Hope for Today

1. historical evidence for the resurrection – ( Be sure to check out suggested sources at the end of the sermon notes for further research.)
2. the gospel message
3. how you experience God’s love and a sense of purpose in your life.

1 . Historical Evidence for the resurrection

Early Eyewitness Testimonies and Creeds:

• the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:3–8) preserves an early creed listing eyewitnesses who encountered the risen Jesus – Peter, “the Twelve,” a crowd of 500, James, and Paul himself.
• (1) Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,  of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. (2) It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.  (3) I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. (4) He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. (5) He was seen by Peter  and then by the Twelve. (6) After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers  at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. (7) Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. (8) Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 
  1 Corinthians 15:1-8 – NLT
• Paul personally knew many of these people and was “presenting the reports of eyewitnesses” to substantiate the claims
• Crucially, scholars date this creed to just a few years after Jesus’s crucifixion, indicating that the proclamation “Jesus is risen” arose virtually immediately, leaving no time for legend to overtake historical memory.
• This undercuts the idea that the resurrection was a much later myth – instead, the belief goes back to the eyewitness generation
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Corroboration from Archaeology and Records:

archaeological and historical data  align with the New Testament accounts.

• archaeology has confirmed numerous details in the Gospels – all of which bolster the New Testament’s credibility
• a Christian apologists like Justin Martyr (2nd century) even claimed that records from Pontius Pilate reported Jesus’ crucifixion and death, and
• early pagan reports mention a mysterious darkness during the crucifixion (as the Gospels describe).
• Recent archaeological discoveries include both the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1f)
• Jacob’s well has also been found (John 4).[4] Such findings have caused many scholars to reverse earlier skeptical opinions on the historicity of the Fourth Gospel.
• Its author has demonstrated an obvious intimate knowledge of the Jerusalem of Jesus’ time, just as we would expect from the Apostle John. Such detail would not have been accessible to a writer of a later generation, since Jerusalem was demolished under Titus’ Roman army in 70 A.D.
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Minimal “Core Facts” Accepted by Scholars:

• a set of core facts about Jesus’ death and post-death appearances that are granted by the majority of scholars – including many skeptics.
• well-established facts include: Jesus’ execution by crucifixion, the empty tomb (strongly supported, though not every scholar concedes it),
• the sincere conviction of numerous individuals and groups that they saw Jesus alive after His death,
• and the sudden conversion of former skeptics (like Paul and James) who also believed they encountered the risen Jesus​
• The early disciples’ proclamation of the resurrection was not a later invention but was their immediate response to events they personally experienced.
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Dozens of Ancient Sources:

• 39 ancient sources (including at least 17 non-Christian writings) collectively report over 100 details of Jesus’s life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and the aftermath of his death
• ​This includes Jewish and Roman historians (such as Josephus and Tacitus, Seutonius, Thallus and Pliny, and the Jewish writings of the Talmud.)
• and other writers who, despite often being hostile to Christianity, corroborate that Jesus lived in the 1st century and was executed under Pontius Pilate.
• Notably, many of these sources confirm that Jesus’s followers soon proclaimed he had risen, providing multiple lines of testimony outside the New Testament.
• even opponents in antiquity didn’t deny Jesus’ existence – that was never seriously disputed until much later centuries
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So what are we to do with this information?

All of the Christian faith rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus. if it did not happen then we believe in vain.. but if it did happen. then why? why would Jesus do this.

2. The Gospel Explained

(1) Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? (2)   My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. (3)   He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. (4) Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows  that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 

(5)   But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (6)   All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. (7) He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. (8)   Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. (9)  

 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. (10) But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 

Isaiah 53:1-10 – NLT

3.How you experience God’s love and purpose in this life–

suggested Books for apologetics research

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

The Verdict of History by Gary Habermas

The Case for the Real Jesus by Lee Strobel

Cold Case Christianity by J. warner Wallace

1st Century Roman Historian Tacitus provide some interesting insights.

Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews Mentions Jesus as a wise teacher and references his crucifixion under Pilate; also notes James as Jesus’s brother

Tacitus, Annals Confirms Jesus’s execution during Tiberius’s reign and the existence of early Christians in Rome.

Pliny the Younger, Letters Describes early Christian worship practices and ethical commitments.

Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars Refers to disturbances among Jews in Rome instigated by “Chrestus,” likely Jesus.

Lucian of Samosata, The Passing of Peregrinus Mocks Christians for worshiping a crucified sage, acknowledging Jesus’s execution and followers.

Mara bar Serapion, Letter Speaks of the execution of a “wise king” of the Jews; possible reference to Jesus.

Thallus, as cited by Julius Africanus Attempts to explain darkness during Jesus’s crucifixion as a solar eclipse

Babylonian Talmud  Contains passages interpreted as references to Jesus’s execution and sorcery; interpretations are debated.

Debunked Theories Denying the Resurrection of Jesus

Over the centuries, various theories have been proposed to explain away the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These theories have been critically examined and largely debunked by scholars and theologians. Below is a list of such theories along with sources that discuss and refute them:​Bible.org

1. Swoon Theory: Heinrich Paulus, in the early 19th century-Suggested Jesus didn’t die but merely fainted and later revived. Critics argue that Roman execution methods were thorough, and Jesus’ injuries were fatal, making survival implausible. ​Wikipedia+1Harvest+1Christian Post

2. Stolen Body Theory: Proposes that Jesus’ disciples stole his body to claim resurrection. However, the presence of Roman guards and the disciples’ initial fear make this unlikely. ​

3. Wrong Tomb Theory: Claims that the women and disciples went to the wrong tomb. This is countered by the fact that the tomb’s location was known and guarded.

4. Hallucination Theory: Gerd Lüdemann Suggests that post-resurrection appearances were hallucinations. Given the number of witnesses and group sightings, this theory lacks credibility. ​Wikipedia

5. Vision Theory: Bart D. Ehrman Posits that appearances were spiritual visions, not physical encounters. This doesn’t align with accounts of physical interactions with the risen Jesus. ​Wikipedia

6. Conspiracy Theory: Asserts that the resurrection was a fabricated story by the disciples. The disciples’ willingness to die for their beliefs challenges this notion. ​Catholic Review

7. Legend Theory: Claims the resurrection story evolved over time as a myth. However, early creeds and writings close to the event support its historicity. ​

8. Substitution Theory: Suggests someone else was crucified in Jesus’ place. This theory lacks historical evidence and contradicts eyewitness accounts. ​Wikipedia

9. Christ Myth Theory: Richard Carrier, in his book On the Historicity of Jesus, Argues that Jesus never existed and is a mythological figure. This is widely rejected by scholars due to historical evidence of Jesus’ existence. ​Wikipedia

10. Docetism: An early heresy claiming Jesus only appeared to have a physical body. This contradicts accounts of Jesus’ physical interactions post-resurrection. ​Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1

11. Spiritual Resurrection Theory: Suggests Jesus’ resurrection was purely spiritual. This doesn’t align with the physical nature of post-resurrection appearances. ​Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1

12. No Burial Theory: Claims Jesus wasn’t buried but thrown into a mass grave. This contradicts accounts of his burial by Joseph of Arimathea. ​HarvestWikipedia+1Suko Family+1

13. Heart Theory: Proposes that Jesus’ resurrection was symbolic, living on in the hearts of his followers. This doesn’t account for the physical resurrection narratives. ​

14. Failed Prophet Theory: Suggests Jesus was a failed apocalyptic prophet. This overlooks the transformative impact of his resurrection on his followers. ​The Gospel Coalition

15. Moral Philosopher Theory: Portrays Jesus solely as a moral teacher, denying his divinity and resurrection. This view doesn’t align with early Christian beliefs and writings. ​

16. Twin Theory: Suggests Jesus had a twin who was mistaken for him post-crucifixion. This lacks historical support and is considered implausible. ​Wikipedia

17. Mass Hallucination Theory: Claims that multiple people experienced the same hallucination of the risen Jesus. Psychologically, mass hallucinations of this nature are highly improbable. ​

18. Islamic Substitution Hypothesis: Based on Quranic interpretation, it posits that Jesus was not crucified but someone else was made to appear like him. This view is not supported by historical evidence outside Islamic texts. ​Wikipedia

19. Gnostic Substitution Theory: Some Gnostic texts suggest someone else was crucified in Jesus’ place. These texts are non-canonical and lack historical credibility. ​Wikipedia

20. Mythical Resurrection Theory: Proposes that resurrection stories are borrowed from pagan myths. Scholars note significant differences between Jesus’ resurrection and pagan myths. ​

These theories have been extensively analyzed and found lacking in explanatory power when compared to the historical accounts and the transformative impact of the resurrection event.