If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#15) He Must Have Been Dead and Buried
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Mythicists and skeptics attempt to debunk Jesus in a number o...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#14) He Must Have Existed
A recent survey in Britain showed that 22% of Brits don’t believe that there ever was a real Jesus… that it is all fake, some kind of a myth or made-up deception.
This is fascinating, for the vast majority of historians find the evidence compelling that there really was a Jesus of Nazareth. What is going on here? It...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then the Tomb Would Have Been Empty (Theories Against)
Having laid a foundation of evidence for the empty tomb, and an understanding of the resurrection polemic and creed, we are now ready to deal with the theories that have arisen against it. There are many, and in some cases, highly overlapping. Here are the most prominent:
1. The disciples stole the body. F...
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. Job 19:25-27
The confidence that God will raise the dead is not just a New Testament belief. Job confessed, in this prophetic utterance, that even after his body h...
Today is Ascension Day. For most, that might provoke little more than “huh?” It is rare to find it on a calendar in the United States. But Catholics celebrate it as the “Feast of the Ascension” by attending mass. And, surprisingly, it is an official public holiday all across Indonesia and in many European countries like France, Germany and Sweden.
In Germany, it has e...
If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#16) the Tomb Would Have Been Empty
And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. Mark 16:6
Apart from the actual appearances of Jesus, the empty tomb is probably the greatest physical evidence of the resurrection of Christ that we have. L...
(#18) The Early Resurrection Creed
When we come to the apologetic or defense against the argument that the resurrection is merely legend or myth, there are two key formal elements that must be well understood. The first is the “resurrection polemic” and the second is the “early resurrection creed”. We looked at the resurrection polemic last time. Now, we want to exam...
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15
Here was the situation. God had created the most amazing place. We can’t really imagine it. There was no death. There was no evil. Everything flourished. Then Adam and Eve breached the one boundary God had set for them and everythi...
(#17) The Resurrection Polemic
There are two key formal elements in the argument concerning the resurrection of Jesus. The first is the “resurrection polemic” and the second is the “early resurrection creed”. Both had been fully developed in the very early days of Christianity. And both must be understood by the Christian seeking to defend the resurrection of Christ a...
As [Peter and John] were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. Acts 4:1-3
When you are making a defense for...
