did jesus really rise from the dead

They tell us that after he died on a cross and was buried, Jesus suddenly appeared to them alive on the third day. Then in a mock trial under the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, he was condemned, scourged, kicked, spat upon, brutally whipped, and finally crucified on a wooden cross. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, his words wouldn’t have any meaning to our lives. Greenleaf helped Harvard Law School gain widespread credibility. And when they did, the body of Jesus was missing. But then three days later he would come back to life. So, what was that evidence? (See Mark 10:33). Psychologist Gary Collins, former president of the American Association of Christian Counselors, explains that, “Hallucinations are individual occurrences. Like us back on social media! Jesus Predicts His Own Death and Resurrection. Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.It is the world's largest religion, with about 2.4 billion followers.   Click here to discover what Jesus said about life after death. He researched both Jewish and Roman contemporary history and discovered the following facts supporting Jesus’ death: • During the lifetime of the eyewitnesses no one disputes his death, • Secular and contemporary historians, Lucian, Josephus, and Tacitus cite his death as factual, Morison became convinced that Jesus was truly dead, a fact almost universally accepted as true by trusted scholars and historians. Thus, they would have no reason to even think of such a scheme. Is Jesus Relevant Today? Finally, Morison was bewildered by the fact that “a tiny insignificant movement was able to prevail over the cunning grip of the Jewish establishment, as well as the might of Rome. So, with no body of evidence, and with a known tomb clearly empty, Morison accepted that Jesus’ body had somehow disappeared from the tomb. Its adherents, known as Christians, make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories, and believe that Jesus is the Christ, whose coming as the Messiah … Or is it based upon verifiable historical evidence? If they had taken the body, would they have sacrificed so much for a lie? Was Jesus Really from Nazareth? In the book he finally wrote, Who Moved the Stone, Morison documents the evidence that led him to a belief in the resurrection. Then he was seen by other followers, including 500 people on a single occasion. Everything Jesus taught and claimed depended on his resurrection from the dead. They certainly aren’t something which can be seen by a group of people.”, Hallucination is not even a remote possibility, according to psychologist Thomas J. Thorburn. Was Jesus the Messiah? B.  Legends develop by oral tradition and are not supported with contemporary historical documents. Morison concludes, “That Jesus Christ died on the cross, in the full physical sense of the term…seems to me to be one of the certainties of history.”. Regarding the actual crucifixion, the JAMA authors addressed the question of whether nails were driven into Jesus’ hands or into His wrists. COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH . . Everything Jesus taught and claimed depended on his resurrection from the dead. At the dawn of the Third Millennium. What did Jesus say about the meaning of life and our future? He argues, “it would have been impossible for the disciples to persist with their conviction that Jesus had risen if they hadn’t actually seen the risen Christ.” Applying his own rules of evidence to the facts, he accepted the resurrection as the best explanation for the events that took place immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion. But if his resurrection really happened, then Jesus is the only one who can answer life’s most important questions: If Jesus really did rise from the dead, then he alone must know what is on the other side. Focusing his brilliant legal mind on the facts of history, Greenleaf began applying his rules of evidence to the case of Jesus’ resurrection. Bible scholar Wilbur Smith explains, “When he said He would rise again from the dead, the third day after He was crucified, He said something that only a fool would dare say if He expected the devotion of any disciples – unless He was sure He was going to rise.”. The mixture of blood and water that flowed out, according to eyewitnesses, was a clear indication that Jesus was dead. The more Greenleaf investigated the record of history, the more evidence he discovered supporting the claim that Jesus had indeed risen from the tomb. Soon word spread everywhere that Jesus had risen from the dead. a. Numerous other skeptics who examined the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, also became convinced and accepted it as the most astounding fact in all of human history. Jesus’ prediction about his sign to be very similar to the sign of Jonah. Not only was the location well known, but the Romans had assigned guards to watch the tomb 24 hours a day. He documents his case for Jesus’ resurrection in his book, Testimony of the Evangelists. But then three days later he would come back to life. Pilate wanted to verify that Jesus was dead before allowing his crucified body to be buried. They were completely satisfied that Jesus was truly dead. According to eyewitnesses, a man named Jesus Christ demonstrated his power over death. The Jesus bloodline refers to the proposition that a lineal sequence of descendants of the historical Jesus has persisted to the present time. Is Jesus Coming Back? Each eyewitness account reports that Jesus suddenly appeared bodily to his followers, the women first. We like you. Josh McDowell notes, “The Roman Guard unit was committed to discipline and they feared failure in any way.” It would have been impossible for anyone to have slipped by the guards unnoticed and then move the stone. And yet we read that women touched him, spoke with him, and were the first to find the empty tomb. He acknowledged, “Whoever comes to this problem has sooner or later to confront a fact that cannot be explained away … This fact is that … a profound conviction came to the little group of people – a change that attests to the fact that Jesus had risen from the grave.”, Professor J. N. D. Anderson and author of “Evidence for the Resurrection” concurs, “Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence – and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication … That simply wouldn’t make sense.”. . Tom Anderson, former president of the California Trial Lawyers Association, summarizes the strength of this argument: “With an event so well publicized, don’t you think that it’s reasonable that one historian, one eye witness, one antagonist would record for all time that he had seen Christ’s body? If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then the foundation for the Christian Faith would forever be destroyed. (See Mark 10:33). The Church moves further into the Third Millennium of the Christian era as a pilgrim people, guided by Christ, the “great Shepherd” (Heb … He learned that Jesus’ death was considered factual for nearly 1800 years. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then the foundation for the Christian Faith would forever be destroyed. These eleven former cowards were suddenly willing to suffer humiliation, torture, and death. Morison wondered if the disciples might have been so emotionally distraught that they hallucinated and imagined Jesus’ resurrection. Morison first wanted verification that Jesus was really dead when placed in the tomb. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”. In Caesarea, Peter told a crowd why he and the other disciples were so convinced Jesus was alive. Even skeptical scholars admit that Christian hymns and creeds were recited in early churches within two to three years of Jesus’ crucifixion. Having eliminated the main arguments against Jesus’ resurrection due to their inconsistency with the facts, Morison began asking himself, “did it really happen?” Instead of looking for evidence against Jesus’ resurrection, he wondered how strong the case was for its actual occurrence. Over time, the legend would have grown and been embellished as it was passed on. Jesus was putting his words to the ultimate test of truth. Then he was seen by other followers, including 500 people on a single occasion. Morison began examining the facts patiently and impartially to see where they would lead him. Whatever one believes about the validity of Jesus’ resurrection, clearly “something happened” after his death that has made a lasting impact on our world. He writes, “Something perfectly new in the history of the Universe had happened. Morison wanted to know what actually happened that changed Jesus’ followers and started a movement that has made such a profound impact on our world. Are there many ways to God or did Jesus claim to be the only way? According to eyewitnesses, a man named Jesus Christ demonstrated his power over death. What else could explain away the resurrection? Once his death was certified, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, tightly wrapped in linen and buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. He told one of his followers, “I am the resurrection and the life. Some unconvinced skeptics attribute the resurrection story to a legend that began with one or more persons lying or thinking they saw the resurrected Jesus. Jesus died, came back to life after 3 days, wish God did us the same favor with our lost loved ones, why only 3 days for his own … But the apostles went on to establish a growing Christian movement. Read the startling answers in “Why Jesus?”. 1. When world historian H. G. Wells was asked who has left the greatest legacy on history, the non-Christian scholar replied, “By this test Jesus stands first.” What is that legacy? Jesus predicted his sign would be similar to the sign … The Gnostic Gospels: Are they the real history of Jesus. Morison is not alone. They say he showed them his hands and feet and told them to touch him. Oxford professor and former skeptic C. S. Lewis, who had once doubted Jesus’ very existence, was also persuaded by the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. This became known as the “swoon theory.”. Morison wondered if Jesus could have survived the cross. Several facts stood out. Echoing the prophecy in Isaiah 53, Jesus claimed that he was the Messiah who would be betrayed, arrested, condemned, spit upon, scourged, and killed. The hallucination theory, then, appears to be another dead end. As Morison continued his investigation, he began to examine the motives of Jesus’ followers. AN INTEGRAL AND SOLIDARY HUMANISM. In the first century, women had virtually no rights, personhood, or status. 26. Many other legal experts, including former Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, agree with Greenleaf’s verdict on the case for Jesus’ resurrection. The door which had always been locked had for the very first time been forced open.”. Something happened … But exactly what?”. Exactly as Jesus predicted, eyewitnesses report he was betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot. But could Jesus’ resurrection simply be a 2000 year old legend? By their very nature, only one person can see a given hallucination at a time. “It is absolutely inconceivable that … five hundred persons, of average soundness of mind … should experience all kinds of sensuous impressions – visual, auditory, tactual – and that all these … experiences should rest entirely upon … hallucination.”. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then the foundation for the Christian Faith would forever be destroyed. Jesus’ disciples were so utterly devastated by his death on the cross that they fled for their lives, fearing they too would be captured and killed. God would never have sacrificed Jesus if Jesus was going to be dead 4ver. No one can doubt that. This was a trained guard unit comprised of four to 16 soldiers. Something happened that changed everything for these men and women. Morison wondered why conspirators would make women central to the plot. They put him to death by crucifying him, but God raised him to life three days later … We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”. Greenleaf wondered if Jesus’ resurrection would hold up in a court of law. 4. By all rights, if there were no resurrection, Christianity should have died out at the cross when the disciples fled for their lives. The Bible describes that the disciples cowered in fear because they did not yet even grasp the fact that the Messiah must die and rise from the dead, even though Jesus had foretold His Resurrection (Luke 18:31–34). Greenleaf observed several dramatic changes that took place shortly after Jesus died, the most baffling being the behavior of the disciples. Did Jesus Claim to be God? “We apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. Jesus never showed himself to the Jews (who challenged him) after he was saved from the accursed death of cross. It was this significant fact that persuaded Morison the resurrection must have really happened. But then something happened . Jesus suffered on the cross for approximately six hours. Morison reasoned that conspirators would have portrayed men, not women, as the first to see Jesus alive. Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? … The silence of history is deafening when it comes to the testimony against the resurrection.”. Darling writes, “There exists such overwhelming evidence…factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.”, So what does Jesus’ resurrection mean to you and me? Suddenly the sky went dark and an earthquake shook the land. Jesus Predicts His Own Death and Resurrection Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah had written about a future Messiah, who would suffer and die for our sins, but later be restored to life. C.  The legend theory doesn’t adequately explain either the empty tomb or the fervent conviction of the apostles that Jesus was alive. Roman guards then sealed the tomb with a large stone and were under strict orders to watch the tomb 24 hours a day. He also wrote the three-volume legal masterpiece A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, which has been called the “greatest single authority in the entire literature of legal procedure.” The U.S. judicial system today still relies on rules of evidence established by Greenleaf. He explains, “Within twenty years, the claim of these Galilean peasants had disrupted the Jewish church… In less than fifty years it had begun to threaten the peace of the Roman Empire. He realized there were five possible explanations: • Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. Since Joseph’s tomb was at a well-known location and easily identifiable, any thoughts of Jesus being “lost in the graveyard” would need to be dismissed. Or is it based upon verifiable historical evidence? The Theologian Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus explained why his resurrection is so important to us. Why did it win?”. Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah had written about a future Messiah, who would suffer and die for our sins, but later be restored to life. How come Jesus never said “I was dead and now I am alive?” 28. Then about 200 years ago, a few skeptics postulated that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, but merely lost consciousness, and was revived by the cool, damp air of the tomb. He ate with them and later, on one occasion, appeared alive to more than 500 followers. So they did claim it. The claims frequently depict Jesus as married, often to Mary Magdalene, and as having descendants living in Europe, especially France but also the UK.Differing and contradictory Jesus bloodline scenarios, as well as more limited claims that Jesus … Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah had written about a future Messiah, who would suffer and die for our sins, but later be restored to life. Yet the stone was rolled away, making it possible for eyewitnesses to enter the tomb. The disciples claim they saw Jesus on more than ten separate occasions. Did Jesus Christ Really Rise From the Dead? “Shortly after Jesus was executed, his followers were suddenly galvanized from a baffled and cowering group into people whose message about a living Jesus and a coming kingdom, preached at the risk of their lives, eventually changed an empire. So a Roman guard thrust a spear into Jesus’ side. Let’s look at just some of Jesus’ impact: • Time is marked by his birth, B.C.– before Christ; A.D. – in the year of our Lord, • More books have been written about Jesus than about any other person, • About 100 great universities were established to spread his teaching — including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Oxford, • Jesus’ teaching that all people are created equal laid the bedrock for human rights and democracy in more than 100 countries, • The high value Jesus placed on each person regardless of sex or race led his followers to promote the rights of women as well as abolish slavery, • Humanitarian works such as the Red Cross, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Mercy Ships and the Salvation Army were founded by his followers. More Questions? The second group of soldiers was given the task of guarding the tomb of Jesus because of the request … 27. Soon word spread everywhere that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus was putting his words to the ultimate test of truth. However, the tomb belonged to a well-known member of the Sanhedrin Council, Joseph of Arimathea. He reasoned that something extraordinary must have happened, because the followers of Jesus ceased mourning, ceased hiding, and began fearlessly proclaiming that they had seen Jesus alive. One historian of ancient Rome and Greece, A. N. Sherwin-White, argued that the resurrection news spread too soon and too quickly for it to have been a legend. If Jesus’ body was anywhere to be found, his enemies would have quickly exposed the resurrection as a fraud. They tell us that after he died on a cross and was buried, Jesus suddenly appeared to them alive on the third day. The followers of Jesus did claim that Jesus came back to life. When we have said everything that can be said… we stand confronted with the greatest mystery of all. Did the Apostles Believe Jesus is God? That might be plausible if the tomb was in an obscure area where no one would see them. All but one of Jesus’ disciples were slain as martyrs. They could not have done this if Jesus was still in his tomb–no one would have believed … But there are three major problems with that theory: A.  Legends simply don’t develop while multiple eyewitnesses are alive to refute them. Moreover, they did claim that they knew he rose precisely because some of them saw him alive again afterward. If Jesus didn’t rise as he promised, his message of forgiveness and hope for eternal life would be meaningless. Morison realized that these early sightings of a risen Jesus by so many of his followers would have been virtually impossible to fake. Bible scholar Wilbur Smith explains, “When he said He would rise again from the dead, the third day after He was crucified, He said something that only a fool would dare say if He expected the devotion of any disciples – unless He was sure He was going to rise.”[1], Click to continue to page 2 of 10 about “Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?”. As if the eyewitness reports were not enough to challenge Morison’s skepticism, he was also baffled by the disciples’ behavior. Jesus Predicts His Own Death and Resurrection Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah had written about a future Messiah, who would suffer and die for our sins, but later be restored to life. Christ had defeated death. Morison’s original assumption that the resurrection account was mythical or legendary didn’t coincide with the facts. If Jesus didn’t rise as he promised, his message of forgiveness and hope for eternal life would be meaningless. Yet the Gospels were written within three decades of the resurrection. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then the foundation for the Christian Faith would forever be destroyed. The Gnostic Gospels: Are they the real history of Jesus? Morison wondered if the disciples faked the resurrection story by stealing Jesus’ body, and then claiming he was alive. Echoing the prophecy in Isaiah 53, Jesus claimed that he was the Messiah who would be betrayed, arrested, condemned, spit upon, scourged, and killed. But could Jesus’ resurrection simply be a 2000 year old legend? Jesus’ disciples did not go to some obscure place where no one had heard of Jesus to begin preaching about the resurrection, but instead began preaching in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus had died and been buried. Dr. Simon Greenleaf decided to put Jesus’ resurrection on trial by examining the evidence. INTRODUCTION. Jesus could not have survived crucifixion, and these soldiers made certain that Jesus was dead before His body was allowed to be taken from the cross. If they had not claimed that, we would not have Christianity. The Jesus Family Tomb: Fact or Fiction? Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Then, at 3:00 in the afternoon Jesus cried out, “It is finished” and died.

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