Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Four Views, One Truth

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The crowds cried for Jesus to be executed see John Jesus, according to Roman law, was nailed to a cross for crucifixion. The victim, weakened by the torture and loss of blood, was unable to lift his body into a position to take a breath and therefore died of suffocation see Mark A Roman executioner certified that Jesus was dead and put a spear through His chest cavity. Out of the wound flowed blood and water, indicating massive internal bleeding see John Jesus was anointed for burial and encased in more than 75 pounds of mummy-like wrappings see John The body of Jesus was placed in a tomb, and a huge stone was rolled into place to block the entrance see Mark Three days later, the tomb was empty, and the stone had been moved a great distance away see Mark Jesus appeared on many occasions, to many audiences, proving that He was alive.

On one occasion, He appeared to more than eyewitnesses simultaneously see 1 Cor. Jesus ascended bodily into heaven in the sight of the apostles see Acts 1: Saul became a devout Christ-follower and an apostle, and his name was changed to Paul see Acts 9. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation for the gospel that offers forgiveness of sins; new life and the hope of heaven see 1 Cor.

What are the possibilities? Here are four options that skeptics and others have presented: Rather than dying on the cross, Jesus only passed out.

In the dampness of the tomb, Jesus was revived and then appeared to the disciples, who mistakenly thought He was raised from the dead. This theory breaks down on several facts. First of all, crucifixions killed people! The victim literally suffocated to death. A Roman executioner pierced His side with a sword, certifying His death. He was wrapped with about 75 pounds of ceremonial spices and linen wrappings. He was placed in a tomb with a huge stone rolled across the entrance. A Roman guard was tasked with standing watch outside the tomb.

Then, on multiple occasions over a day period, He appeared to the disciples as the Lord of Life. Before a collective audience, He ascended out of their sight and into heaven. Again, this view has serious flaws. The foremost is that it would make Jesus a perpetrator of a lie. He would be some mastermind of a great religious deception. The apostles would also be liars. The Roman soldiers who experienced the miracle of the resurrection would be liars as well. This view disregards the evidence and accuracy of eyewitness testimony. The disciples stole the body, made up the story of the resurrection, and then preached it to others.

This view would have us believe that the disciples formed a huge religious plot. This theory asserts that the disciples propagated a lie and that they never denounced their lie, not even to save their own lives. Is it likely that not one person but many people, when faced with the option of freedom for telling the truth or torture and death for holding onto a lie, would continue to lie? The theory that the resurrection was a deceptive plot also breaks down when the case of the apostle Paul is considered. Paul claimed to have an encounter with the resurrected Christ that was completely separate from the experiences of the other apostles.

Based on this encounter, the entire direction of his life changed. If the disciples stole the body, then the conversion of the apostle Paul must be explained away. The resurrection accounts were hallucinations. The apostles so wanted Jesus to be raised from the dead that they convinced themselves it had actually happened. This view does not fit the evidence: In particular, the theory is hard-pressed to explain people claiming to see the resurrected Jesus Christ. Again, the changed life of the apostle Paul discredits this interpretation.

Is there a view of the resurrection that fits all the facts? The obvious answer is yes.

It is the view recorded by eyewitness testimony—the view that Jesus Christ bodily rose from the dead. This view is the very heart of the gospel; it is the view that we have already seen in 1 Corinthians Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also 1 Corinthians The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical fact.

It is backed up by prophetic prediction, eye witness testimony, physical evidence and personal experience.

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It is the only conclusion that fits the evidence. Thus the importance of the resurrection to Christian faith cannot be overestimated. There are those who say that even without the resurrection, Christianity has significance.

23 Arguments for the Historical Validity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ | Truth Or Tradition?

They hold that Christ's teachings provide ethical guidelines for humanity. The New Testament, however, testifies that this is not the case.

Without the resurrection there is no meaningful Christianity. We add further areas of importance of Christ's resurrection. It is important to Jesus' identity, to His true character to His ministry, and to His message. And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Resurrection of Jesus

If Christ did not rise then He was a liar, for He predicted He would come back from the dead. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify him, and on the third day he will be raised up Matthew The resurrection authenticates Him as a true prophet. Without His resurrection everything that Jesus said would be subject to doubt.

If Jesus did not rise, then His ministry would have ended in defeat. Believers would not have a High Priest to intercede for them to God the Father. There would be no one to head the church and no one to indwell believers and give them power to live godly lives. According to the Apostle Paul, the resurrection of Jesus is one of the four pillars of the gospel message. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that he appeared to.

Without the resurrection there is no gospel message. Its importance to the Christian faith cannot be overestimated. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is unique to the Christian faith - no other religious figure has ever predicted his own resurrection, and then accomplished it. All of the other world religions are based on a founder who lived in the past and whose religion is his only legacy. Mohammed died at age 61 on June 8, A. He is still dead. Confucius died and Buddha also died. They also remain dead - Jesus Christ is alive. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith.

It is mentioned over one hundred times in the New Testament. It was the main point for each sermon in the Book of Acts. Without it there is no Christian faith. Paul said the resurrection is important to the believer for a number of reasons. He said that Christian preaching is empty if Jesus did not come back from the dead.

The faith of the believer is worthless if Christ is not risen because he is the object of the faith. In addition, Christ, is not whom He said He was.

Don Stewart :: How Important Is the Resurrection to Christianity?

He would have been a liar. The apostles are also liars for testifying to a resurrection that did not occur. Furthermore, there is no forgiveness for anybody's sin. Those who have died believing in Christ have no hope. If hope in Christ is limited to this life, Christians are to be pitied above all people. The resurrection is also important to the identity and mission of Jesus. First, the resurrection is important to His identity. The resurrection is the demonstration that Jesus indeed is the Son of God.

The resurrection is also important to His character. Jesus would not have been a true prophet had He not come back from the dead as He predicted that He would. It is important to Jesus' ministry.

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If He did not come back from the dead then His ministry would have ended in defeat. Finally, it is important to His message. The centrality of the Christian message is that Jesus died and then came back from the dead. If He did not come back from the dead then there is no Christianity. Consequently we see that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely crucial to the Christian faith.

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