When I was in college, a professor asked me a question I
will never forget. "Chip," he said, "I can't understand one
thing. How can someone who seems to be as bright as you are really believe in a
literal Jesus and the Bible and all this 'born again' stuff?"
He was basically asking me if I had thrown my brains in the
trashcan to be a Christian. I realized then that I didn't have solid
intellectual answers for hard intellectual questions.
And so I began a journey to discover feasible evidence to
support my faith in Jesus and the Bible.
What I have learned over these 20-plus years is that there
are great answers, but they all start with one central building block . . . one
foundation . . . and that is the resurrection of Christ.
If you think I'm being too strong, listen to the apostle
Paul. "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is
your faith" (1 Cor. 15:14, NIV). If the literal resurrection of Jesus
isn't true, Christianity doesn't hold water; so it's vital to examine the
evidence. Here are five reasons why I believe in the resurrection. I pray they
encourage you in your faith this Easter season.
1. The death of Jesus was undisputed
Critics try to discredit the resurrection by saying that Jesus didn't really
die—that He was near death, but revived in the tomb. Consider the evidence.
Jesus was flogged, beaten within an inch of His life, and crucified—one of the
cruelest forms of torture and death ever devised. The Roman soldiers were so
convinced that they didn't even break His legs as they had the other prisoners.
They gashed His side, and water and blood flowed out. His body was wrapped in
100 pounds of myrrh, spices, and linen. Jesus was unquestionably dead.
2. The burial of Jesus was public
One theory says that the disciples merely went to the wrong tomb. But the tomb
belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, and it must have
been prominent. If it were the wrong tomb, the Jewish leaders could easily have
gone to the right tomb and produced the body, thereby halting the Christian
movement before it began.
3. The grave of Jesus was secure
The story quickly surfaced that the disciples stole Jesus' body while the
guards were asleep. But these guards were the fighting machines of their day,
and could have been put to death for sleeping on the job. It is highly unlikely
that even one fell asleep. And don't forget the stone. It would have taken
about 20 men to roll away the stone that sealed the entrance of the tomb. It is
absurd to think the disciples rolled away the stone and removed the body
without waking the guards.
4. The evidence for Jesus' resurrection is convincing
I'm using the term "convincing" in the legal sense—beyond a
reasonable doubt. The preponderance of evidence points to the fact that Jesus
was dead and that He rose from the dead. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared
12 different times to more than 500 witnesses—both followers and skeptics—over
a period of 40 days.
5. The message of Jesus' resurrection is life-changing
One of the most convincing evidences of the resurrection is the transformation
of the disciples' lives. Look at Peter. After Jesus' death, he was too fearful
to admit he even knew Him. But only weeks later, we see Peter passionately
proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. What happened? He
met the resurrected Christ! In fact, 11 of the 12 disciples willingly gave
their lives in service to this Jesus whom they saw alive from the dead. The
disciples were in a position to know for certain whether Jesus rose from the
dead or if the whole thing was a hoax. And their wholehearted devotion to the
Lord shows clearly what they believed to be true.
The resurrected Lord has transformed my life and the lives
of countless others for more than two thousand years. Because Jesus rose from
the dead. Because the Scripture is true.
Because the Scripture is true, there are solid logical
answers to satisfy the heart and mind of those who are seeking, asking
questions like ‘Is there really a God?” “What happens when we die?” and
“Can
miracles be explained?” The fact is, we can know the truth. If you or
someone
you know has genuine questions about issues at the core of human
existence,
then the Audio CD series ‘Why I Believe’ is an excellent resource.
Contact Walk Thru the Bible at on 011-782-4222 or email
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