Resurrection of Jesus

5 UNDENIABLE reasons to believe in the Resurrection:

1. The Precautions of the Romans (Mt. 27:64-66)

A. The Roman Guard- normal range was 8 to 30 soldiers

B. The stone- weight has been estimated to have been 3,500lbs to 4,000lbs

C. The Roman Seal- They placed a Roman seal across the stone that, if tampered with, was punishable by death!

2. The Faith of the Disciples

A. Before Jesus' crucifixion the disciples were fearful and ran for their lives (Mt. 14:50)

B. After the resurrection they became fearless, willing to get beaten, burned, beheaded, stoned and crucified!

QUESTION: WHY WOULD THEY RISK THEIR LIVES FOR SOMETHING THEY KNEW WAS A LIE?

3. Jesus'Post-Resurrection Appearances

A. The Bible teaches that Jesus spent 40 additional days on earth after His resurrection making convincing proofs that He was alive (Acts 1:3).

B. In addition to appearing multiple times to His disciples, Paul recounts when Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time who were still alive to give testimony at the time of Paul's writing (1 Cor. 15:6)

4. Secular History Confirms It

A. If the Bible was the only book that recorded the resurrection, people might criticize us for using circular reasoning. But, it is well documented in SECULAR history books.

Josephus, The Words of Flavius Josephus, 18.3.3

Thomas Arnold, History of Rome

ATHEISTS WHO BECAME CHRISTIANS Frank Morrison, "Who Moved the Stone?" Lee Stroebel, "The Case for Christ" Josh McDowell, "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict"

5. The Missing Body was Never Found

A. If Jesus never rose from the dead, then the Romans could have produced the body, thus destroying Christianity forever.

B. But...the body was never found in the tomb because Jesus rose from the dead!

KEY TAKEAWAY The reality of the resurrection will not only give you more confidence about what you believe, but also give you the knowledge and ammunition you need to silence those who are skeptical about the Christian faith.