “This JesusGod has raised up, of

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which we are all witnesses”(v.32). As a result of thisclear, straightforwardmessage, 3,000 peoplebelieved Peter and werebaptized that very day. In a later sermon, this

man who had earlier deniedthat he knew Jesus nowcalled Him the “Prince oflife, whom God raised fromthe dead” (Acts 3:15). Afterhearing of Peter’s testimony,the rulers and priests inJerusalem put him on trial.Even when he faced thewrath of the religiousleaders, Peter stood by his story that “the God of our fathers raised upJesus whom you murderedby hanging on a tree” (Acts 5:30). These are the kinds of

statements that led to thestart of the church. No onecould hedge on the reasonfor Peter’s fervor. He was not preaching a creed noradvocating a philosophy. He was telling people that

the crucified Christ wasalive. That was the essenceof his message. And thatwas the only message theChristian church needed tocatch fire. For 2,000 years,it’s been the driving forcebehind the church.

Observation 7: THE EXPECTATIONOF CHRIST’SRETURN

One of the most importantactivities of the early churchwas to share in what wenow call the communionservice. It was a time toremember Jesus’ death andto reflect on His sacrifice. It was a time of celebration.But what would the early

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Christian have had tocelebrate if Jesus were stilldead? These people wereliving in Jesus’ generation.They would have known ifthe resurrection story werenot true. Yet they listenedand obeyed when Paul said:As often as you eat thisbread and drink this cup,you proclaim the Lord’sdeath till He comes (1 Cor. 11:26).This verse makes it

obvious that the first-centurybelievers were eagerlyawaiting Jesus’ return. Theycould not have believed inHis second coming withoutfirst knowing that He wasalive. Otherwise, how wouldHe be able to come back?This idea that Jesus

would return to be with Hispeople again was taughtthroughout the NewTestament. Jesus Himselftaught it when He said:I will come again andreceive you to Myself; that

where I am, there youmay be also (Jn. 14:3). Paul emphasized the

same theme when he said:Our citizenship is inheaven, from which wealso eagerly wait for theSavior, the Lord JesusChrist (Phil. 3:20). And John said: Behold, He is coming withclouds, and every eye willsee Him (Rev. 1:7).Without the resurrection,

these claims would all beuseless, frivolous,unfounded lies. No onewould dare predict such anevent as Jesus’ return if Hewere in fact lying in a tomb,or if His body had beentaken away and hidden. No, John and Paul knewexactly what had transpiredon that resurrection day.What would have been the purpose of telling about His return if they were harboring theknowledge of a dead Jesus?

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WHAT THEOPPOSITIONSAYS

AApremise that cannot stand up against opposing views is

not worthy of our trust.Therefore, it is only fair that we mention some ofthe theories that have beenproposed to explain awaythe resurrection. Lookingcarefully at the logic ofthese ideas, we will be ableto see how they fare whenstacked up against theevidence already presented.THEORY: The body

was stolen from thetomb. In this theory, thedisciples are the culprits.They sneaked up to thestone, rolled it away, andwalked off with Jesus’ body.That’s why it wasn’t therewhen the women, John, andPeter arrived at the tomb onthe first day of the week.OBJECTIONS:Why

would the disciples want

Jesus’ body? Who was itwho appeared to all thosepeople later? How did thedisciples sneak past theguards? Why would anangel lie about the reasonfor the tomb being empty?THEORY: The

authorities took the body. Knowing that the disciples had anunusual interest in Jesus,the authorities—bothgovernmental andreligious—made sure they would not see Himagain. They opened thetomb and took the body.OBJECTIONS:

Why didn’t the authoritiesproduce it to disprove theclaims of Peter and others just a few weekslater? What turned thedisheartened disciples intofiery proponents of a newcause if they had not seenJesus again?THEORY: Jesus’

friends went to thewrong tomb. It had

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been a terrifying week forthe disciples and the otherswho had grown so close toJesus. Therefore theybecame disoriented andwent to the wrong grave.That’s why they found anempty tomb.OBJECTIONS:

Whose graveclothes didJohn and Peter find? What was an angel doing at someone else’s gravesite?Is it possible that they allforgot their directions at the same time?THEORY: Jesus

only fainted. This theorysays that Jesus didn’t die onthe cross. Instead, He fellinto a deep swoon. Then,when He was placed in thetomb, He was revived bythe cool, damp air. Thatexplains His laterappearances.OBJECTIONS:

What caused the soldiers to misinterpret the evidenceand certify that Jesus wasdead? Why didn’t Joseph

notice that Jesus wasn’tdead when he wrappedHim in linen? How didJesus, who had been nearlydead just days before, pushaway the stone and walkabout town in perfectlygood health?THEORY: Jesus’

friends sawhallucinations. Theresurrection makes a nicestory, says this theory, butthe disciples never saw anyof the things they thoughtthey saw. In fact, some say,they hallucinated, seeingimages in their minds thatcorresponded with whatthey wanted to see.OBJECTIONS:

Is there evidence thatsuggests that 11 people can hallucinate the sameimage? How about 500simultaneous, identicalhallucinations? Can peopledrag out hallucinations over7 weeks, in many locations,and under variouscircumstances?

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ALL THESAVIOR’S MENFormer presidential counselCharles Colson tells how hisWatergate experience can be used to support thetestimony of the first-centurymen who said they saw theresurrected Jesus.

HHow do we know that Jesus was resurrected?

We have the eyewitnessaccounts of the 11 apostleswho were with Him and, ofcourse, the apostle Paul whosaw Him. They were withHim before His crucifixionand for the 40 days betweenHis resurrection and Hisascension. They lived for aslong as 40 years thereafter,never once denying thatthey had seen Jesus raisedfrom the dead.What does that have to

do with Watergate? I’ll tellyou. In June 1972, I washome on a weekend with mywife and children. We had a

few days off becausePresident Nixon was in KeyBiscayne, Florida. My phonethat was connected to theWhite House rang. It wasJohn Erlichmann. He toldme that some burglars hadbroken into the DemocraticNational Headquarters inWashington. I startedlaughing hystericallybecause I thought to myself,“Of all the ridiculous placesfor anybody to break into in Washington, DC.” I went away from that

phone call shaking my headand feeling a little despair. I thought, “Now we have acampaign issue, but it willgo away after the election.”Well, as you know, it didn’t!The log showed that in

the months immediatelyfollowing the 1972 election,I was with President Nixonmore than any other aide.Watergate never came up.We first started to discuss itin February 1973, when theErvin hearings started. On

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March 21, 1973, John Deanwalked into the Oval Officeand said, “Mr. President,there is a cancer growing on your presidency.” That’sthe first time the Presidentreally knew there was aconspiracy in the WhiteHouse. That’s the first timeit became a criminal actinside the White House.John Dean’s memoirs

record that 3 days after thatmeeting in the Oval Officehe began to get nervousabout his own role. That’swhen he hired a lawyer. OnApril 8, Dean went to theprosecutors to bargain forimmunity so that he wouldnot be prosecuted. In turn,he would testify against thePresident. Later, he said, “I did it to save my ownskin.” When he went to theprosecutors to bargain forimmunity, it was all over. Then the other aides

started to go in. I took a lie detector test, and mylawyers leaked it to the

New York Times. Everybodystarted to scramble forcover. The Watergatecoverup was actually over because Mr. Nixon’spresidency was doomed.Now, if you stop and figureit out, you will see that theWatergate coverup actuallylasted 3 weeks or less—fromMarch 21 to April 8, 1973.Now put yourself in our

position. Here we were, the12 most powerful men inthe United States. All thepower of government was atour fingertips, but we couldnot keep a lie together for 3weeks. The most powerfulmen in the world could nothold on to a lie. So weak isman that we couldn’t do it.Are you going to tell

me that those powerlessapostles who were outcastsin their own land could bestoned, persecuted, andbeaten, some for 40 years,never once denying thatJesus was raised from thedead? Impossible, humanly

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impossible—unless theyhad seen the risen Christface to face. Otherwise, theapostle Peter would have

been just another JohnDean. He’d have gone in to turn state’s evidence. He had already done itthree times. Is it likely, then, that a

deliberate coverup, a plot toperpetuate a lie about theresurrection, could have

survived the persecution of the apostles and thepurge of the first-centurybelievers who were cast bythe thousands to the lionsfor refusing to renounceChrist? Is it not probablethat at least one apostlewould have “confessed”rather than being beheadedor stoned? Is it not likelythat some “smoking gun”document might have beenproduced exposing the“Passover plot”? Surely one of the conspiratorswould have made a deal.If Jesus was raised

from the dead, as I amabsolutely, intellectuallypositive that He was—andthe evidence of history isoverwhelming—it’s not only a matter of faith but a matter of deepestintellectual conviction.

Taken from a speech byCharles Colson and from hisbook Loving God, Zondervan,©1983.

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“Here we were, the 12 most

powerful men inthe United States.All the power ofgovernment was at our fingertips,but we could notkeep a lie together

for 3 weeks.”Charles Colson

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WHY IS THIS SOIMPORTANT?

TThink of the key world events ofthe last couple of

decades. The fall of theBerlin Wall. The PersianGulf War. The conflict in Bosnia. The El Niñoweather events. Theterrorist destruction of New York’s Twin Towersand attack on the Pentagon.Or go back to an

earlier era. Watergate. Theoil crisis of the 70s. TheVietnam War. Man landingon the moon. Perhapsyou’ve been around longenough to recall theassassination of PresidentKennedy. Hiroshima. TheHolocaust. Pearl Harbor.Whatever comes to mind,you can be sure of this: Noevent in the last 100 yearshas affected every humanon earth—no matter wherehe or she lives.Now think back through

history. The Civil War. The Fall of the Bastille. The American Revolution.The discovery of the NewWorld. The invention of theprinting press. The signingof the Magna Carta. TheBattle of Hastings. The Fall of the Roman Empire.Each of these events hadextraordinary historicalsignificance. But none ofthem has the kind ofmonumental, worldwide,eternal effects that oneevent almost 2,000 yearsago claims to have. Thisevent? The resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that God

came to earth as a man topay the penalty of death for the sins of the world (Jn. 1:1-29; Rom. 6:23). But the Bible also says thatif Jesus did not overpowerdeath’s grip to escape thatcold, rocky tomb, He wouldnot be able to provide uswith victory over death (1 Cor. 15:12-19).

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The implications of theresurrection of Jesus Christ

must be consideredhonestly. Everythingdepends on it. Here is what Paul said:[God] commands all men everywhere to repent,

because He hasappointed a day onwhich He will judge theworld in righteousness bythe Man whom He hasordained. He has givenassurance of this to all byraising Him from thedead (Acts 17:30-31).According to the Bible,

the eternal destiny of everyhuman is at stake. Becauseof what Jesus did, each ofus has two choices. We canlive forever under God’sblessing in heaven, or wecan be separated from Himeternally in the torment ofhell. It all depends on ourresponse to Jesus’resurrection.Our destiny is in God’s

hands. He alone must besatisfied. Not scientists. Not philosophers. Noteducators. That’s why what you believe about theresurrection is a matter ofeternal life or eternal death.

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“If Jesus is, as theresurrection asserts,God Himself whohas come to ourrescue, then to

reject Him, or evento neglect Him, issheer folly. That iswhy Jesus is not,

never has been, andnever can be justone among thereligious leaders of mankind.”Michael Green

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IT’S YOURDECISION

PPerhaps the most tense moment in a

courtroom trial is thereading of the verdict. The judge calls on the jury foreman as he standsnervously before the jury,the judge, the gallery, thelawyers, and the defendant.No sound is heard exceptthe wrinkle of paper as heunfolds the jury’s decision.With hesitation in his voice, he reveals to thebreathless crowd the fate of the accused.After reading the

evidence in this book, you too stand ready for adecision. But the Judge whoawaits your choice is not afellow human who hasworked his way to thebench. The One who wants to know yourdecision has the authorityto sentence you to aneternity of confinement

in a prison called hell.Why? You are thedefendant. You have been charged with sin(Rom. 3:23), and you face a sentence that isirreversible (Rom. 6:23). But here’s the switch. You are also the jury. Youget to make the decisionbased on the evidence.So now it is time to

make your decision. Do you believe that Jesus diedas a sacrifice for your sins?Do you believe that He rose from that garden tombto prove His deity and toestablish Himself as theonly mediator between God and you?It’s your choice. You’ve

read the evidence. You’veseen the historicity of theBible’s claims. Are youready to put your faith inJesus? Are you willing toaccept His gift to you? He is waiting for your answer.

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