Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Did Jesus Christ really rise from the dead? This is THE question, is it not? If the answer is no, Christianity falls. As the Apostle Paul puts it, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christians are to be pitied more than any other, as our faith is useless, futile, without foundation, worthless. However, if the answer is yes, then there is good reason to believe in the truthfulness of Christianity. The question then becomes, how do we know whether Jesus really did rise from the dead?

Some choose simply to believe. “If the Bible says it, I believe it,” they say. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, but to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ need not be a leap of blind faith. Arguments can be made and evidence presented to make a strong case for the historicity of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. In fact, according to Dr. Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University, “There are a minimum number of facts agreed upon by practically all critical scholars, whatever their school of thought. At least twelve separate facts are considered to be knowable history.”

1. Jesus died by crucifixion.
2. He was buried.
3. Jesus’ death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope, believing that his life was ended.
4. The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered to be empty just a few days later.
5. The disciples had experiences which they believed were literal appearances of the risen Jesus.
6. Because of these experiences, the disciples were transformed from doubters who were afraid to identify themselves with Jesus to bold proclaimers of his death and resurrection.
7. This message was the center of preaching in the early church.
8. [This message] was especially proclaimed in Jerusalem, where Jesus died and was buried shortly before.
9. As a result of this preaching, the church was born and grew.
10. Sunday [became] the primary day of worship.
11. James, who had been a skeptic, was converted to the faith when he also believed that he saw the resurrected Jesus.
12. Paul was converted by an experience which he likewise believed to be an appearance of the risen Jesus

If these facts are considered to be knowable history by Christians and critics alike, it stands to reason that any viable theory of Jesus’ resurrection must account for all twelve of these factors.

Dr. Craig Hazen, Professor of Comparative Religion and Apologetics at Biola University, put together a chart of the most prominent theories having to do with Jesus’ resurrection. Basing his chart on the work of Josh McDowell, Dr. Hazen puts each theory to the test to see how well they correspond to the twelve known historical facts concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Here’s what he came up with (The numbers correspond to the known historical facts that DO NOT fit the theory):

1. Unknown Tomb – The disciples didn’t know which tomb Jesus was buried in. (4-12)
2. Wrong Tomb – The disciples went to the wrong tomb. (5-12)
3. Legend – Jesus was not a real historical figure. He’s no more than a legend. (1-12)
4. Twin – Jesus had a twin brother who suddenly appeared as the resurrected Jesus. (4, 11)
5. Hallucination – All of the post-resurrection appearances were the result of hallucinations. (5, 11, 12)
6. Existential Resurrection – Jesus is alive in the hearts of Christians regardless of whether He actually rose from the dead. (4, 5, 11, 12)
7. Spiritual Resurrection – Jesus’ spirit was resurrected but not his body. (4, 5, 11, 12)
8. Disciples Stole the Body – (5, 6, 11, 12)
9. Authorities Hid the Body – (5-12)
10. Swoon – Jesus didn’t really die. He just swooned to make it seem as if He had died. (1, 6)
11. Passover Plot – Based on a book written by Hugh Schonfield, Jesus was a mortal man who believed he was the Messiah. He deliberately planned his entire ministry according to the Old Testament prophecies to the point plotting his own arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. (5, 6, 11, 12)
12. Jesus was an Alien – Yes, a space alien! (None!)
13. Bodily Resurrection – The Christian view. (None) 

In the end, only two theories account for all twelve knowable historical facts concerning Jesus’ resurrection. Either Jesus was an alien or He experienced a bodily resurrection. While the latter is the Christian theory of Jesus’ resurrection, there is something to the whole Jesus is an alien thing! Dr. Hazen characterizes the alien-hood of Jesus not in the sense of his being a space man the likes of E.T. Rather, Jesus was an alien in the sense that He was not of this world. Jesus didn’t come down by way of the mother ship. He was sent by the Father. In obedience to the Father, Jesus died on the cross, but was raised back to life. Resurrected from the dead, Jesus lives. In Christ, we too shall defeat death, not merely to enjoy the spoils of heaven, but to enjoy and worship the One who gives us life.

Reprinted from: http://educateandequip.org/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-historical-truth-or-heightened-tale/

What is Easter, really?

The origins of Easter are rooted in European traditions. The name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Originally, there were some very pagan (and sometimes utterly evil) practices that went along with the celebration. Today, Easter is almost a completely commercialized holiday, with all the focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny being remnants of the goddess worship.

In the Christian faith, Easter is the principal Christian feast day and commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the central event of Christianity.  For Christians, Easter is the holiest day of the year. In Western Christianity, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox marking the beginning of Spring. That date may be anywhere between March 22 and April 25.  Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.

Many Christian denominations also observe Lent,  a penitential season leading up to Easter which begins 46 days before Easter on Ash Wednesday. Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week He was crucified, when cheering crowds greeted Him with Palm branches. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates Jesus' crucifixion.

There is some disagreement about the exact days of the week, but the Bible says Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by cheering crowds on a Sunday, probably in the year 29 or 30 A.D. He ate The Last Supper with His disciples on Thursday. He was arrested that night, tried, and crucified on Friday, Passover Eve. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday and appeared to His disciples during the following week. He then ascended to heaven 40 days after His resurrection.

Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead at the time of the Jewish Passover celebration, but there is no mention of an annual celebration in the Bible. Early Christians commemorated Jesus' resurrection on or near the date of Passover, and the celebration was apparently well-established by the mid second century A.D.1 Due to the use of different calendar systems over the years, the dates of Passover and Easter have now drifted apart.

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/easter-origins.html; http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_easter.htm

The Necessity of a Blood Sacrifice

Leviticus 17:11 ESV
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

If you've ever attempted to read through the Bible, you probably had the same reaction many Christians do when they reach the book of Leviticus: What are all these animal sacrifices about? This ancient sacrificial system of worship seems so foreign to us. Can you imagine having to bring a lamb for slaughter every time you want to confess your sin?

We tend to look back on all those bloody sacrifices and think, I’m sure glad that doesn't involve me! But if we pass too quickly over them, we’ll miss seeing what our salvation cost the Savior. You see, He was our blood sacrifice. Redemption wouldn't have worked if He’d simply died for us in His sleep, because “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22).

The Israelites had the continual reminder of the cost of sin. But today, having never experienced the slaughter of thousands of animals, we often take our salvation lightly, not realizing what it required. The flogging and crucifixion of Christ was a bloody, messy scene. The horror of it should move us to tears of sorrow and gratitude for what He did to buy our salvation. Without the shedding of His blood, we’d be bound for hell and eternal separation from God.

Now, instead of dragging a lamb behind us to the altar, we rely upon the Lamb of God, who offered Himself as the sacrifice for our transgressions. His blood washed away our sin so we can one day stand in heaven, singing praise to the Lamb who purchased us with His blood (Rev. 5:9-10). How wonderful is our redemption, and how good is our God!

Reprinted from: http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-necessity-of-a-blood-sacrifice

Who Was Jesus?

We are using the 1^st 4 books of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) as our witness.  They tell the story from 4 perspectives.

His Birth

·         He was conceived

o   Somewhere 4-6 BC (Dionysius Exiguus miscalculated)

o   Born to Mary who was probably 15 or 16yo

§  Was engaged to Joseph

o   Angel Gabriel told her she would bear a child from the Holy Spirit (Luke 1)

§  Also told Joseph

§  Mary was a virgin

o   Fulfilled prophesy

§  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

§   https://answersingenesis.org/jesus-christ/birth/fulfilled-prophecies-at-the-birth-of-christ/

·         He was born

o   Caesar Augustus decreed a census, so they went to Bethlehem

o   No room in the inn (Luke 2)

§  Born in a stable in a manger

o   Wise man looking for King because of star in the East

§  Probably before he was 2yo

o   Herrod was the Roman governor of Judea

§  Massacre of the Innocents (Matthew 2)

·         Killed all boys under 2 in Bethlehem

·         Fearing an insurgence of the Jews looking for their king

o   Joseph & his family fled to Egypt

§  An angel told him to leave

§  Then he told him to come back when Herod died

o   Jesus grew up like any person

§  He had to learn in the temple

§  But he was filled with wisdom

His Life

·         Synoptic gospels tell the tale

o   Apostles: Matthew, Mark (Peter), & John

o   Luke - physician and a disciple of Paul

·         Key early events

o   Jesus baptized

§  Heaven opened & the Spirit descended on him(Matthew 3)

§  Starts his ministry at around 30

o   40 days/nights of fasting in the wilderness

§  Temptation by Satan

o   Jesus’ disciples

§  Fisherman, said they would be fishers of men

§  Tax collectors, the lowest of the low

o   First miracle (John 2)

§  Turned water to wine at a wedding

o   Went home to the temple

§  Read he fulfilled the law & they chased him out

·         Teachings

o   Sermon on the Mount

§  Likely a collection of sermons

§  Reset the way they thought of the law

·         The standard was so high that it could not be met

·         Established even the ‘holy’ as sinners

o   Parables

§  Taught in the form of stories

§  Good for the oral culture of the day

§  Used a lot of agrarian metaphors

o   Miracles

§  Too many to capture

§  Feeding the 5000

§  The Transfiguration (Moses & Elijah)

§  Healing, casting out demons, raising Lazarus from the dead

o   Greatest is the least

§  Countercultureal

§  Pharisees & Sadducees hated this

His Death & Resurrection

·         The beginning

o   Judas sold him out

o   Peter denied him

o   Pharisees orchestrated with Pilate

o   Jesus went to pray in the garden & sweat blood

·         The crucifiction

o   Greatest for of Roman torture

§  No one ever survived

o   Meant to embarrass

o   Old testament blood sacrifices

§  He took the punishment for our sins

·         The resurrection

o   On the 3^rd day

o   The impossible nature of it

§  Roman guards

§  Dead is dead

o   Appeared for 40 days before he went to heaven

o   'Sold out' the apostles

§  All died as martyrs

The Books of Genesis & Exodus - Illustrated

Old Testament Survey

Last night we spent a little over an hour hitting the highlights of the Old Testament, in chronological order.  Hopefully this will help you get your hands around the historical nature of the events and the story of the Jewish people (the Israelites, the people of God).

When I read the Old Testament, I'm always struck at how sinful people are and how loving God is.  People have always been sinful & made bad decisions, but God still used some of these people & redeemed them in the process.  When people repent, God's mercy shines.

Below is a list of the events we discussed.  Click the link at the bottom to see the full list.

http://biblehub.com/timeline/#ot

Also, we talked a little about the Caanities & their moral corruption.  You can read more about that here:

https://bible.org/article/canaanites-genocide-or-judgment 

If Jesus was Jewish, why aren't Christians Jewish?

Of the major world religions, Christianity and Judaism are likely the most similar. Christianity and Judaism both believe in one God who is almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, and infinite. Both religions believe in a God who is holy, righteous, and just, while at the same time loving, forgiving, and merciful. Christianity and Judaism share the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) as the authoritative Word of God, although Christianity includes the New Testament as well. Both Christianity and Judaism believe in the existence of heaven, the eternal dwelling place of the righteous, and hell, the eternal dwelling place of the wicked (although not all Christians and not all Jews believe in the eternality of hell). Christianity and Judaism have basically the same ethical code, commonly known today as Judeo-Christian. Both Judaism and Christianity teach that God has a special plan for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.

The all-important difference between Christianity and Judaism is the Person of Jesus Christ. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a coming Messiah / Savior (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Micah 5:2). Judaism often recognizes Jesus as a good teacher, and perhaps even a prophet of God. Judaism does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Taking it a step further, Christianity teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:1,14; Hebrews 1:8). Christianity teaches that God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ so He could lay down His life to pay the price for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Judaism strongly denies that Jesus was God or that such a sacrifice was necessary.

Christianity has a close relationship with Judaism, both historically and theologically. Jesus, the twelve disciples, the author of most of the New Testament, and the members of the earliest Christian churches were all Jews. Jesus' family followed Jewish customs and Jesus frequently quoted the Hebrew Bible. Jesus' followers believed him to be the Messiah, a Jewish figure predicted in the Jewish Bible. (See Christian Beliefs main page and Judaism beliefs main page)

Despite its Jewish origins, it was not long before Christianity regarded itself as something other than a new Jewish sect. The first Christian council, convened by the apostles, concluded that pagan converts to Christianity did not have to follow Jewish ritual laws. Soon, converts to Christianity were almost exclusively pagans and Christianity moved further away from Judaism. Today, theological disagreements between Christians and Jews remain, but efforts are being made towards greater understanding and respect between the two great faiths. The following chart compares the origins, beliefs and practices of Christianity and Judaism.

Reprinted from: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_judaism.htm & http://www.gotquestions.org/difference-Christianity-Judaism.html