Good evening,
friends and welcome to Battle
00:00:17.25\00:00:18.99
Creek for yet another
edition of Eleventh Hour
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evidence. My name's
Pastor Jason Seiber.
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I'm so glad you can
join us. This evening,
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we're going to be
raising one of the great
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questions of all
time and answering it.
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What happens after
this life? I for one hope
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that we'll have a role
that would be called up
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yonder, really
soon. And our friend Dan
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Grentz is here with
Lloyd Callum to ask us
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that question.
Will we be there when
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the role is called up yonder."
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O, we see the gleams
of the golden morning
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Piercing through
this night of gloom!
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O, we see the gleams
of the golden morning
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That will burst the tomb.
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When the trumpet of
the Lord shall sound,
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and time shall be no more,
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And the morning
breaks, eternal, bright and
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fair; When the saved of
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earth shall gather
over on the other shore,
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And the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there.
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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I'll be there.
On that bright and
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cloudless morning when the dead
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in Christ shall rise,
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And the glory of
his resurrection share;
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When his chosen
ones shall gather
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to their home beyond the skies,
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And the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there.
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Let us labor for
the Master from the
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dawn till setting sun,
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Let us talk of all his
wondrous love and care;
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Then when all of life is over,
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and our work on earth is done,
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And the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there.
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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When the roll is
called up yonder,
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I'll be there.
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O, we see the gleams
of the golden morning
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That will burst the tomb. Amen.
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Thanks Dan, isn't
that a wonderful promise,
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the gleams of the
golden morning. And a role
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that is going to be
called yonder just on the
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other side. I'll forget
the night that my family
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received a call
from my older sister,
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her voice broken, a
little bit of crying in
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the background and
she said, I've cancer.
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I don't think,
I'm going to make it.
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Sure enough ten
days later Kelly was no
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longer with us,
that was 1996. And,
00:04:16.42\00:04:19.42
I wondered whether
I would see her again,
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my father-in-law
came and was visiting our
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family, trying to
bring some comfort and I
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remember him saying
Jason is there anything
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I can do for you.
And, I said absolutely,
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you could bring
Kelly back. He said,
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you know I can't
do that, but I know,
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somebody who can.
My friend I don't know,
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where you're tonight
in that experience of
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life and death
perhaps somebody in your
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family has
passed away. Maybe there
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someone that you just
long to see, will you see
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them again? Will I
see my, my sister Kelly
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again? The question
comes down to a simple
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premises. Did Jesus
rise from the grave?
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If Jesus rose then
we've hope, if he didn't,
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there is none. Tonight
to answer that question,
00:05:01.36\00:05:03.73
did Jesus rise from the grave,
00:05:03.84\00:05:05.47
pastor David Asscherick.
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Amen. Thank you,
Jason. Good evening everyone.
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Good evening. How was your day
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today? I said how
was your day today?
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Great. Good, I'm looking for
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enthusiasm, amen. Amen.
00:05:18.61\00:05:20.45
So, good to be alive,
it's, it's better than
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the alternative, isn't it? Yes.
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You know, that's
what we're going to be
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speaking about this
evening. Our message is
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entitled, 'The
Resurrection of Jesus
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Christ, Fact or
Fiction'. 'The Resurrection of
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Jesus Christ, Fact or
Fiction.' And before we
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get into our
message proper, what are we
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going to do
first, everyone? Pray.
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Going to pray, that's
exactly right. So, why
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don't we begin with a
word of prayer and then
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I'll sort of explain
the, the goal of tonight's
00:05:44.67\00:05:47.35
message, it will be a
little different, actually it
00:05:47.38\00:05:49.80
will be a lot
different then the messages that
00:05:49.83\00:05:51.60
we've had up to this
point and we're going to
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do something
interesting. We're going to take
00:05:53.69\00:05:55.44
a different
approach. And I will be very
00:05:55.47\00:05:57.76
interested to explain
that to you, but first
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let's begin by coming
to the Lord and asking
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him to bless us as we
study his word tonight.
00:06:02.98\00:06:05.13
Oh! Father in heaven,
what a great privilege it
00:06:09.86\00:06:12.89
is to be here this
evening to study your word.
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And Father in heaven,
we're gathered here and
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we're praying for
all of those, who are
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gathered out there.
The globe over, the world
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over, looking at their
television sets or maybe
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a computer monitor
and they are, they are
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listening in, Father.
Not for the word of a man,
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but for the word of
God. Lord tonight as we
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study, we're
praying and asking that your
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spirit will speak
directly to our hearts and to
00:06:36.83\00:06:40.15
our minds. Father,
this is one of the greatest
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subjects in all of the
universe, the question of
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death and the resurrection.
00:06:47.59\00:06:49.12
Father tonight as we
seek to understand this
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better and, and still
more fully. We pray that
00:06:52.13\00:06:54.53
your spirit will be
with us in a marked way.
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Please, come now
and be our teacher for
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you've promised to do
that. And we ask it in
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Jesus name,
everyone can say, amen. Amen.
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Alright, our
message tonight is entitled
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'The
Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
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Fact or Fiction.'
And, what we're going to do
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tonight as I've said
it's just a little different.
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Did you bring your
Bibles this evening?
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Did you bring them? Yes.
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Good, you're going
to need them. What we're
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going to do tonight
is we're going to try as
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much as is possible
to disassociate ourselves
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from our
commitment to the Bible as the
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inspired word of God.
You say, what does that
00:07:31.23\00:07:34.70
mean, Pastor
Asscherick? It only means this;
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tonight we're going
to approach the Bible not
00:07:37.22\00:07:39.46
as committed
Christians, but as a historian.
00:07:39.49\00:07:42.48
An historian might
approach the Bible.
00:07:42.52\00:07:44.40
We're going to take
our convictions that the
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Bible is the inspired
word of God. We'll talk
00:07:46.57\00:07:48.40
more about that in a
future night. We're going
00:07:48.43\00:07:49.85
to put those on a
shelf for just a moment.
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And we're going to
try to access, how would a
00:07:51.79\00:07:54.76
historian, a secular
historian come to this
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word. How would a
secular historian try to
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collaborate or to
prove or to evince the
00:08:01.16\00:08:04.58
authenticity of the
resurrection of Jesus.
00:08:04.61\00:08:07.05
The reason we're
going to do this, is friends
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we're going to discover
that the resurrection of
00:08:09.99\00:08:12.69
Jesus Christ is one of
he best attested two facts
00:08:12.72\00:08:16.43
in the history of
mankind. It is firmly
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anchored in antiquity
and for me just to say to
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you well you know,
Jesus raised from the dead
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because the Bible says
so, that doesn't really
00:08:25.29\00:08:27.91
solve the problem,
that's like saying Jesus rose
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from the dead
because Jesus rose from the
00:08:31.31\00:08:32.97
dead, if we assume
right up front that the
00:08:33.00\00:08:35.54
Bible is the inspired
word of God then we've
00:08:35.57\00:08:37.60
not proved our
case. For the skeptic,
00:08:37.63\00:08:40.73
this is not
convincing, for the infidel,
00:08:40.93\00:08:42.93
this is not
convincing, for the atheist,
00:08:42.96\00:08:44.80
this is un-convincing,
for you and I it maybe,
00:08:44.83\00:08:47.49
but what I'm going
to claim tonight is that
00:08:48.24\00:08:50.19
simply based on an
honest, candid survey of
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history, of
what word did is say?
00:08:54.46\00:08:56.26
History. History and the
00:08:56.29\00:08:57.78
historical evidences
we can prove beyond a
00:08:57.81\00:09:01.03
shadow of a doubt that
Jesus Christ friends did
00:09:01.06\00:09:04.39
die, but more
importantly that he was raised
00:09:04.42\00:09:07.72
from the dead on
resurrection morning.
00:09:07.75\00:09:09.73
Amen. Now, last evening
00:09:09.76\00:09:11.00
I gave a quotation
to you, I just want to
00:09:11.03\00:09:12.62
recite it and review
it very, very, quickly,
00:09:12.65\00:09:14.42
it was G.B. Hardy
and he was writing in his
00:09:14.45\00:09:16.41
book Countdown and
he said this, he said
00:09:16.44\00:09:18.89
there are only two
essential requirements.
00:09:18.92\00:09:21.49
Two essential
requirements, number one,
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has anyone ever
cheated death and number
00:09:23.58\00:09:26.14
two, is it available
to me. Mr. Hardy said,
00:09:26.17\00:09:30.01
let us survey the
record, Confucius Tomb
00:09:30.14\00:09:32.67
occupied,
Buddha's Tomb occupied,
00:09:32.70\00:09:35.85
Muhammad's Tomb
occupied, then he said,
00:09:35.88\00:09:38.92
Jesus Tomb what
was is it everyone?
00:09:39.21\00:09:41.19
Empty and Mr.
Hardy concluded with this
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salient conclusion,
he said argue as you may,
00:09:44.06\00:09:47.21
but for me and my
purposes there is no
00:09:47.24\00:09:49.44
purpose in following a
loser. Friends, this is
00:09:49.47\00:09:53.37
not speaking about a
loser in the pejorative
00:09:53.46\00:09:55.93
sense. It is simply
saying this, if Jesus
00:09:55.96\00:09:59.10
Christ did in fact
rise bodily from the death.
00:09:59.13\00:10:01.94
If death is not the
end and there is in fact an
00:10:02.41\00:10:05.03
after life, if that was
available to him then it
00:10:05.42\00:10:08.28
can be available to you
and I. Can you say, amen?
00:10:08.47\00:10:11.83
Amen. So, friends tonight
00:10:11.86\00:10:13.10
our message is
entitled, 'The Resurrection of
00:10:13.13\00:10:14.86
Jesus Christ, Fact
or Fiction.' Let's begin
00:10:14.89\00:10:18.45
with some very
foundational points.
00:10:18.48\00:10:21.01
A very foundational
understanding, first of
00:10:21.08\00:10:22.93
all Christianity stands
or falls on the historical
00:10:22.96\00:10:26.92
reliability of the
resurrection of Jesus
00:10:27.54\00:10:29.25
Christ of Nazareth.
If you believe that,
00:10:29.28\00:10:30.88
say amen. Amen.
00:10:30.91\00:10:32.13
There is no
Christianity apart from the
00:10:32.16\00:10:34.58
historical
resurrection of Jesus Christ,
00:10:34.61\00:10:36.69
now notice this,
without the resurrection there
00:10:36.72\00:10:38.82
is no Christianity,
for the vindication of the
00:10:38.85\00:10:42.23
claims of Jesus
Christ hinge on the
00:10:42.44\00:10:44.78
resurrection
having actually happened.
00:10:44.81\00:10:46.76
Did Jesus make some
incredible claims about
00:10:47.02\00:10:49.25
himself, his
mission and his ministry,
00:10:49.28\00:10:51.13
yes or no? Yes.
00:10:51.16\00:10:52.33
Friends, those were
some far reaching claims
00:10:52.36\00:10:54.50
as we discussed
last night, but if those
00:10:54.53\00:10:56.78
claims cannot be
vindicated by Jesus
00:10:56.81\00:10:59.23
rising physically
and bodily from the death
00:10:59.26\00:11:01.60
then those claims of
Jesus fall flat to the
00:11:01.82\00:11:04.16
ground. Now, let us
continue, note here.
00:11:04.19\00:11:07.77
Jesus affirmed
this, that is to say Jesus
00:11:08.70\00:11:11.35
affirmed that his
resurrection was a
00:11:11.61\00:11:15.05
cornerstone to his
claims to messianic and
00:11:15.32\00:11:19.24
divine identity.
Go with me to Mark,
00:11:19.27\00:11:21.73
chapter 8. The
Gospel of Mark, Mark chapter
00:11:21.76\00:11:24.87
8. Let's begin by
noting from Jesus own words
00:11:24.90\00:11:28.11
just how important
the resurrection would be,
00:11:28.26\00:11:30.17
Mark chapter 8.
Mark, what chapter are we
00:11:30.44\00:11:34.18
going to everyone? Eight.
00:11:34.21\00:11:35.66
Mark chapter 8 and
verse 31. Mark chapter 8
00:11:35.86\00:11:39.40
and verse 31. Jesus
speaking and he says
00:11:39.43\00:11:41.54
these words. And he
then began to teach them
00:11:41.57\00:11:44.37
that the Son of Man
must suffer many things
00:11:44.81\00:11:47.35
and be rejected by
the elders and the chief
00:11:47.38\00:11:49.40
priests and the
scribes. And, be killed and
00:11:49.43\00:11:52.65
after three days,
what would he do everyone?
00:11:52.68\00:11:55.39
Rise again. Rise again. Now,
00:11:55.42\00:11:57.53
did Jesus affirm
that he would rise again?
00:11:57.56\00:12:00.31
Yes, he did. Now,
notice also in John chapter
00:12:01.16\00:12:03.38
two in verse 19. Go
from the Gospel of Mark to
00:12:03.41\00:12:05.99
the Gospel of John.
John chapter 2 and verse
00:12:06.02\00:12:09.26
19. Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John. Chapter 2
00:12:09.29\00:12:13.12
and I'm noting verse
19 again. Notice this,
00:12:13.15\00:12:15.96
verse 19. Jesus
answered and said to them,
00:12:15.99\00:12:19.00
"Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will,
00:12:19.50\00:12:24.13
what everyone? Raise it up.
00:12:24.16\00:12:25.48
Raise it up. And
notice verse 20 the Jews said,
00:12:25.51\00:12:27.24
it has been 46 years
to build this temple and
00:12:27.56\00:12:30.50
will you raise it up
in three days and notice
00:12:30.64\00:12:32.93
this commentary by,
by the Gospel writer
00:12:32.96\00:12:35.44
John in verse 21. But
he was speaking of the
00:12:35.47\00:12:39.05
temple of his, what? Body.
00:12:39.08\00:12:41.39
Of his body and he
adds this note here in verse
00:12:41.42\00:12:43.08
22. Therefore when
he had risen from the,
00:12:43.11\00:12:45.25
his disciples
remembered that he had said this
00:12:45.28\00:12:47.99
to them and they
believed the scripture and the
00:12:48.02\00:12:50.71
word which Jesus had
said. Now, notice here
00:12:50.74\00:12:54.24
on two occasions
one in Mark and one in
00:12:54.27\00:12:55.34
John, Jesus actually
communicates, he affirms
00:12:55.37\00:12:59.51
that he will be
betrayed, that he will be
00:12:59.72\00:13:01.42
rejected, that he
will die, but that he would
00:13:01.45\00:13:03.72
rise again. Amen. Now,
that's a pretty amazing
00:13:03.75\00:13:07.09
claim, isn't it?
Amen. Because friends how
00:13:07.12\00:13:09.42
many people die?
All! All, everybody dies
00:13:09.45\00:13:13.07
with a few
exceptions. We've people like
00:13:13.10\00:13:14.88
Elijah, he didn't
die. Enoch walked with God
00:13:15.27\00:13:17.20
and he didn't die
but the vast majority of
00:13:17.23\00:13:19.93
mankind die.
Jesus here now makes the
00:13:19.96\00:13:22.79
remarkable claim, I
will die, that's not so
00:13:22.82\00:13:26.07
remarkable is it, but
then what does he say?
00:13:26.10\00:13:28.11
I will rise again. Now,
friends if Jesus doesn't
00:13:28.31\00:13:32.19
rise again then we
would have no compelling
00:13:32.22\00:13:34.29
reason to believe
anything else he said,
00:13:34.32\00:13:36.10
amen. Amen.
00:13:36.13\00:13:38.15
Now, notice what also
the Apostle Paul says,
00:13:38.59\00:13:40.51
Jesus affirmed this and
Paul also affirmed it in
00:13:40.67\00:13:43.04
First Corinthians
chapter 15. First Corinthians
00:13:43.07\00:13:46.82
chapter 15, just
after the Gospels, Matthew,
00:13:47.76\00:13:51.48
Mark, Luke, John,
then you have Acts,
00:13:51.51\00:13:53.14
Romans and then First
Corinthians, chapter 15
00:13:53.17\00:13:55.78
Now, I'm going to
begin in verse one.
00:13:56.26\00:13:57.82
First Corinthians
chapter 15 and verse 1.
00:13:57.91\00:13:59.75
The Apostle writing
and notice what he says,
00:13:59.91\00:14:01.72
moreover brethren, I
declare to you the Gospel
00:14:02.28\00:14:04.63
which I preach to
you, which also you
00:14:04.72\00:14:06.67
received, and in
which you stand. Verse 2,
00:14:06.70\00:14:09.62
by which also you are
saved, he saying you're
00:14:10.08\00:14:12.44
saved by the Gospel.
If you hold that which,
00:14:12.47\00:14:15.18
that word which we
preached to you, unless
00:14:15.21\00:14:17.87
you've believed in
vain. Now, notice verse 3,
00:14:17.90\00:14:20.07
for I deliver to you
first of all that which I also
00:14:20.64\00:14:22.78
received, that
Christ died for our sins
00:14:22.81\00:14:25.76
according to the
scriptures, can you
00:14:25.79\00:14:27.31
amen to that? Amen.
00:14:27.34\00:14:28.84
And that he was
buried and that he rose again
00:14:28.89\00:14:32.68
the third day
according to the scriptures and
00:14:32.71\00:14:34.96
that he was seen by
Cephas and then by the
00:14:34.99\00:14:36.72
twelve. After that
he was seen by over 500
00:14:36.75\00:14:39.02
brethren at once of
whom the greater part
00:14:39.05\00:14:41.42
remain to the
present, that is to say they
00:14:41.45\00:14:43.42
remain alive, but
some have fallen asleep.
00:14:43.45\00:14:45.41
After that he was
seen by James, then by all
00:14:45.79\00:14:47.69
the Apostles, then
last of all, he was seen by
00:14:47.72\00:14:49.97
me also as one
born out of due time.
00:14:50.00\00:14:52.34
Now, go back to verse
3 there and I want to,
00:14:53.01\00:14:54.66
I want to show you
something, I want to
00:14:54.69\00:14:56.04
introduce you to
something that is not
00:14:56.07\00:14:57.60
well-known here.
Notice verse three,
00:14:57.63\00:14:59.37
the Apostle says
right in the middle of that
00:14:59.80\00:15:01.29
verse that that
Christ died for our sins
00:15:01.32\00:15:03.59
according to the
scriptures. Then verse 4,
00:15:03.69\00:15:05.37
that he was buried,
that he was rose again the
00:15:05.65\00:15:07.51
third day
according to the scriptures.
00:15:07.54\00:15:09.07
Most scholars
recognized that what Paul is
00:15:09.66\00:15:12.13
doing here. In First
Corinthians verses 3 and
00:15:12.32\00:15:14.18
4. Is residing an
ancient Creedal tradition.
00:15:14.21\00:15:19.31
Ancient is probably
not the right word I'm
00:15:19.97\00:15:21.30
looking here, but a
former Creedal tradition
00:15:21.33\00:15:23.85
that is to say,
something that all of the
00:15:23.88\00:15:25.94
churches affirm,
it was almost like the
00:15:25.97\00:15:28.23
equivalent of the
Nicene Creed or the
00:15:28.26\00:15:30.31
Apostolic Creed.
These kinds of things.
00:15:30.34\00:15:32.51
Notice, how nicely it
reads and how nicely it
00:15:32.73\00:15:35.01
rolls off the
tongue. It would have been
00:15:35.04\00:15:36.82
meant for
memorization. Remember that you
00:15:36.85\00:15:39.59
and I today, we have
the Bibles in printed
00:15:39.62\00:15:41.52
form, but in the days
of Paul that would not have
00:15:41.55\00:15:43.35
been as easily to
posses. And, so they would,
00:15:43.38\00:15:45.34
they would
communicate many of the great
00:15:45.70\00:15:47.12
truths of
scripture in oral form.
00:15:47.15\00:15:49.51
In what kind of
form everyone? Oral
00:15:49.54\00:15:51.78
And, so they would have these,
00:15:51.81\00:15:52.92
these synopses,
these affirmations of the
00:15:52.95\00:15:55.62
basics of faith. And,
so let's read it again
00:15:55.65\00:15:58.10
with that in mind.
Notice verse 3, for I declare
00:15:58.13\00:16:00.84
to you first of all that
which I also receive that
00:16:00.87\00:16:02.97
Christ died for our
sins according to the
00:16:03.15\00:16:04.76
scriptures and that
he was buried and that he
00:16:04.79\00:16:06.99
rose again the
third day according to the
00:16:07.02\00:16:08.71
scriptures. This
was an early Christian
00:16:08.74\00:16:11.53
affirmation of the
essence of the Gospel.
00:16:11.56\00:16:14.61
Paul is simply
quoting it. Are you
00:16:14.64\00:16:17.35
understanding that, yes or no?
00:16:17.38\00:16:18.59
Yes. To put it in a very
00:16:18.62\00:16:19.70
simple language, this
is not original with Paul.
00:16:19.86\00:16:22.65
He is quoting it
from an earlier Christian
00:16:22.92\00:16:25.72
source. Now, we
will comeback to the
00:16:26.17\00:16:28.02
importance of
that in just a moment,
00:16:28.05\00:16:29.29
but before we do
notice with me in the same
00:16:29.32\00:16:31.08
chapter, beginning in verse 12.
00:16:31.11\00:16:33.15
First Corinthians
chapter 15, now notice verse
00:16:33.18\00:16:35.05
12. Notice how far
the Apostle Paul takes the
00:16:35.08\00:16:38.99
importance of the
resurrection. He says,
00:16:39.02\00:16:41.43
"Now if Christ is
preached that he has been
00:16:41.46\00:16:43.00
raised from the
dead, how do some among you
00:16:43.03\00:16:45.06
say there is no
resurrection of the dead?
00:16:45.09\00:16:49.29
then Christ is not
risen. And, if Christ is not
00:16:49.32\00:16:52.41
risen, then out
preaching is empty and your
00:16:52.44\00:16:55.07
faith is also",
what's the next word?
00:16:55.10\00:16:57.40
Empty. Empty, now if you're
00:16:57.43\00:16:58.81
reading in the King
James version, it says
00:16:58.84\00:16:59.96
what, vain. Now,
notice what the Apostle Paul
00:16:59.99\00:17:03.02
just said, he said if
Christ isn't risen your
00:17:03.05\00:17:05.87
faith is vain. Now,
let me ask you a very
00:17:06.77\00:17:10.38
simple question, is
the resurrection of Jesus
00:17:10.41\00:17:13.03
essential to the basis
truths of Christianity,
00:17:13.81\00:17:15.81
yes or no? Yes.
00:17:15.84\00:17:16.87
According to the
Apostle Paul without the
00:17:16.90\00:17:18.29
resurrection faith
is vain, we've gather
00:17:18.32\00:17:20.80
tonight for no
reason, if Jesus didn't rise
00:17:20.83\00:17:23.46
bodily from the
death, amen. Amen.
00:17:23.49\00:17:26.20
That's Paul's whole
point. Now, notice he
00:17:26.48\00:17:28.64
goes on here,
picking it up in verse 15.
00:17:28.67\00:17:31.22
Yes and we're found
false witnesses of God
00:17:31.30\00:17:33.24
because we've
testified of God that he raised
00:17:33.56\00:17:35.22
up Christ, whom he did
not raise up if in fact
00:17:35.25\00:17:38.03
the death do not rise.
For if the death do not
00:17:38.06\00:17:40.11
rise, then Christ is
not risen and if Christ is
00:17:40.14\00:17:42.51
not risen, your faith is
my, version says, futile.
00:17:42.54\00:17:47.86
Amen. Now, friends what
00:17:47.89\00:17:49.38
does the word futile
mean. It means worthless,
00:17:49.41\00:17:52.52
non meaningful,
groundless, even silly.
00:17:53.12\00:17:56.19
Notice that, if Christ
is not risen your faith is
00:17:57.09\00:18:00.67
silly. Your faith
is futile, groundless,
00:18:00.70\00:18:04.49
even ludicrous.
You're still in your
00:18:04.52\00:18:07.39
sins, then also those
who have fallen asleep in
00:18:07.85\00:18:10.61
Christ, that is a
metaphor for having died.
00:18:10.64\00:18:12.47
In Christ have
perish, if in this life only
00:18:13.01\00:18:16.16
we've hope in
Christ, we're of all men,
00:18:16.19\00:18:18.35
the most pitiable.
Do you understand from
00:18:18.38\00:18:22.95
both Jesus perspective
and Paul's perspective
00:18:22.98\00:18:25.53
that apart from
the actual historical,
00:18:25.91\00:18:28.39
physical, bodily
resurrection of Jesus,
00:18:28.64\00:18:30.34
the Christianity
dissolves and dissipates into
00:18:30.61\00:18:33.47
nothing else,
does that make sense,
00:18:33.50\00:18:34.76
yes or no? Amen. Yes.
00:18:34.79\00:18:35.95
What we're going to
try and do this evening
00:18:37.11\00:18:38.65
then is to establish
the actual historical
00:18:38.68\00:18:42.59
validity of the
resurrection. And we're
00:18:42.62\00:18:44.85
going to do that
by noting three firmly
00:18:44.88\00:18:47.71
established historical
facts. What kind of facts
00:18:47.74\00:18:51.04
did I say
everyone? Historical facts,
00:18:51.07\00:18:52.97
notice I didn't
say scriptural facts.
00:18:53.14\00:18:54.56
See that's too easy,
for a Christian to say,
00:18:55.44\00:18:57.25
well of course
Jesus rose from the death
00:18:57.28\00:18:58.68
because the Bible
says so. Friends, we're
00:18:58.71\00:19:00.97
actually asserting
what we're trying to prove.
00:19:01.00\00:19:03.17
How do we speak to
a skeptic, how do we
00:19:05.33\00:19:07.41
speak to somebody
who is not predisposed to
00:19:07.44\00:19:09.66
believe what you
and I believe tonight.
00:19:09.69\00:19:11.10
We can't say, well
the Bible says, that might
00:19:11.42\00:19:13.48
not be convincing,
in fact it won't be
00:19:13.51\00:19:15.04
convincing to
the hardened infidel.
00:19:15.07\00:19:17.11
What we want to do
tonight is look at three
00:19:18.53\00:19:20.41
historical facts
that firmly anchor the
00:19:20.44\00:19:23.85
resurrection of
Jesus Christ in history.
00:19:23.88\00:19:26.17
What are those three
facts, number one the
00:19:26.33\00:19:28.57
fact of the empty
tomb, the historical fact of
00:19:28.60\00:19:31.87
the empty tomb. Number two,
00:19:31.90\00:19:33.57
the historical fact
of post-resurrection
00:19:33.83\00:19:36.21
appearances of Jesus
of Nazareth, we're going
00:19:36.24\00:19:37.95
to go into each of
these in more detail.
00:19:39.38\00:19:40.41
And, number three,
the historical fact of
00:19:40.44\00:19:41.96
the origin and rise of
the Christian religion.
00:19:41.99\00:19:45.06
Do you understand
where we're headed,
00:19:45.32\00:19:46.64
yes or no? Yes.
00:19:46.67\00:19:47.70
The fact of the
empty tomb, the fact of the
00:19:47.73\00:19:49.56
post-resurrection
appearances and the fact
00:19:49.59\00:19:51.42
of the origin and rise
of the Christian religion.
00:19:51.45\00:19:53.35
Let's begin by
going to the empty tomb.
00:19:53.51\00:19:55.38
First of all note
that the burial of Jesus
00:19:56.26\00:19:58.33
supports the empty
tomb. The burial of Jesus
00:19:58.36\00:20:01.70
supports the empty
tomb. Why would that be?
00:20:01.73\00:20:04.07
Friends the tomb
location was known by both
00:20:04.62\00:20:07.25
Jews and gentiles,
is that true, yes or no?
00:20:07.43\00:20:10.88
Yes. Absolutely,
00:20:10.91\00:20:12.06
we'll comeback
to that in a moment.
00:20:12.09\00:20:13.17
The disciples could
not have preached the
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.69
resurrection
without the empty tomb,
00:20:15.72\00:20:17.79
is that true? To have
gone into Jerusalem and
00:20:18.22\00:20:20.48
began to preach Jesus
has risen from the dead;
00:20:20.51\00:20:23.06
Jesus has risen
from the dead without the
00:20:23.16\00:20:25.30
tomb being empty
would have been a
00:20:25.40\00:20:26.62
non-meaningful
statement. All that the
00:20:26.65\00:20:28.89
religious rulers of
that day would have to do
00:20:28.92\00:20:30.64
would go to exhume
the body, to remove the
00:20:30.67\00:20:33.54
body from the
tomb, hold up the body,
00:20:33.57\00:20:35.49
the cadaver of Jesus
and say if he's risen
00:20:35.52\00:20:37.41
from the dead, then
why do we have his dead
00:20:37.44\00:20:39.13
corpse here. Do you
understand that the, the,
00:20:39.28\00:20:43.23
the ability of the
disciples to preach the
00:20:43.26\00:20:45.55
resurrection,
necessitates that the
00:20:45.58\00:20:47.63
tomb was empty? Are
you understanding that,
00:20:47.66\00:20:49.35
yes or no? Yes.
00:20:49.38\00:20:50.41
Notice also our,
our final point here.
00:20:50.55\00:20:52.21
Scholars agree that the
burial is one of the best
00:20:52.24\00:20:55.39
attested two facts of
Jesus life. That is to say
00:20:55.42\00:20:59.11
when historical
scholars, what kind of scholars?
00:20:59.14\00:21:02.10
Historical. I
didn't say necessarily
00:21:02.67\00:21:04.18
Bible scholars or
theological scholars,
00:21:04.32\00:21:06.79
but historical
scholars. When they go and
00:21:06.85\00:21:09.20
evaluate the
evidence for the life of Jesus
00:21:09.41\00:21:12.00
that is to say the
historical evidence.
00:21:12.03\00:21:13.85
Sometimes the
internal Biblical evidence and
00:21:14.26\00:21:16.11
sometimes the
extra Biblical evidence.
00:21:16.14\00:21:17.82
They're try to say,
how much do we about the
00:21:18.29\00:21:20.46
historical Jesus, what
do we really know about
00:21:20.71\00:21:23.72
the historical Jesus
and many times they want
00:21:23.75\00:21:25.57
to ask questions
like this. How much do we
00:21:25.60\00:21:27.57
know about historical
Jesus that's not found
00:21:27.60\00:21:30.27
in the Bible?
Because they would say,
00:21:30.30\00:21:32.10
if they're predisposed
to disbelief. Well, of
00:21:32.13\00:21:34.18
course the Bible has
searched these about the
00:21:34.41\00:21:36.29
Jesus because the
Bible claims that he was the
00:21:36.32\00:21:38.10
son of God. So,
they go looking for extra
00:21:38.13\00:21:40.88
Biblical evidence,
what kind of evidence?
00:21:40.91\00:21:43.63
Extra Biblical. That means not,
00:21:43.66\00:21:45.34
not evidence that's
found in the Bible but
00:21:45.37\00:21:47.10
evidence outside of
the Bible. And, even these
00:21:47.13\00:21:50.01
scholars' secular
historians, secular
00:21:50.04\00:21:52.26
scholars affirm that
one of the best attested
00:21:52.29\00:21:55.13
two facts of Jesus
life is the fact that he
00:21:55.16\00:21:57.46
actually died and he
actually was buried in a
00:21:57.58\00:22:00.60
tomb. You with me so
far. So, that's point
00:22:00.63\00:22:03.53
number one. The
burial supports the empty
00:22:03.56\00:22:05.29
tomb. Now, notice
this, point number two.
00:22:05.32\00:22:08.05
Paul confirms the
empty tomb, we just read
00:22:08.39\00:22:11.34
that in the First
Corinthians chapter 5,
00:22:11.37\00:22:12.77
verse 1 to 8.
Remember I told you that were
00:22:12.80\00:22:14.28
the Gospel formula,
it was not original with
00:22:14.31\00:22:18.20
Paul. He is quoting
from an earlier source that
00:22:18.23\00:22:21.54
can be dated to
within five years of the
00:22:21.57\00:22:25.41
crucifixion event.
Okay, what year was Jesus
00:22:25.44\00:22:28.39
crucified in, do you
know? A.D. 31, when Paul
00:22:28.42\00:22:32.37
here was quoting
what we read in First
00:22:32.40\00:22:33.80
Corinthians chapter
15, he did not write those
00:22:33.83\00:22:36.20
words original with
himself. Most scholars
00:22:36.23\00:22:38.54
agree he was
quoting and existing Creedal
00:22:38.57\00:22:41.15
statements by
Christians that can be dated to
00:22:41.18\00:22:44.26
within five years
of the crucifixion.
00:22:44.29\00:22:47.07
In other words, right
up until about 36 A.D.
00:22:47.10\00:22:49.81
Now, any historian
will tell you that one of
00:22:50.85\00:22:53.07
the, the chiefest
criteria by which you
00:22:53.10\00:22:56.04
determine if something
is historically valid or
00:22:56.07\00:22:58.05
invalid is how close can you get
00:22:58.08\00:23:00.18
documentation to the
actual events that are
00:23:00.21\00:23:03.49
being documented.
Do you understand that,
00:23:03.52\00:23:05.68
yes or no? Amen.
00:23:05.71\00:23:06.74
Now, if you've
documentation that the
00:23:06.89\00:23:09.11
was empty within 6
years, five years of
00:23:09.14\00:23:13.71
Jesus actual burial,
the actual crucifixion
00:23:13.74\00:23:16.31
event for a historian.
This is remarkably quick
00:23:16.34\00:23:19.57
information. Are
you understanding that?
00:23:19.60\00:23:22.33
Yeah. Okay, great.
00:23:22.36\00:23:23.43
Now, notice also
Paul could confirms the
00:23:23.78\00:23:25.95
empty tomb, the
resurrection then,
00:23:25.98\00:23:28.00
this is the
importance was not a later
00:23:28.03\00:23:30.85
legendary
development, but something that
00:23:31.22\00:23:33.09
was rooted in early
Christianity. One of the
00:23:33.12\00:23:37.79
main charges that
is raised against the
00:23:37.82\00:23:40.07
resurrection of
Jesus. Is that it was a later
00:23:40.10\00:23:43.18
invention by the
church and maybe the third,
00:23:43.33\00:23:45.80
fourth, fifth, or even
sixth century. That is to
00:23:46.54\00:23:49.45
say, maybe the
disciples stole the body.
00:23:49.48\00:23:52.03
And, we'll talk
more about that in just a
00:23:52.06\00:23:53.33
moment or maybe
they've the wrong tomb and
00:23:53.36\00:23:55.94
in order to save face,
so they didn't look like a
00:23:55.97\00:23:58.56
bunch of fools
preaching the resurrection later
00:23:58.59\00:24:01.37
in the Christian
tradition, later in the
00:24:01.40\00:24:03.72
history of the
church, they invented the
00:24:03.75\00:24:06.09
resurrection. It
was a later legendary
00:24:06.12\00:24:08.79
development. But
friends, that cannot be
00:24:08.82\00:24:11.25
if we've the fact of
the empty tomb utterly
00:24:11.80\00:24:14.83
attested to within five
years of the crucifixion
00:24:14.86\00:24:18.37
event. There is no
time for a later legendary
00:24:18.40\00:24:21.36
development to have
transpired within five
00:24:21.39\00:24:23.67
years. By the
way, think about this.
00:24:23.70\00:24:25.68
Many of the very
people who had seen Jesus,
00:24:26.25\00:24:28.39
who had walked with
him, and talked with
00:24:28.70\00:24:29.99
him and seen him, go
about the hills of Galilee
00:24:30.02\00:24:32.67
and ancient Judea.
They would have been able
00:24:32.70\00:24:34.34
to call the bluff of
the disciples, they would
00:24:34.37\00:24:36.05
have said, no he
didn't rise from the dead,
00:24:36.08\00:24:37.81
here is his tomb.
Are you understanding,
00:24:38.00\00:24:40.76
yes or no? Very
powerful and notice also
00:24:40.79\00:24:43.83
number three. The
empty tomb story is from
00:24:44.13\00:24:47.91
pre-Markan source
material. Now, let me
00:24:47.94\00:24:50.20
kind of unpack that
for you. Most scholars
00:24:50.23\00:24:52.56
agree the Gospel of
Mark was based on an
00:24:52.78\00:24:55.87
earlier
document. On a what kind of
00:24:56.10\00:24:58.43
document. An earlier document.
00:24:58.46\00:24:59.49
An earlier
document, that sort of means a
00:24:59.60\00:25:01.12
pre-Markan
document. This source can be
00:25:01.15\00:25:04.54
dated again to
within five years of the
00:25:04.73\00:25:07.37
crucifixion. Therefore
the resurrection is not a
00:25:07.40\00:25:10.08
later development.
Now, the importance of
00:25:10.11\00:25:12.74
this simply cannot be
overstated, what we've
00:25:12.83\00:25:15.37
here is, is historical
attestation, historical
00:25:15.40\00:25:19.22
verification of the
empty tomb within five
00:25:19.25\00:25:22.10
years of the
actual crucifixion of it.
00:25:22.13\00:25:24.15
We're not talking
hundreds of years of
00:25:24.18\00:25:25.59
later or a thousand
years later, we've got
00:25:25.62\00:25:28.26
this attestation right
up next to the actual event
00:25:28.29\00:25:31.75
that is being
described. Are you with me now,
00:25:31.78\00:25:33.68
yes or no? Yes.
00:25:33.71\00:25:34.75
We'll continue go
impact the importance of
00:25:34.78\00:25:36.13
this. Notice also,
number four, Mark's
00:25:36.16\00:25:39.81
account, if you
read the account of Mark,
00:25:39.84\00:25:41.97
in fact we'll do
that in just a moment.
00:25:42.00\00:25:43.21
His resurrection
account is simple and lacks
00:25:43.31\00:25:46.43
legendary
development. Lets go read Mark's
00:25:46.46\00:25:48.91
account in Mark
chapter 15 in verse 42.
00:25:48.94\00:25:51.16
Mark chapter 15
and what verse are
00:25:52.44\00:25:55.67
we going to everyone? 42.
00:25:55.70\00:25:57.32
Verse 42. Now, again
let's read this, let's try
00:25:57.35\00:26:01.35
and read this in the
same way that a secular
00:26:01.38\00:26:03.36
historian might read
this story. Mark chapter
00:26:03.39\00:26:05.55
15 and verse 42.
Let, let's see how it's
00:26:05.58\00:26:08.15
sounds, how does it
roll off the tongue,
00:26:08.18\00:26:10.67
is it replete with
legendary embellishments.
00:26:10.70\00:26:14.42
Let's see, beginning
in verse 42. Now, when
00:26:14.80\00:26:17.68
evening had come
because it was the
00:26:17.71\00:26:19.23
Preparation Day,
that is the day before the
00:26:19.26\00:26:21.20
Sabbath. Joseph of
Arimathea, a prominent
00:26:21.23\00:26:24.03
Council member, who
was himself waiting for
00:26:24.24\00:26:25.77
the kingdom of
God, coming and taking
00:26:25.80\00:26:27.19
courage went into
Pilate and asked for the
00:26:27.22\00:26:29.62
body of Jesus. What
was the name of the man
00:26:29.65\00:26:31.21
that went and asked the body?
00:26:31.24\00:26:32.27
Joseph of
Arimathea. Joseph of Arimathea,
00:26:32.30\00:26:34.01
verse 44, Pilate
marveled that he was already
00:26:34.26\00:26:36.48
dead. And summoning
the centurion, he asked
00:26:36.51\00:26:38.63
him if he had
been dead for sometime.
00:26:38.66\00:26:40.32
Verse 45, so when
he found out from the
00:26:40.79\00:26:42.62
centurion, he
granted the body of Joseph,
00:26:42.65\00:26:44.52
then he bought fine
linen, took him down and
00:26:44.55\00:26:47.52
wrapped him in the
linen and laid him in a
00:26:47.55\00:26:49.18
tomb which had
been hewn out of rock.
00:26:49.21\00:26:50.82
And rolled a stone
against the door of the
00:26:50.85\00:26:52.38
tomb and Mary
Magdalene and Mary the
00:26:52.41\00:26:54.24
mother of Jesus
observed where he was laid.
00:26:54.27\00:26:57.52
That's a very simple
account of the burial
00:26:58.67\00:27:00.35
isn't it? There is not a
lot of legendary kinds of
00:27:00.38\00:27:04.29
details there.
Mark's account of the
00:27:04.32\00:27:07.01
resurrection is almost
austere. It, it, it lacks
00:27:07.04\00:27:10.77
any kind of embellishment
and bells and whistles.
00:27:10.80\00:27:15.08
Now, consider what
we just read and let me
00:27:15.82\00:27:17.96
contrast that for
you with a later forged
00:27:17.99\00:27:21.99
account of the
resurrection of Jesus.
00:27:22.02\00:27:24.48
This was taken from
the so called Gospel of
00:27:24.82\00:27:27.12
Peter, a forgery from
125 A.D, listen carefully,
00:27:27.15\00:27:31.26
the Markan account
is straight forward and
00:27:31.98\00:27:34.11
shows no sign of
legendary embellishment,
00:27:34.14\00:27:36.69
to appreciate this
fact all you've to do as
00:27:37.36\00:27:39.38
compare Mark's
account of the empty tomb
00:27:39.41\00:27:41.35
with the account found
in the so called Gospel
00:27:41.65\00:27:44.13
of Peter, a forgery
dated from around 125 AD.
00:27:44.16\00:27:47.80
In this account
the tomb is not only
00:27:48.80\00:27:50.33
surrounded by Roman
guards, but also all the
00:27:50.45\00:27:53.76
Jewish Pharisees and
elders as well as the
00:27:53.79\00:27:55.70
great multitude from
the surrounding country
00:27:55.73\00:27:57.49
side have come to
watch the resurrection.
00:27:57.52\00:28:00.45
Suddenly in the night
there rings out a loud
00:28:01.20\00:28:03.17
voice in heaven and
two men descend from
00:28:03.20\00:28:05.60
heaven to the tomb.
The stone over the door
00:28:06.07\00:28:08.44
rolls back by itself
and they go into the tomb
00:28:08.62\00:28:11.42
then three men come
out of the tomb, two of
00:28:11.72\00:28:13.69
them holding up the
third man. The heads of
00:28:13.72\00:28:16.01
two of them reach
up into the clouds,
00:28:16.28\00:28:18.01
but the head of the
third man reaches beyond
00:28:18.32\00:28:20.14
the clouds, then a
cross comes out of the tomb
00:28:20.17\00:28:23.62
and a voice from
heaven asks the cross,
00:28:23.99\00:28:25.89
have you preach to
them that sleep and the
00:28:26.31\00:28:28.67
cross answers, yes.
Does that sound like a
00:28:28.70\00:28:32.61
legend to you? Yes.
00:28:32.64\00:28:33.67
Sound like maybe
somebody threw in a few
00:28:34.05\00:28:35.48
theological details
that suited their fancy to
00:28:35.51\00:28:37.63
you. It sure does, it,
it, it reeks of legendary
00:28:37.66\00:28:41.57
development. Listen
to this one, in another
00:28:41.60\00:28:43.26
forgery called the
ascension of Isaiah.
00:28:43.29\00:28:45.33
Jesus comes out of
the tomb sitting on the
00:28:45.63\00:28:47.53
shoulders of
Michael and Gabriel.
00:28:47.56\00:28:49.94
Are you
understanding, yes or no?
00:28:51.79\00:28:52.82
Yes. Friends, listen what
00:28:52.85\00:28:54.25
happens when you
have significant amounts
00:28:54.28\00:28:56.47
of time between the
actual events described
00:28:56.50\00:28:59.35
and when the events
are recorded, you've
00:28:59.55\00:29:01.99
centuries or decades
sometimes even Millennia
00:29:02.47\00:29:06.25
for legends to
develop. Yet when Mark gives
00:29:06.60\00:29:10.70
us his account, when
Mark tells us how the
00:29:10.73\00:29:13.38
burial took place,
you don't have these kinds
00:29:13.84\00:29:15.94
of legendary
embellishments. He simply
00:29:15.97\00:29:17.55
says, a man by
the name of Joseph of
00:29:17.58\00:29:18.89
Arimathea, he want
to Pilate, and say can I
00:29:18.92\00:29:20.44
have the body,
they put him in there,
00:29:20.47\00:29:21.50
Mary was there,
Mary the mother of Jesus,
00:29:21.53\00:29:22.93
end of story. When
he's raised, he comes out,
00:29:23.14\00:29:26.21
it's, it's you know,
it's not sitting on the,
00:29:26.24\00:29:27.98
the shoulders of
Gabriel and Michael and no
00:29:28.01\00:29:31.05
cross comes walking
out of the tomb and no
00:29:31.29\00:29:33.30
great voices from
heaven friends, it's just
00:29:33.33\00:29:35.48
a simple accurate
historical account.
00:29:35.51\00:29:38.78
Friends, this is one of
the ways that historians
00:29:39.51\00:29:41.45
try to determine
historical authenticity.
00:29:41.48\00:29:43.45
If there looks to
be a lot of legendary
00:29:43.96\00:29:45.74
additions, a lot of
legendary embellishment,
00:29:46.06\00:29:48.12
they say well, well,
well we need to find the
00:29:48.15\00:29:50.48
truth, we need to, we
need to peel back these
00:29:50.51\00:29:53.12
layers of embellishment
to find out what the
00:29:53.15\00:29:54.92
real colonel of
truth is, but when we go to
00:29:54.95\00:29:57.03
Mark's account
it's plain, it's stark,
00:29:57.06\00:29:59.55
it's simple in
it's recorded details.
00:29:59.97\00:30:02.19
Do you
understand yes or no? Amen.
00:30:02.22\00:30:03.91
Very powerful. Now,
notice this number five.
00:30:04.22\00:30:07.13
It is doubtful to
Joseph of Arimathea,
00:30:07.68\00:30:10.01
a member of the
Sanhedrin and the man who
00:30:10.19\00:30:12.45
supplied the tomb,
would be invented by
00:30:12.48\00:30:14.29
early Christian
tradition. Why is that?
00:30:14.32\00:30:17.07
The Sanhedrin and
its 70 members were
00:30:17.65\00:30:19.34
well-known. The
Sanhedrin was the very
00:30:19.52\00:30:21.28
Council responsible
for unjustly sentencing
00:30:21.31\00:30:23.58
Jesus. His invention
then is highly unlikely
00:30:23.61\00:30:27.03
and this further
supports the empty tomb
00:30:27.06\00:30:28.55
story. In other words
why would the disciples
00:30:28.58\00:30:31.67
invent somebody
named Joseph of Arimathea,
00:30:31.70\00:30:34.23
if, if the, the
members of the Sanhedrin
00:30:34.66\00:30:37.27
Council were very
well-known in their day.
00:30:37.33\00:30:39.47
It would be like
inventing a cabinet
00:30:40.50\00:30:42.13
member for
Joseph or George Bush.
00:30:42.16\00:30:44.16
It would be like
saying George Bush's cabinet
00:30:44.72\00:30:46.42
member, John
Johnson. Anybody that lived
00:30:46.45\00:30:49.22
during that time,
we could say Umm! Umm!
00:30:49.25\00:30:50.97
Umm! George Bush
doesn't have a cabinet
00:30:51.00\00:30:53.42
member named
John Johnson. For the
00:30:53.45\00:30:55.72
disciples to have just
invented to just who pull
00:30:55.75\00:30:59.15
out of thin air, this
Joseph of Arimathea is
00:30:59.18\00:31:01.83
highly unlikely. In
fact the, the, this would
00:31:01.86\00:31:04.90
have been even a
point of embarrassment for
00:31:04.93\00:31:06.34
the disciples because
it was the Sanhedrin that
00:31:06.37\00:31:08.27
actually condemned
Jesus and why would
00:31:08.30\00:31:10.18
they make up
somebody who is part of the
00:31:10.21\00:31:11.86
actual condemnation
party to go and give the
00:31:11.89\00:31:14.40
tomb. Are you understanding now?
00:31:14.43\00:31:16.91
Amen. Very powerful.
00:31:16.94\00:31:18.45
So, a historian looks
at that, he says well,
00:31:18.72\00:31:19.92
well why would
Joseph of Arimathea have
00:31:19.95\00:31:21.71
been invented, if
it's unlikely that he was
00:31:21.74\00:31:24.11
invented then it
becomes increasingly likeful,
00:31:24.14\00:31:26.18
likely that he
actually was a person,
00:31:26.21\00:31:28.59
an individual
that donated the tomb.
00:31:28.62\00:31:30.43
Notice also now,
number six, the tomb was
00:31:31.40\00:31:33.85
discovered empty by,
what is that word there?
00:31:33.88\00:31:36.03
Women. By women, ladies,
00:31:36.06\00:31:37.66
you're going to have
to forgive me for this.
00:31:37.69\00:31:39.29
Women could not
serve as legal witnesses in
00:31:41.20\00:31:44.44
first century, in
the first century Jewish
00:31:44.47\00:31:46.96
economy. Do you understand the
00:31:46.99\00:31:48.73
significance of that?
In fact I actually have,
00:31:48.76\00:31:50.93
have references that
I can show you that if a
00:31:50.96\00:31:53.20
man had murdered
somebody in plain day
00:31:53.23\00:31:55.68
light, and it was
witness by say six women.
00:31:55.71\00:31:59.17
This is in first
century Judaism; the man could
00:31:59.47\00:32:02.07
not be taken to court
because the testimony of
00:32:02.20\00:32:04.17
women was so totally unreliable.
00:32:04.20\00:32:05.98
Amen. I try to tell my wife
00:32:06.01\00:32:07.90
about this, but she
doesn't quite buy into it.
00:32:07.93\00:32:09.52
Amen. She says, you know,
00:32:09.55\00:32:11.05
sweetie I saw you do
that and so. She says,
00:32:11.08\00:32:12.31
no, no, your
testimony is unreliable
00:32:12.34\00:32:14.06
sweetheart. Now, the
point here is just this.
00:32:14.09\00:32:17.38
Number two; women
occupied a low rung on
00:32:17.84\00:32:20.39
the social ladder.
You say well I don't
00:32:20.42\00:32:21.74
understand, what's
the big deal? Why does it
00:32:21.77\00:32:23.25
matter that women
couldn't service legal
00:32:23.28\00:32:24.84
witnesses in
first century Palestine?
00:32:24.87\00:32:26.98
And, why does it
matter that in those times,
00:32:27.01\00:32:28.94
they occupied a
low rung on the social
00:32:28.97\00:32:30.35
ladder. By the
way, just a word here,
00:32:30.38\00:32:31.74
if you go to read
the Gospel accounts,
00:32:32.16\00:32:33.43
you find Jesus
dignifying and ennobling
00:32:33.46\00:32:36.84
women and restoring
them to their rightful
00:32:36.87\00:32:39.17
place. Not as sub-ordinance,
00:32:39.20\00:32:40.96
not as inferior, but
its actual participants
00:32:40.99\00:32:44.17
in his ministry, amen. Amen.
00:32:44.20\00:32:46.66
In fact many
scholars have remark that,
00:32:46.81\00:32:48.78
that is one of the,
the hallmarks of Jesus
00:32:48.81\00:32:50.88
ministry. The
egalitarian spirit with which he
00:32:50.91\00:32:53.74
treated both men and
women. He treated them
00:32:53.77\00:32:55.92
equally. Can you
say amen to that? Amen.
00:32:55.95\00:32:58.37
Now, notice
this. A later legendary
00:32:58.40\00:33:01.90
development of the
empty tomb accounts
00:33:01.93\00:33:03.95
surely would have
had men, probably the
00:33:04.69\00:33:07.13
disciples,
discover the tomb. Do you
00:33:07.16\00:33:10.02
understand the
significance of that,
00:33:10.05\00:33:11.33
yes or no? Maybe this
is the best way to put it.
00:33:11.36\00:33:13.99
If the disciples
made the story up, if the
00:33:14.02\00:33:17.50
whole thing was,
was a later legendary
00:33:17.64\00:33:19.85
development and
embellishment then surely
00:33:19.88\00:33:22.25
they would have had a
man discover the tomb.
00:33:22.28\00:33:24.42
After all, it was
almost the point of
00:33:24.70\00:33:26.63
embarrassment for
the early church that the
00:33:26.90\00:33:28.88
women were the ones,
who discover the tomb.
00:33:29.05\00:33:30.86
They would have
nicely, neatly erased that out
00:33:31.18\00:33:34.08
of history and they
would have said it was
00:33:34.11\00:33:35.79
Peter who
discovered the tomb. Some man
00:33:36.05\00:33:38.48
probably the disciples.
The fact that it comes
00:33:38.69\00:33:41.15
down to you and I
2000 years later and its
00:33:41.18\00:33:43.78
stands firm that
it was the women who
00:33:43.81\00:33:45.80
discover the
tomb. This is a point of
00:33:45.83\00:33:47.93
potential embarrassment
for the early church and
00:33:47.96\00:33:49.99
the secular historian
looks at that and says,
00:33:50.02\00:33:51.86
well Umm! If they
made the whole thing up,
00:33:51.89\00:33:53.74
they wouldn't
have made it that way.
00:33:53.77\00:33:55.35
Do you understand
the point, yes or no?
00:33:57.19\00:33:58.49
Amen. Very powerful.
00:33:58.52\00:33:59.72
Remember brothers
and sisters, we're not
00:33:59.75\00:34:01.33
just going through
the word of God and I'm
00:34:01.36\00:34:02.49
saying, well Jesus
was raised from the death
00:34:02.52\00:34:04.17
because the Bible
says so. What we're trying
00:34:04.20\00:34:06.85
to look at tonight is,
is there other evidence,
00:34:06.88\00:34:09.55
how would a secular
non-committed historian
00:34:09.77\00:34:12.69
evaluate the evidence
for the historicity of
00:34:13.10\00:34:15.43
Jesus resurrection and
we're beginning to find
00:34:15.46\00:34:17.47
that it's very
potent and powerful, amen.
00:34:17.50\00:34:20.47
Amen. Now, notice also
00:34:20.50\00:34:22.19
number seven.
We're gonna look at eight
00:34:22.22\00:34:23.89
points here and
this is number seven.
00:34:23.92\00:34:25.29
The disciples could
not have preached the
00:34:25.94\00:34:27.48
resurrection had
the tomb not been empty.
00:34:27.51\00:34:30.02
Notice this, that the
Christian belief about
00:34:30.63\00:34:32.68
the resurrection of
Jesus began, not in some
00:34:32.71\00:34:35.80
distant city far off
in Asia minor, but in
00:34:35.94\00:34:39.25
Jerusalem, the very
city where he had been
00:34:39.38\00:34:41.89
crucified and
buried as significant.
00:34:41.92\00:34:43.75
This is where the
empty tomb would have
00:34:44.30\00:34:45.64
been easiest to
disprove were the story untrue.
00:34:45.67\00:34:48.61
Do you understand
the significance of this,
00:34:49.34\00:34:50.69
yes or no. Amen.
00:34:50.72\00:34:52.09
Friends, think about
that for just a moment.
00:34:52.28\00:34:53.58
It's not that the story
of the resurrection began
00:34:53.87\00:34:56.02
at all. One of the
chiefest significance
00:34:56.05\00:34:58.22
of this, is that it
began right in Jerusalem,
00:34:58.70\00:35:01.37
the very place
where it would have been
00:35:01.40\00:35:02.72
easiest to disprove
that he hadn't in fact raised
00:35:02.75\00:35:05.29
from the dead. Again,
all the religious leaders
00:35:05.32\00:35:07.19
had to do, to scorch
the enthusiasm of the
00:35:07.22\00:35:10.00
early church would be
go and exhume the body.
00:35:10.03\00:35:11.90
Amen. Just pull the body out
00:35:11.93\00:35:13.34
of the tomb, parade
it before everybody in
00:35:13.37\00:35:14.89
Jerusalem. And
Peter's Pentecost sermon
00:35:14.92\00:35:16.74
would have looked
like a whole bunch of
00:35:16.77\00:35:17.89
foolishness and
silliness because there is the
00:35:17.92\00:35:19.30
body. Are you
understanding, yes or no?
00:35:19.33\00:35:22.44
It would have been
so much easier to say,
00:35:22.58\00:35:24.00
he, he is back,
he raised in Corinth.
00:35:24.03\00:35:26.99
He is back, he raise
in Galicia. No, no, no
00:35:28.25\00:35:31.47
friends it happen right
in the very heart of the
00:35:31.50\00:35:34.19
place where Jesus
ministry centered,
00:35:34.22\00:35:36.00
right in Jerusalem.
And, point number eight
00:35:36.03\00:35:38.37
is the most potent of
all. The earliest Jewish
00:35:38.40\00:35:42.00
propaganda, follow
this very carefully.
00:35:42.19\00:35:44.62
The earliest Jewish
propaganda against the
00:35:45.26\00:35:48.58
disciples
pre-supposes the empty tomb.
00:35:48.61\00:35:52.25
Go with me to
Matthew chapter 28 in verse
00:35:52.65\00:35:54.08
11. Matthew chapter
28, and what verse are
00:35:54.11\00:35:57.21
we going to everyone? 11.
00:35:57.24\00:35:58.84
Matthew 28 in verse
11. And notice this,
00:35:59.13\00:36:02.71
Gospel of Matthew
written shortly before or
00:36:04.28\00:36:06.31
shortly after 70 A.D.
And notice what it says
00:36:06.34\00:36:09.03
here. In Matthew
chapter 28 beginning in
00:36:09.06\00:36:11.52
verse 11 it says,
now while they were going
00:36:11.72\00:36:14.37
behold some of the
guards came into the city
00:36:14.53\00:36:16.55
and reported to the
chief priests all the
00:36:16.58\00:36:17.98
things that had
happened. What was it that had
00:36:18.01\00:36:19.39
happened? The
resurrection of Jesus had
00:36:19.42\00:36:21.24
happened. Verse 2,
when they had assembled
00:36:21.27\00:36:23.58
with the elders
and consulted together,
00:36:23.61\00:36:25.11
they gave a large
sum of money to the
00:36:25.14\00:36:27.06
soldiers. Verse 13,
saying telling them,
00:36:27.22\00:36:30.06
his disciples came at
night and stole him away
00:36:30.16\00:36:33.46
while we slept.
What do they want them to
00:36:33.49\00:36:35.76
say, who took
the body? Disciples.
00:36:35.79\00:36:38.43
The disciples took
the body and now notice
00:36:38.49\00:36:39.96
verse 14, And if this
comes to the governor's
00:36:39.99\00:36:42.52
ears, we will
appease him and make you
00:36:42.55\00:36:44.51
secure. Verse 15, so
they took the money and
00:36:44.54\00:36:47.87
did as they were
instructed. And the last
00:36:47.90\00:36:49.67
part of verse 15 is
the most important part,
00:36:49.70\00:36:52.08
please hold in on
that, it says, and this is
00:36:52.21\00:36:54.11
saying is commonly
reported among the Jews
00:36:54.14\00:36:56.16
until this day.
Now, now when was Jesus
00:36:56.19\00:36:59.93
crucified tell
me again. 31 A.D..
00:36:59.96\00:37:01.66
31 A.D and let's
just pretend that Matthew
00:37:01.79\00:37:04.46
wrote his Gospel
just before 70 A.D.
00:37:04.49\00:37:06.45
Let say, he wrote in
68 A.D, that's 37 years
00:37:06.71\00:37:10.21
later and when
Matthew sits down to write his
00:37:10.24\00:37:12.32
Gospel. He says, the
same thing that they're
00:37:12.35\00:37:14.61
still saying about
why the tomb is empty,
00:37:14.64\00:37:16.89
is that the
disciples stole the body.
00:37:16.92\00:37:19.06
Now, think about that,
think about that for just
00:37:20.21\00:37:22.09
a second. The
earliest Jewish propaganda
00:37:22.12\00:37:25.95
against the
resurrection was not that the
00:37:25.98\00:37:28.16
disciples were
drunk with new wine.
00:37:28.19\00:37:30.02
It wasn't that
the disciples were,
00:37:30.79\00:37:32.06
were crazy or that
they lost their minds.
00:37:32.09\00:37:34.26
The, the earliest
propaganda and polemic
00:37:34.55\00:37:37.09
against the
disciples preaching at the
00:37:37.12\00:37:38.37
resurrection was that
they had stolen the body.
00:37:38.40\00:37:42.23
Amen. The very fact that
00:37:42.26\00:37:44.06
they said, the
body had been stolen
00:37:44.09\00:37:45.63
pre-supposes that
the tomb was empty.
00:37:45.66\00:37:49.79
Do you understand
the significance of that,
00:37:51.40\00:37:52.56
yes or no? Amen, yes.
00:37:52.59\00:37:53.90
Friends think about
that. Now, one of the,
00:37:53.93\00:37:57.05
I mean this is not the
disciples saying the tomb
00:37:57.33\00:37:59.37
is empty that's easy.
If the disciples had made
00:37:59.40\00:38:01.85
the whole thing up
you would expect them to
00:38:01.88\00:38:03.33
say that the tomb
was empty, but here the
00:38:03.36\00:38:05.15
enemies of Jesus.
They obviously had gone to
00:38:05.18\00:38:07.25
the tomb and said,
it's empty we've to come up
00:38:07.28\00:38:10.69
with a way to
explain the empty tomb.
00:38:10.72\00:38:14.40
Friends, even up to
40 years after the event.
00:38:15.36\00:38:17.73
Even up to 40 years
and actually beyond that
00:38:18.34\00:38:20.05
because this is still
commonly reported among
00:38:20.08\00:38:21.74
the Jewish authorities
today, it must have been
00:38:21.77\00:38:23.23
the disciples that
stole the body, but this
00:38:23.26\00:38:25.41
pre-supposes that
the tomb was empty.
00:38:25.87\00:38:29.08
Amen. So, number one,
00:38:29.11\00:38:31.29
the historical
fact of the empty tomb.
00:38:31.82\00:38:34.95
The historical
fact of the empty tomb.
00:38:35.00\00:38:36.72
These eight lines
of evidence establish
00:38:36.75\00:38:38.76
solidly the historical
fact of the empty tomb,
00:38:38.79\00:38:41.73
amen. Amen. And, that's only one
00:38:41.76\00:38:43.57
out of three. But as a
secular historian we've
00:38:43.60\00:38:46.65
to ask ourselves a
question. Is the tomb
00:38:46.68\00:38:48.89
empty? Now, if that
tomb is empty, we've got
00:38:48.92\00:38:51.03
to explain it. And,
there have been four
00:38:51.06\00:38:53.99
explanations that
have been advanced as to
00:38:54.50\00:38:56.25
why that tomb was
empty. The conspiracy
00:38:56.28\00:38:58.77
theory, that is to say
the disciples stole the
00:38:58.80\00:39:01.65
body. Well, the
conspiracy theory is,
00:39:01.68\00:39:03.71
is unacceptable
because it's morally
00:39:04.08\00:39:05.92
implausible. First of
all, it does not take into
00:39:05.95\00:39:08.68
account that the
disciples were many
00:39:08.71\00:39:10.62
things but they
were not deceivers and
00:39:10.65\00:39:12.62
charlatans, amen. Amen.
00:39:12.65\00:39:14.90
Number two, it's not
psychologically plausible
00:39:15.08\00:39:17.59
either, think about
the condition of the
00:39:17.62\00:39:19.61
disciples after
Jesus had been crucified,
00:39:19.64\00:39:22.36
were they keen
minded, were they ready to go
00:39:22.39\00:39:24.94
and invent some large
scheme and hide bodies
00:39:24.97\00:39:27.28
and cover their
tracks. What kind of condition
00:39:27.31\00:39:29.25
where they in
after the crucifixion?
00:39:29.28\00:39:30.53
They were broken
men, weren't they?
00:39:30.56\00:39:33.04
Read Luke chapter
24, they're so broken,
00:39:33.52\00:39:35.31
they don't even recognize Jesus.
00:39:35.34\00:39:36.99
So, it's not
psychologically plausible
00:39:37.19\00:39:38.79
that in the midst
of their sadness and
00:39:38.82\00:39:40.43
depression they
invent this concocted scheme.
00:39:40.46\00:39:43.15
First of all and last
of all, it cannot account
00:39:43.45\00:39:45.40
for the sincerity of
the disciples, if the
00:39:45.43\00:39:48.40
disciples knew that
they had taken and hidden
00:39:48.43\00:39:50.38
the body, think
about this, ten of the 12
00:39:50.41\00:39:52.52
disciples died a
martyrs' death. What kind of a
00:39:52.55\00:39:55.45
death? Martyrs death.
00:39:55.48\00:39:56.59
Oh! Imagine that,
here you're one of the
00:39:56.62\00:39:58.18
disciples. You know
that you hid the body.
00:39:58.21\00:39:59.80
You know, the
whole thing is a farce,
00:40:00.79\00:40:02.20
you hid the body and
here you are somewhere
00:40:02.23\00:40:04.30
in Asia minor,
maybe in Jerusalem or Rome
00:40:05.03\00:40:07.55
and your head is on
the block, you know the
00:40:07.83\00:40:09.17
whole the thing is a
farce. And your head is
00:40:09.20\00:40:10.81
on the block and
there goes the executioner
00:40:10.84\00:40:12.89
and all you've to
say is, we made it up,
00:40:12.98\00:40:15.33
whole thing's a
joke. And you would have
00:40:16.36\00:40:17.68
been instantaneously
released. Friends, you
00:40:17.71\00:40:19.45
couldn't even get one
person to die for what he
00:40:19.48\00:40:21.29
or she knew was a
lie. Much less ten of them,
00:40:21.32\00:40:24.13
amen. Amen.
00:40:25.20\00:40:26.37
Powerful brothers
and sisters. Now, what
00:40:26.76\00:40:28.12
about this idea of
the apparent death theory.
00:40:28.15\00:40:29.90
This is unacceptable
because first of all it's
00:40:30.25\00:40:32.07
not physically plausible.
Just go read the Gospel
00:40:32.10\00:40:34.77
accounts, look at
the, the, the whipping that
00:40:34.80\00:40:37.65
Jesus endured. He
hadn't eaten; he had been
00:40:37.68\00:40:39.64
up all night. The
crucifixion, it is
00:40:39.67\00:40:41.77
implausible that
Jesus went into the tomb and
00:40:41.80\00:40:44.36
suddenly revived.
This is one of the,
00:40:44.39\00:40:45.98
the explanations. He
only appeared to have
00:40:46.01\00:40:48.87
died. In fact, this is
what some of our friends
00:40:48.90\00:40:50.39
in the Muslim
world say, oh! He only
00:40:50.42\00:40:52.10
appeared to have
died. It's not physically
00:40:52.13\00:40:54.07
plausible. In fact,
the journal of the American
00:40:54.10\00:40:55.69
Medical Association
published an article
00:40:55.72\00:40:58.00
about 12 years ago,
in which they, they went
00:40:58.03\00:41:00.16
through and they
point-by-point they
00:41:00.19\00:41:01.95
delineated the
sufferings and the, and the,
00:41:01.98\00:41:04.26
the violence that
Jesus would have undergone
00:41:04.73\00:41:06.93
and they said there
is no question that he
00:41:06.96\00:41:08.74
would have died
even in the very early
00:41:08.77\00:41:11.14
moments of the
crucifixion and that's
00:41:11.17\00:41:12.65
why he was taken down
and he didn't have his
00:41:12.68\00:41:14.17
legs broken. He
was already dead, amen.
00:41:14.20\00:41:17.77
Amen. So, it's not plausible.
00:41:17.80\00:41:19.51
Also it's not religiously
]plausible, think about
00:41:19.79\00:41:21.82
this. If Jesus really
had after all of those
00:41:21.85\00:41:25.13
whippings, after the
crucifixion, after the
00:41:25.16\00:41:27.29
spear piercing his
side. If he had gone into the
00:41:27.32\00:41:30.26
tomb and some of
these liberal scholars say,
00:41:30.29\00:41:32.36
oh! The coolness
of the tomb would have
00:41:32.80\00:41:34.16
resuscitated his
body. Now, think about this.
00:41:34.19\00:41:36.13
This is the picture
you have in your mind.
00:41:36.18\00:41:37.23
Not of a glorified,
beautiful, resurrected
00:41:37.53\00:41:40.46
glorious body of
Jesus. That's not what you
00:41:40.49\00:41:43.08
would have friends,
you would have a Jesus,
00:41:43.11\00:41:44.71
who is bloodied and
beaten and hurt, I have
00:41:44.74\00:41:47.56
risen from the dead
disciples. Would that have
00:41:47.59\00:41:49.94
elicited worship, yes or no? No.
00:41:49.97\00:41:52.40
Hardly friends,
hardly it's, it's totally
00:41:52.65\00:41:55.33
unacceptable to say
that he had apparently
00:41:55.51\00:41:58.81
died. Also it's not
biographically plausible;
00:41:58.84\00:42:00.72
Jesus was not a
deceiver, amen. Amen.
00:42:00.75\00:42:05.28
I mean historically
the things that we know
00:42:05.40\00:42:07.01
about Jesus indicate
many things, but most
00:42:07.04\00:42:09.94
people even as we
discussed last night,
00:42:09.97\00:42:11.46
even skeptics affirm
that Jesus was of the
00:42:11.49\00:42:13.76
highest moral
character of the highest moral
00:42:13.79\00:42:16.92
rectitude. So, to
say that he would have
00:42:16.95\00:42:18.51
deceived the
disciples about this most
00:42:18.54\00:42:20.29
important element is
ridicules. It does not
00:42:20.32\00:42:22.83
take into account,
the evidence of the
00:42:22.86\00:42:24.21
character of Jesus.
Number three, the wrong
00:42:24.24\00:42:26.12
tomb theory, this
thing is totally unacceptable
00:42:26.15\00:42:28.15
because it's says,
when the ladies went,
00:42:28.44\00:42:30.02
they went to the
wrong tomb. And, lo and
00:42:30.05\00:42:32.69
behold they went
to an empty tomb, when
00:42:32.72\00:42:34.52
they went back and
said to the disciples
00:42:34.55\00:42:35.82
Jesus is risen. Well
all they would have to do
00:42:35.85\00:42:37.78
is go, hey, Joseph
of Arimathea the tomb is
00:42:37.81\00:42:40.14
empty, and he was
the owner of the tomb.
00:42:40.17\00:42:42.09
You think, he knew where it was.
00:42:42.12\00:42:43.46
Yeah. Amen. Amen.
So, later inspection
00:42:43.49\00:42:46.17
would have revealed.
No, no, no you ladies
00:42:46.20\00:42:47.49
said wrong, you went
to tomb A it's really
00:42:47.52\00:42:49.27
tomb B. And, last
but not least the mass
00:42:49.30\00:42:52.55
hallucination theory.
And, this has been the
00:42:52.58\00:42:54.59
concoction of many
you know, more recent
00:42:54.62\00:42:56.77
liberal scholars
because friends they cannot
00:42:56.80\00:42:59.31
allow the resurrection
to be true. Because if
00:42:59.34\00:43:02.45
the resurrection is
true Jesus is who he claim
00:43:02.48\00:43:04.74
to be, the divine son
of God and so they say.
00:43:04.77\00:43:06.55
Well, you know,
the disciples mass
00:43:06.98\00:43:08.45
hallucinated the
resurrection, but this is
00:43:08.68\00:43:10.42
unacceptable for
several reasons. First of all,
00:43:10.45\00:43:12.48
is there any medical
documentation of, of such
00:43:12.71\00:43:14.87
a thing as a mass
hallucination that has
00:43:14.90\00:43:16.71
this kind of
explanatory scope, the answer is
00:43:16.74\00:43:19.08
no. Second of all,
Jesus didn't appear just once
00:43:19.11\00:43:22.00
remember what Paul
said, he appeared to
00:43:22.56\00:43:24.08
Peter and he
appeared to James and he
00:43:24.11\00:43:25.45
appeared to the
twelve, and he appeared to all
00:43:25.48\00:43:26.71
the Apostles and to
the 500. You not only
00:43:26.74\00:43:29.09
have-to-have mass
hallucinations, you've to
00:43:29.14\00:43:31.13
have multiple mass
hallucinations, but here is
00:43:31.16\00:43:33.40
the kicker. Even they
had hallucinated that he
00:43:33.43\00:43:36.36
was risen from the
death when you went to the
00:43:36.39\00:43:38.06
actual tomb, what
would have been in there?
00:43:38.09\00:43:40.40
The body of Jesus. So,
friends what happens is
00:43:41.24\00:43:43.77
these secular historian,
they look at this and say
00:43:43.80\00:43:45.48
umm! We've to try
and explain the empty
00:43:45.51\00:43:48.20
tomb and so they put
forth these theories that
00:43:48.23\00:43:50.11
lack explanatory
scope. Notice this incredible
00:43:50.14\00:43:52.65
quotation form J.P
Moreland. The disciples
00:43:52.68\00:43:55.05
had nothing to gain
by lying and starting a
00:43:55.08\00:43:57.28
new religion. They
faced hardship, ridicule,
00:43:57.31\00:44:00.01
hostility, and martyr's
deaths. In light of this,
00:44:00.04\00:44:03.01
they could have
never sustained such an
00:44:03.04\00:44:04.51
wavering motivation.
If they knew what they
00:44:04.79\00:44:06.99
were preaching was a
lie. The disciples were
00:44:07.02\00:44:09.57
not fools and
Paul was a cool-headed
00:44:09.60\00:44:11.92
intellectual of the
first rank. There would have
00:44:11.95\00:44:14.80
been several
opportunities over three
00:44:14.83\00:44:17.04
to four decades of
ministry to reconsider
00:44:17.07\00:44:19.45
and renounce the
lie. Do you see what he is
00:44:19.48\00:44:21.44
saying? They
would have had adequate
00:44:21.47\00:44:23.53
opportunity to have
decided well you know
00:44:23.56\00:44:25.53
we made the whole
thing up and to have gone
00:44:25.56\00:44:27.40
back and have to
recant it. So, we've looked at
00:44:27.43\00:44:29.85
the fact of the
empty tomb, none of these
00:44:29.88\00:44:32.13
other explanations.
Now, let's look at the
00:44:32.16\00:44:34.08
resurrection
appearances. Let's note Paul's
00:44:34.11\00:44:36.83
testimony. We
already read it in First
00:44:36.86\00:44:38.54
Corinthians
chapter 15 in verses 1-8.
00:44:38.57\00:44:41.44
Paul says, that he
appear to Peter, to who
00:44:41.47\00:44:43.83
everyone? Peter.
00:44:43.86\00:44:44.93
Peter was a
contemporary of Paul's. Could
00:44:45.14\00:44:47.72
Paul have asked Peter
if Jesus had appeared to
00:44:47.75\00:44:49.97
him, yes or no? Yes.
00:44:50.00\00:44:51.32
Absolutely, it says
he also appeared to the
00:44:51.35\00:44:53.42
twelve and to the
500. And, do you remember
00:44:53.45\00:44:55.80
that important point
that Paul made when he
00:44:55.83\00:44:57.37
said, he appeared to
the 500, what did he say?
00:44:57.40\00:44:59.50
He said the
majority of whom are what?
00:45:00.70\00:45:02.84
Still alive. Still a live.
00:45:02.87\00:45:05.88
Now, why would Paul
say, that the majority of
00:45:06.59\00:45:08.18
whom are what still
alive. If he wasn't actually
00:45:08.21\00:45:10.71
saying, if you
don't believe in the
00:45:10.74\00:45:12.35
resurrection, go ask
to the people who would
00:45:12.38\00:45:14.24
seen it. Yup.
00:45:14.27\00:45:15.78
Now, think if there
was nobody who had seen
00:45:16.24\00:45:17.63
and this would be a
ridicules thing for Paul
00:45:17.66\00:45:19.12
say. Because
somebody could have gone
00:45:19.15\00:45:20.63
around like Luke
did. Luke says, in the
00:45:20.66\00:45:22.20
opening part of his
Gospel, he went to talk to
00:45:22.23\00:45:24.37
the eyewitnesses, if
they were no eyewitnesses
00:45:24.40\00:45:26.74
then Paul's claim that
there we're eyewitnesses
00:45:26.77\00:45:28.56
would have been a
silly claim. Are you with
00:45:28.59\00:45:30.46
me, yes or no? Yes.
00:45:30.49\00:45:31.84
So, also he appeared
to all the Apostles and
00:45:32.01\00:45:33.77
Paul says last of all
he appeared to himself,
00:45:33.80\00:45:36.86
that is to say is
one born out of due time.
00:45:36.89\00:45:38.64
Number two, the
Gospel accounts are reliable.
00:45:39.50\00:45:41.54
First of all
because there is no time for
00:45:41.86\00:45:43.50
legendary
development. Even the latest
00:45:43.53\00:45:45.87
Gospel, most scholars
agree that John was the
00:45:45.97\00:45:47.96
last of the gospels
written that's not a,
00:45:47.99\00:45:49.95
a perfect consensus,
it's, but it's a large
00:45:49.98\00:45:52.07
consensus. Even that
was written in probably
00:45:52.10\00:45:54.29
the late 80s or the
early 90s. So, you're dealing
00:45:54.56\00:45:57.44
with at the very most
in the Gospel of John,
00:45:57.47\00:46:00.06
60 years, 70 years to
invent all of these great
00:46:00.09\00:46:03.76
stories, but in the
case of the Gospel of Mark,
00:46:03.79\00:46:05.86
some of that material
can be dated within five
00:46:05.89\00:46:07.89
years. There is just
no time for legends to
00:46:07.92\00:46:10.40
develop. In fact many
historians indicate that
00:46:10.43\00:46:12.66
it takes a hundred
or two hundred years for
00:46:12.69\00:46:15.75
legends to really get
rolling and there is just
00:46:15.97\00:46:18.54
no time for it. Also,
we will talk more about
00:46:18.57\00:46:21.94
the, the powerful
evidence of the Bible
00:46:21.97\00:46:25.24
tomorrow. And, this
idea of dissimilarity,
00:46:25.27\00:46:27.94
rules out
collusion. What do you mean by
00:46:28.25\00:46:29.97
that? Have you ever
heard somebody say that
00:46:30.00\00:46:33.25
the gospels are
contradictory, have you
00:46:33.28\00:46:35.40
ever heard anybody
ask you that question.
00:46:35.43\00:46:36.61
They says, well why
does, why does Matthew
00:46:36.64\00:46:38.30
say this and Mark
say this? Why does John
00:46:38.33\00:46:40.45
say this and Luke
says this. Have you ever
00:46:40.48\00:46:42.39
heard anybody
say that, yes or no?
00:46:42.42\00:46:43.74
Yes. Friends listen very
00:46:43.77\00:46:44.80
carefully. The fact
that the gospels are in some
00:46:44.83\00:46:48.15
points dissimilar
does not prove that they're
00:46:48.18\00:46:50.71
contradictory, it
actually proves that
00:46:50.74\00:46:52.63
they're
complementary and what it proves
00:46:52.66\00:46:54.59
beyond that is that
the disciples didn't get
00:46:54.67\00:46:56.28
together and make
the whole thing up.
00:46:56.31\00:46:57.39
Amen. Think about it at this
00:46:57.42\00:46:59.29
way, lets say there is,
somebody is stationed in
00:46:59.32\00:47:00.81
that corner, and
somebody on that corner and
00:47:00.84\00:47:02.23
somebody in this
corner. And, we all watch a
00:47:02.26\00:47:04.11
car accident. Now,
you write down your
00:47:04.27\00:47:07.09
account of the car
accident. Are you going
00:47:07.12\00:47:08.97
to see things from a
different perspective if
00:47:09.00\00:47:10.54
you're standing on
that corner then the person
00:47:10.57\00:47:11.93
who is sitting on
this corner, yes or no?
00:47:11.96\00:47:13.20
Amen. Absolutely,
00:47:13.23\00:47:14.46
now if you've all
written down what is true,
00:47:14.74\00:47:17.28
will your accounts to
be perfectly identical?
00:47:17.75\00:47:19.81
Will they will be complementary?
00:47:20.93\00:47:22.30
Yes. Yes, and friends the
00:47:22.33\00:47:24.21
Gospel accounts
show that there is enough
00:47:24.24\00:47:26.81
dissimilarity to
say, hey they weren't all
00:47:26.84\00:47:29.25
getting together
and saying let's make
00:47:29.28\00:47:30.46
something up, but
there is enough sameness to
00:47:30.49\00:47:32.79
show that they were
writing about the same
00:47:32.92\00:47:34.74
Jesus, doing the
same things, speaking the
00:47:34.77\00:47:36.86
same words. Friends,
this is one of the most
00:47:36.89\00:47:38.91
powerful evidences
that the Bible is inspired.
00:47:38.94\00:47:42.42
Amen. Somebody
should has said amen.
00:47:42.45\00:47:44.74
Amen. Amen. Okay,
00:47:44.92\00:47:46.92
number three,
the physical bodily
00:47:47.17\00:47:48.31
appearances that was
Paul's whole point in
00:47:48.51\00:47:50.72
First Corinthians 15,
that we rise bodily from
00:47:50.75\00:47:53.38
the death. All of
the Gospel appearance of
00:47:53.41\00:47:55.81
Jesus, the resurrection
appearances are bodily
00:47:55.84\00:47:57.82
appearances. This undermines the
00:47:57.85\00:47:59.51
hallucination
theory because one Doubting
00:47:59.54\00:48:01.81
Thomas is actually put
his hands into the side.
00:48:01.84\00:48:04.12
How you're gonna put
your hands into the side
00:48:04.44\00:48:05.97
and touch a
hallucination, amen. Amen.
00:48:06.00\00:48:08.85
One of the Gospel
accounts has Jesus eating
00:48:09.02\00:48:10.71
fish. Friends,
hallucinations don't
00:48:10.74\00:48:13.73
eat fish. And, this
establishes continuity.
00:48:13.76\00:48:16.48
So, then the origin
of Christianity, we've
00:48:18.10\00:48:19.64
looked to point
number one and number two.
00:48:19.67\00:48:21.32
Point number one is
the fact of the empty
00:48:21.77\00:48:23.69
tomb. The fact
of what everybody?
00:48:23.72\00:48:25.62
The empty tomb. The empty tomb.
00:48:25.65\00:48:26.68
Number two is the fact
of the post resurrection
00:48:27.11\00:48:29.28
appearances. It
cannot be doubted that the
00:48:29.31\00:48:31.72
disciples
believed they had seen the
00:48:31.75\00:48:33.79
resurrected Jesus.
By the way that's the
00:48:33.82\00:48:35.78
whole reason the
liberal scholars invent
00:48:35.81\00:48:37.60
the hallucination
hypothesis because they
00:48:37.63\00:48:39.64
can't say. Well, the
disciples didn't believe
00:48:39.67\00:48:42.05
they saw Jesus, of
course they believe they
00:48:42.13\00:48:44.05
saw Jesus. And, so
the only way the scholars
00:48:44.08\00:48:46.00
can explain this
without admitting there is a
00:48:46.03\00:48:47.67
resurrection is to
say, well they must have
00:48:47.70\00:48:49.11
dreamed it up. And,
number three and this is
00:48:49.14\00:48:51.87
the nail in the
coffin friends, for liberal
00:48:51.90\00:48:53.61
scholarship. This is
the nail in the coffin for
00:48:53.64\00:48:55.90
those who choose
to not believe the
00:48:55.93\00:48:57.96
historical evidences
for the resurrection of
00:48:57.99\00:49:00.30
Jesus and that is the
origin and rise of the
00:49:00.33\00:49:03.36
Christian church. The
origin of Christianity
00:49:03.39\00:49:05.78
hinges on the
resurrection. Number one,
00:49:05.81\00:49:07.81
you cannot account
for the rise of the
00:49:08.28\00:49:11.10
Christian church
apart from the resurrection.
00:49:11.13\00:49:13.46
That is to say, think
about this, you have just
00:49:14.35\00:49:17.51
a few disciples there
in, in the, in the later part
00:49:17.54\00:49:21.16
of Jesus
ministry. Twelve disciples,
00:49:21.19\00:49:22.95
one betrayed him
and then Jesus dies.
00:49:23.18\00:49:25.69
Now, after Jesus died
they went and preached
00:49:26.15\00:49:28.10
the resurrection in
Jerusalem, amen. Amen.
00:49:28.13\00:49:30.70
Within three
centuries friends, the Christian
00:49:31.38\00:49:33.57
religion was the
prevailing religion in
00:49:33.60\00:49:36.18
entire Greco-Roman
World. Thousands of
00:49:36.21\00:49:39.44
converts. Now, a
historian does the
00:49:39.58\00:49:42.15
same thing that
a scientist does,
00:49:42.18\00:49:43.70
if a scientist notes
that the book was here and
00:49:44.05\00:49:47.47
then the book is
over there. The scientist
00:49:47.50\00:49:49.33
says, Umm! Books
don't just move from here
00:49:49.36\00:49:51.74
to there. Something caused it.
00:49:51.77\00:49:54.34
Something, what
everybody? Caused it.
00:49:55.15\00:49:56.56
Caused it, so they
look at this explosion of
00:49:56.59\00:49:59.74
Christianity in the
first, second, and third
00:49:59.77\00:50:01.21
century and they're
going to ask a question.
00:50:01.24\00:50:03.32
What do you think,
they're going to ask.
00:50:03.64\00:50:04.67
What caused it? What caused it?
00:50:05.00\00:50:06.25
And friends listen
very carefully the only way
00:50:06.85\00:50:09.34
to account to
the sincerity and the
00:50:09.37\00:50:11.49
enthusiasm and the
power and the explosion,
00:50:11.76\00:50:14.96
the meteoric rise of
Christianity is to posit a
00:50:14.99\00:50:18.08
supernatural
event. In fact, the story
00:50:18.11\00:50:21.35
understand there
are secular, they've to
00:50:21.38\00:50:24.22
scratch their head to
try and explain. How can
00:50:24.25\00:50:26.39
you have the rise of,
of modern Christianity
00:50:26.42\00:50:28.54
apart from a
supernatural event? And notice
00:50:28.84\00:50:32.23
also, point number two
here. Not only that it is
00:50:32.26\00:50:34.99
difficult to account
for Christianity apart from
00:50:35.02\00:50:37.04
the resurrection,
but the disciples had no
00:50:37.07\00:50:39.14
pre-disposition
to believe in the
00:50:39.39\00:50:40.80
resurrection. A
pre-last day resurrection was
00:50:40.83\00:50:43.61
not a Jewish idea.
Friends, there was no
00:50:43.64\00:50:46.53
anticipation in
Jewish end time events,
00:50:46.66\00:50:49.58
in Jewish eschatology
that there would be a
00:50:49.98\00:50:52.23
pre-last day
resurrection. If you go
00:50:52.26\00:50:54.70
read in the Old Testament,
00:50:54.73\00:50:55.76
the resurrection took
place in the last days.
00:50:55.99\00:50:58.63
Took place when everybody?
00:50:59.17\00:51:00.23
In the last days.
Now, if the disciples
00:51:00.26\00:51:02.79
could have
imagined for example, if the
00:51:02.82\00:51:04.03
disciples are going to
hallucinate something or
00:51:04.06\00:51:06.03
make something up,
they wouldn't have made
00:51:06.13\00:51:07.75
up that he is raised
from the death. They had
00:51:07.78\00:51:09.82
no pre-disposition
to believe that he would
00:51:09.96\00:51:11.51
rise from the dead.
In fact, Jesus told them
00:51:11.54\00:51:13.00
that on numerous
occasions and they would
00:51:13.03\00:51:14.24
say, we don't get
it, if they were going to
00:51:14.27\00:51:16.31
imagine something,
they would have imagined
00:51:16.34\00:51:17.98
that maybe he didn't
die. Or they could have
00:51:18.01\00:51:20.17
imagined that maybe
he came down off the
00:51:20.20\00:51:21.87
across, but they
would have invented the
00:51:21.90\00:51:24.05
resurrection because
they had no disposition,
00:51:24.08\00:51:26.56
pre-disposition to
invent that particular
00:51:26.59\00:51:29.66
explanation. Does
that make sense, yes or no?
00:51:29.92\00:51:31.93
Powerful to
understand that friends,
00:51:32.84\00:51:34.32
very powerful.
Notice this incredible
00:51:34.35\00:51:37.11
quotation. I love
this quotation, it says
00:51:37.14\00:51:39.54
"If the coming
into existence of the
00:51:39.57\00:51:41.15
Nazarenes, a
phenomenon undeniably attested
00:51:41.18\00:51:44.09
to by the New
Testament, rips a great hole in
00:51:44.12\00:51:46.71
history. I love this,
a hole the size and shape
00:51:46.74\00:51:49.51
of the resurrection,"
what does the secular
00:51:49.54\00:51:51.26
historian propose
to stop it up with?
00:51:51.29\00:51:53.15
You see, the question
is asking. Okay, you've
00:51:54.13\00:51:56.15
this great bit hole
and history that looks just
00:51:56.18\00:51:58.17
like the
resurrection. What's the secular
00:51:58.20\00:51:59.86
historian going to
stop it up with? The birth
00:51:59.89\00:52:02.14
and rapid rise of the
Christian church remain
00:52:02.17\00:52:04.69
an unsolved enigma
for any historian who
00:52:04.72\00:52:07.95
refuses to take
seriously the only explanation
00:52:07.98\00:52:10.90
offered by the
church itself. C.F.D. Moule,
00:52:10.93\00:52:13.57
Cambridge University.
Do you see, what he's
00:52:13.60\00:52:15.24
saying? You've
got to account for the
00:52:15.27\00:52:17.28
resurrection; you've
got to account for the rise
00:52:17.31\00:52:19.25
of the church
somehow, and he says that great
00:52:19.28\00:52:22.23
big hole in history,
where you find the rise
00:52:22.26\00:52:25.01
and the origin and
the staying part of the
00:52:25.04\00:52:26.63
Christian church, is
shaped exactly like a
00:52:26.66\00:52:29.91
resurrection. Shaped
like a what everybody?
00:52:29.94\00:52:32.18
Resurrection.
Resurrection, final
00:52:32.21\00:52:33.93
quotation here on the
screen, I've been use for
00:52:33.96\00:52:36.60
many years to study
the histories of other
00:52:36.63\00:52:38.91
times, and to examine
and weigh the evidence
00:52:38.94\00:52:40.47
of those who have
written about them, and I
00:52:40.50\00:52:42.45
know of no one fact in
the history of mankind,
00:52:42.48\00:52:46.37
which is proved
by better and fuller
00:52:46.40\00:52:48.33
evidence of every
sort, to the understanding of
00:52:48.36\00:52:50.84
a fair inquirer, than
the great sign which God
00:52:50.87\00:52:53.88
hath given us that
Christ died and rose again
00:52:53.91\00:52:57.52
from the dead.
Can you say, amen?
00:52:57.84\00:52:59.78
Amen. Thomas Arnold from Oxford
00:52:59.81\00:53:01.35
University. Brothers
and sisters, tonight we've
00:53:01.38\00:53:03.04
done our very best
to present to you a
00:53:03.07\00:53:05.22
compelling case.
What kind of a case?
00:53:05.59\00:53:08.21
Compelling case.
A compelling case,
00:53:08.24\00:53:09.70
think about those
three facts. These are not
00:53:09.73\00:53:13.26
just scriptural facts,
these are not just the,
00:53:13.44\00:53:15.89
the rantings or ravings
or beliefs of a religious
00:53:15.92\00:53:19.09
person. It is a historical
fact that the tomb was
00:53:19.12\00:53:23.05
found empty. Now,
you have to account for
00:53:23.08\00:53:26.20
that empty tomb.
There are numerous ways to
00:53:26.23\00:53:28.03
account for you could
say the disciples made
00:53:28.06\00:53:29.61
it up, you could
say they hallucinated,
00:53:29.64\00:53:30.96
you could come up
with some explanation,
00:53:31.16\00:53:32.77
but the best explanation
is the one that Jesus
00:53:32.80\00:53:35.43
Christ himself gave,
that he is risen, he is alive.
00:53:35.46\00:53:38.99
Amen, amen. Now, friends, that's
00:53:39.02\00:53:40.61
that's fact number
one. The fact of the empty
00:53:40.64\00:53:42.21
tomb. Fact number
two is, the, the post
00:53:42.24\00:53:44.40
resurrection
appearances, what are we going
00:53:44.43\00:53:45.97
to do? People saw
Jesus walking and talking
00:53:46.00\00:53:48.96
after his
crucifixion, amen. Amen.
00:53:48.99\00:53:51.48
And, and the
incredible point about this
00:53:52.49\00:53:54.07
friends, is that Paul
said, that many of those
00:53:54.10\00:53:56.21
were still alive in his
day. He is saying, he is
00:53:56.24\00:53:58.91
basically saying, go
prove it. Go ask him.
00:53:58.94\00:54:02.32
And, number three,
how do you account for
00:54:03.70\00:54:05.01
the rise and staying
power of the Christian
00:54:05.04\00:54:06.90
church without the
resurrection. The secular
00:54:06.93\00:54:08.93
historian has to
scratch his head, how can the
00:54:08.96\00:54:11.24
secular historian
account for these three facts.
00:54:11.27\00:54:13.33
The fact of the
empty tomb, the fact of the
00:54:13.36\00:54:14.78
resurrection
appearances and the fact of the
00:54:14.81\00:54:16.87
origin and rise of
the Christian church.
00:54:16.90\00:54:18.17
The answer is
friends, in plain language,
00:54:18.48\00:54:20.57
they can't. Amen.
00:54:20.60\00:54:23.30
And, so tonight I
want you to consider
00:54:24.72\00:54:27.38
something. It's not
just that somebody was
00:54:27.50\00:54:31.11
raised from the
death, that's not the point.
00:54:31.14\00:54:33.29
If somebody has been
raised from the dead,
00:54:34.32\00:54:35.87
well that might be
interesting. The point
00:54:36.08\00:54:37.67
though is that Jesus
of Nazareth was raised
00:54:37.70\00:54:41.37
from the death. Amen, amen.
00:54:41.48\00:54:42.79
What, what's so special
about Jesus of Nazareth.
00:54:43.19\00:54:45.28
Well, he said things
like this. "For God so
00:54:45.31\00:54:47.80
loved the world that
he gave his only begotten
00:54:47.83\00:54:50.61
son that whosoever
believeth in him should
00:54:50.64\00:54:52.33
not perish, but
have everlasting life."
00:54:52.36\00:54:54.53
Jesus of Nazareth said
things like this and not
00:54:55.22\00:54:57.26
only that I'll be
lifted up from the earth,
00:54:57.29\00:54:58.53
I will draw all men
unto me. Friends, it's not
00:54:58.56\00:55:01.64
just that somebody
was raised, but that Jesus
00:55:01.67\00:55:04.28
of Nazareth was
raised. What's the
00:55:04.31\00:55:06.26
significance of
that Pastor Asscherick?
00:55:06.29\00:55:07.65
The significance of
this, the resurrection of
00:55:07.68\00:55:10.06
Jesus Christ
vindicates the claims that he
00:55:10.20\00:55:13.82
made about
himself, about his identity,
00:55:13.85\00:55:16.69
and about his
purposes and intentions to save
00:55:16.72\00:55:19.55
you and I. Amen.
00:55:19.58\00:55:21.14
Amen. Amen.
00:55:21.17\00:55:22.27
Friends, I want you to
think soberly about this.
00:55:22.46\00:55:24.39
The religion of
Christianity is an
00:55:26.11\00:55:27.54
intelligent religion,
what kind of a religion did
00:55:27.57\00:55:29.46
I say? Intelligent religion.
00:55:29.49\00:55:30.59
The Bible as an
intelligent book that
00:55:30.62\00:55:31.86
speaks to intelligent
people, you don't have to
00:55:31.89\00:55:33.60
put your mind on the
shelf, when you become
00:55:33.63\00:55:35.16
a Christian, amen. Amen, amen.
00:55:35.19\00:55:36.52
Jesus came to
liberate men's minds, not to
00:55:36.55\00:55:38.76
enslave men's
minds. And, tonight as we
00:55:39.02\00:55:42.00
close, I have two
questions for you.
00:55:42.03\00:55:43.34
Question number one,
was tonight's message
00:55:43.37\00:55:45.92
clear, yes or no,
raise your heaven high to
00:55:46.14\00:55:47.74
heaven, the
message make sense, amen.
00:55:47.77\00:55:49.88
Question number
two, how many of you
00:55:50.42\00:55:52.85
believe in the
historical reliability of the
00:55:52.88\00:55:55.50
resurrection of Jesus,
why don't you raise that,
00:55:55.53\00:55:57.19
amen. And, now
question number three,
00:55:57.97\00:56:00.24
how many of you
want Jesus to be your
00:56:00.27\00:56:03.45
savior, your
risen, resurrected savior.
00:56:03.48\00:56:08.13
Why don't you raise
your hands? Brothers and
00:56:08.27\00:56:10.36
sisters, this is the
greatest most important
00:56:10.39\00:56:12.24
decision you can
ever make. Remember,
00:56:12.32\00:56:14.61
how I began. There
are only two essential
00:56:14.64\00:56:16.35
points. Number one,
has anybody ever cheated
00:56:16.38\00:56:18.83
death and number two,
is it available to me.
00:56:18.86\00:56:20.70
I have good news for
you tonight, Jesus is
00:56:21.08\00:56:23.94
alive, Jesus is alive. Amen.
00:56:23.97\00:56:27.53
Jesus friends, is alive.
00:56:27.56\00:56:29.66
Jesus is risen from the dead.
00:56:30.43\00:56:33.07