The World's Greatest Event and If It Really Happened

WELCOME

INTRO

Transition: Why was Jesus of Nazareth crucified? Because he made outrageous claims about himself. That he was the one and only son of God. Why take this claim seriously? Because if Jesus actually rose from the dead, these claims hold considerable weight! On the other hand, if the resurrection never actually happened, Jesus may be safely dismissed as another interesting, but tragic historical figure.

3 Interesting Events

The Discovery of Jesus’ Empty Tomb

Women found it, not men. In this culture, a fabricated story would have replaced the women with the men because a woman’s testimony was considered next to worthless.

The Appearance of Jesus Alive after His Death

List of Witnesses

1 Cor 15:4-8

All 4 Gospels speak to these post-crucifixion appearances

The Disciples Belief that Jesus Rose from the Dead

After the crucifixion, Jesus’ followers were destroyed and demoralized. Jews had no concept of a Messiah who would be killed by his enemies, much less would rise from the dead. Jesus crucifixion as a criminal (according to Jewish law) placed him under God’s curse (cursed is the one who hangs from a tree- Deut 21;23)

DESPITE THESE THINGS, the disciples came to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. And when threatened with death (as all of them were) not one of them recanted their faith.

“That is why, as an historian, I cannot explain the rise of early Christianity unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty tomb behind.” (NT Wright)

All of the original witness unanimously state that Jesus rose from the dead. If there is even the possibility that God exists, then this possibility cannot be ruled out.

“For a God who is able to create the entire universe, the odd resurrection would be Child’s play” (Peter Slezak)

What if Jesus Never Rose?

“Paul said in 1 Cor 15:17 if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.’ So that’s the linchpin of the Christian faith, is whether Jesus did indeed (1) live, (2) die, and (3) was resurrected from the dead, which authenticated his claims of divinity.” (Lee Strobel)

New Testament believers were infinitely more concerned about the truth of the gospel and the resurrection than we are! Why? Because they were dying for it! Martyred! Sacrificed! (Josh McDowell)

How can we credit events that happened in the past? How can we know them to be true? Witnesses!

1 John 1:1 What our eyes

Without the resurrection, Christianity could have never come into being. The crucifixion would have remained the final tragedy of Jesus’ story. (WLC)

(RH Fuller) Even the most skeptical critic must posit a mysterious “X” (event) that sparked the movement going. The question remains: “What is that X”?

How Do We Know Jesus Rose?

Acts 1:3 ESV

3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Many CONVINCING or INFALLIBLE proofs

A.L.I.V.E.

Acts of the Apostles

Lives Transformed

Illogical Fabrications

Verified by Witnesses

Empty Tomb

Acts of the Apostles

A Complete Change

Changed religions! Not Jews anymore

Sabbath worship changed from Saturday to Sunday

The Holy Spirit-filled believers starting at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)

The P

Lives Transformed

Disciples abandoned Christ at his death, turned and became empowered confident apostles sharing the gospel at risk to their lives. (Acts 1:8) (Phil 1:21)

The Apostles counted it all joy when they suffered for Christ

Illogical Fabrications

The Disciples Testimonies

Could a lie transform them?

What was their motivation?

Who would die for a lie?

Reliability of Early Historians

The New Testament is the most accurate, literal, and preserved collections of writings in historicity.

Lack of Contradictions in the New Testament texts

Illogical Fabrications don’t add up

Jews were looking for for a messiah to save them from Roman oppression, Jesus came as a servant

Women were first witnesses, who were looked down on at the time.

Disciples didn’t believe the women’s testimony, why would they think others would?

Verified By Witnesses

Woman at the tomb

Apostle Peter

Disciples

James, Jesus Brothers

500 witnesses

Empty Tomb

Swoon Theory: Jesus didn’t die, he passed out, but the crawls out himself. Problem is Romans were expert killers and would have certainly checked his death. How could he have

If the Romans knew one thing, it is how to crucify somebody. Never would they have mistakenly botched an execution. There were incredibly proficient in this area.

Wrong Tomb Theory: It was a special tomb, and they had been their before. How could they have missed it?

The church has lost track of the specific tomb in which Christ was buried. On a tour of Israel, when they take you to THE TOMB it is just A TOMB. The reason it has been misplaced is because Jesus’ followers DID NOT CARE about the tomb because He had risen

Surely, Jesus enemies would have presented the body from the correct tomb if the disciples of Christ had mistaken the location.

Hallucination Theory: All 500 hallucinated the same thing for 40 days.

Stolen Body Theory: Disciples stole the body while Roman soldiers were asleep.

Jesus rose from the dead!

What Does the Resurrection Mean for Me?

Faithful Foundations

1 Cor 15:17 → If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Christianity is so silly without it

The truth of the resurrection is immensely personal

HOPE FOR ETERNAL LIFE EXISTS

COMMUNION

It goes by other names, The Lord’s/Last Supper/Table, or Eucharist, but we commonly call it communion (sharing/fellowship). That word comes from scripture, but it is not the most common. Eucharist is most common, and it means “the giving of thanks”, the act shows gratitude/thanksgiving from those partaking to God. Giving thanks for his atoning death on the cross for our sins! Giving thanks for his gracious sacrifice that is free to all who believe! We do not show him thanks for these things ONLY on this day, but we do so ESPECIALLY MUCH on this day.

This practice to those unfamiliar with its purpose can seem very peculiar. Drinking the blood and eat the body of our savior to feel close to him. Many have had problems with this throughout history. But we understand that the bread and the wine/juice represents the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made to redeem sinful people like us. Communion has its very origin with Christ Jesus himself with his disciples in Scripture. Luke recounts Jesus saying to “do this in remembrance of me.” For this reason we practice communion. It has two purposes: internal and external. Internally, this practice serves to bring to the forefront of our minds how deep and painful Jesus’ sacrifice truly was. This should well up within us thankfulness and gratitude that he did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Externally, remembering that Christ’s sacrifice and atonement is freely available to all who believe, we are united with one another in our common reception of this gift from God. It brings us into unity under the banner of God’s loving redemption.

*Call Up Deacons*

Symbolic practice

Open for all believers

We will do all together (Bread 1st-- Juice 2nd)

Luke 22:17–20 ESV

17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

JUICE

17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

BREAD

19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.