Easter 2024 MDWK Lesson: Resurrection Facts
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- Tonight's Lesson: Resurrection Facts
- Topic: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
- Next Week: Upside Down Kingdom Series
- Topic: Loving our enemies
- Compassion International Fundraising Update
- Raised: $44.00 of $45.00 goal for Esteban
- Dodgeball Tournament
- Date: Friday, April 5
- Time: 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM
- Location: North Campus Gym
- Pizza provided by Little Caesar's
- Fuge Camps Information
- Location: Ridgecrest Conference Center
- Dates: July 10-15
- Cost: $369.00 ($75.00 deposit)
- Currently wait-listed; express interest if interested
- BBQ Fundraiser Reminder
- Date: Saturday, April 20
- Time: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
- Save money for camp
- Envelopes available if needed
- The Main Event
- Date: Saturday, April 20
- Location: Crosslink Community Church
- Youth ministries gathering
- Meeting at EBC parking lot at 6:30 PM
Introduction:
Court room:
Case that has captured the world
Center is question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Prosecution lays out the evidence:
Eyewitness testimonies
Empty tomb
Transformation of skeptics
Defense counters
Stolen body
Never died on cross
Courtroom buzzing with arguments going back and forth
Tonight, you are the jury.
Unique Easter lesson
Lay out evidence, and reach a verdict
Need:
Knowledge about resurrection
But historical evidence?
Holding onto faith in hard times
Making your faith your own
Body:
1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
The Mary’s
Anoint body
The ultimate truth
2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Scary!
An angel
He speaks:
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
The first to hear the good news
Go and tell, meet up soon
Sooner than expected!
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Only imagine
Others told, Peter & John run back
One last part
11 As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. 12 A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. 13 They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14 If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15 So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.
Constructed lie
Back then and today
A couple notes
First, women witnesses
Less valued
If made up… why women?
Second, guards don’t deny body missing
Just present body - the end
The ultimate question...
Obvious thing first:
Christianity formed overnight
The resurrection claimed = life threatening
1/3 of world
How explain?
Other explanations
Most plausible?
Possible Explanations:
Jesus didn’t die on the cross.
Some say he never got on it
Others say they thought He died but He didn’t
Assumes Jesus survived...
Six trials
No sleep
A brutal scourging
Thorns thrust into his head
Nails thrust into His hands and feet
Being on a cross for hours
Having a spear thrust into his side
Being wrapped in grave clothes and put in a tomb with a large stone at the entrance, guarded by Roman soldiers
More faith
Tossed out
Most scholars agree
So we can move on.
Possible Explanations:
Jesus didn’t die on the cross.
Jesus’ tomb was not empty .
“Wrong tomb theory.”
An accident
Mary and mary
Peter and John
the guards
Doesn’t make sense
Possible Explanations:
Jesus didn’t die on the cross.
Jesus’ tomb was not empty.
The disciples stole the body of Jesus.
Same conspiracy theory from 11-15!
Unlikely for two reasons
First, … timid disciples overpowering roman soldiers??
Second, idea of resurrection seemed silly… so why make that up?
Doesn’t work either
Possible Explanations:
Jesus didn’t die on the cross.
Jesus’ tomb was not empty.
The disciples stole the body of Jesus.
The disciples were delusional when they claimed to see Jesus.
“Shared hallucination”
But this doesn’t happen
Doesn’t explain “overnight” sensation
Hundreds claimed to see Jesus (over 500)
Eating and drinking (hallucinations don’t do that)
What does NT Wright have to say?
“The early Christians did not invent the empty tomb and the ‘meetings’ or ‘sightings’ of the risen Jesus. . . . Nobody was expecting this kind of thing . . . nobody would have invented it. . . . To suggest otherwise is to stop doing history and to enter into a fantasy world of our own.”
-N.T. Wright
Opposite of what you’d think
Resurrection = fantasy
But instead...
No resurrection fantasy
Now there is only one explanations that remains:
Possible Explanations:
Jesus didn’t die on the cross.
Jesus’ tomb was not empty.
The disciples stole the body of Jesus.
The disciples were delusional when they claimed to see Jesus.
Jesus really did die on the cross and rise from the grave.
What caused shift in history?
Most plausible, given evidence
Gary Habermas: Minimal Facts Argument
Stuff that 90%-95% of scholars agree on
Given these agreements, most plausible = resurrection
What are the points of agreement?
Let’s take a look at those:
The Minimal Facts:
Jesus died by crucifixion.
Not usually argued against
And when is, not taken seriously
The Minimal Facts:
Jesus died by crucifixion.
His early followers had experiences that they thought were the appearances of the resurrected Jesus.
Important
Most non-Christian scholars agree
Check this out:
By normal historical methods, the tomb is empty.
-Michael Grant
Heard this before?
Not just blind faith = faith based on historical data
Another one...
“I am not sure what to do with it, but one thing I’m sure of… the resurrected Jesus appeared to His followers after His death.”
-Anonymous
Non-Christian > crazy conclusion
“Coming out of the gates in 30 AD, 2 doctrines had to be present or there would be no Christianity: the deity of Christ, and the resurrection.”
-Larry Hurtado
There from the beginning
“I’m a skeptic, but I am sure the risen Jesus appeared to His disciples.”
-Dale Allison
Can’t make up
One more:
“The following is a historical fact: the earliest disciples saw the risen Jesus. I don’t know how exactly they saw him, but they saw him.”
-Ed Sanders
Wow!
What do you do with that?
Not just a “fairy tell”
One more fact
The Minimal Facts:
Jesus died by crucifixion.
His early followers had experiences that they thought were the appearances of the resurrected Jesus.
The lives of Christ’s followers were so radically changed that they were willing to risk their lives.
And many did
Records tell us 10 of the disciples died
Why die for a lie?
An anchor for me
They really did see Jesus
But… what for us?
Let’s take some time to look at that.
If Jesus rose from the dead....
He has authority over life and death.
Fear of death
Don’t have to; Jesus in control
If Jesus rose from the dead....
He has authority over life and death.
He has authority over sin and Satan.
Defeated!
No fear
If Jesus rose from the dead....
He has authority over life and death.
He has authority over sin and Satan.
He has authority over you and me.
Two sub points:
If Jesus rose from the dead....
He has authority over life and death.
He has authority over sin and Satan.
He has authority over you and me.
He reigns over us supremely.
He’s in charge
He’s got the keys
He knows best
If Jesus rose from the dead....
He has authority over life and death.
He has authority over sin and Satan.
He has authority over you and me.
He reigns over us supremely.
He loves us deeply.
Resurrection rooted in love.
Death and sin defeated for us
Now, relationship
Conclusion:
How respond?
If haven’t, surrender
Not a matter of if, but when
If you have...
Hold tightly to your heart
Use as anchor
Jesus is good.
Celebrate this Easter
PRAY
Small Group Questions:
What emotions do you think Mary Magdalene and the disciples experienced when they first discovered the empty tomb?
How does the resurrection of Jesus challenge our understanding of death and life?
In what ways does the resurrection give us hope in the midst of difficult circumstances?
What are some alternative theories or explanations that skeptics propose to account for the empty tomb? How do these theories compare with the historical accounts of the resurrection?
The minimal facts argument presents key historical facts accepted by the majority of scholars, such as the empty tomb, post-resurrection appearances, and the transformation of the disciples. How does this argument contribute to the case for the resurrection, and how might skeptics respond to it?
What is the most meaningful way you can celebrate Easter this weekend?