The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson

8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson

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WHAT WE W IL LCOVER

A brief outline of events as described in the

Gospels

Examine four fields of evidence Discuss possible explanations of evidence

Draw a conclusion from the evidence covered


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A BRIEF OUTLINE O FEVENTS

Jesus preached for 3 years

Was crucified on the cross

Jesus body laid in the tomb of Joseph ofArimathea

On the third day the body of Jesus was discovered

to be missing from the tomb

Jesus appears to many of his followers

Jesus followers begin to preach the good news that

Jesus had risen from the grave


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FOUR FIE LDS OFEXA MINATI ON1. That Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of

Arimathea

2. That on the third day the tomb was found empty3. Jesus appeared to many people after the

resurrection

4. The changed lives and teaching of Jesus followers


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1. The Tomb of Joseph ofAr imatheaI. Burial site known to Jew and Christian

II. 1 Cor. 15:3-7 mention that he was buried

III. Verified by Marks GospelIV. Joseph of Arimathea not legendary

V. No competing burial stories


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1. The Tomb of Joseph ofAr imatheaWe know more about the burial of the Lord Jesus than

we know of the burial of any single character in all

of ancient historywe know the very tomb in

which this body was placed, the name of the manwho owned it, Joseph, of a town known as

Arimathea. We know even where this tomb was

located, in a garden nigh to the place where He

was crucified, outside the city walls.

- Smith, Wilbur M. Therefore Stand: Christian Apologetics, pg 370,371


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2. The Tomb was Found Empty Was part of early source material for Marks

Gospel dating to possibly as early as A.D. 37

Classical Historian A.N. Sherwin concluded that

not even two full generations was enough time for

legend to develop

Empty tomb implied in 1 Cor. 15

Womens testimony embarrassing if fabrication

Earliest Jewish teaching taught an empty tomb


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3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tion Jesus appear to many different groups

List of eyewitnesses given in 1 Cor. 15 the

teaching in 1 Cor. 15:3-7 can be dated frombetween 2 8 years after the resurrection

Many passages have multiple attetestations so

highly likely to be credible accounts

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also

received, how that Christ died for our sins

according to the scriptures; And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day according tothe scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above

five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater

part remain unto this present, but some are fallen

asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then ofall the apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:3-7


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3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tionThis Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are

witnesses. Acts 2:32

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised

from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Acts 3:15


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3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tionBut God raised him from the dead. And he was seen

many days of them which came up with him from

Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto

many people.Acts 13:30,31


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3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tionNote that when the disciples of Jesus proclaimed the

resurrection, they did so as eyewitnesses and they did so

while people were still alive who had had contact with

the events they spoke of. In 56 A.D. Paul wrote thatover 500 people had seen the risen Jesus and that most

of them were still alive (I Cor. 15:6). It passes the

bounds of credibility that the early Christians could

have manufactured such a tale and then preached it

among those who might easily have refuted it simply byproducing the body of Jesus.

- Montgomery, John Warwick,History and Christianity, pg. 78


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4. The Changed Lives of JesusFo ll owersI. The Law of Moses said he that is hanged (on a

tree) is accursed of God

II. Jewish belief had no expectation of anyone risingfrom the dead before the resurrection

III. Suddenly disciples begin preaching that Jesus rose

from the grave

IV. The disciples were convinced that Jesus had risen

from the dead


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4. The Changed Lives of JesusFo ll owersThink of the character of the witnesses, men and women who

gave the world the highest ethical teaching it has ever

known, and who even of the testimony of their enemies

lived it out in their lives. Think of the psychological

absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards

cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later

transformed into a company that no persecution could

silence and then attempting to attribute this dramatic

change to nothing more convincing than a miserable

fabrication they were trying to foist upon the world. Thatsimply wouldnt make sense.

- Anderson, J.N.D. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity Today, pg. 6


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CO NCLU DI NG THOUGHTS

The most logical and

satisfactory explanation wehave is that God did in fact

raise Jesus Christ from the

dead

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson