-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
1/15
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
2/15
WHAT WE W IL LCOVER
A brief outline of events as described in the
Gospels
Examine four fields of evidence Discuss possible explanations of evidence
Draw a conclusion from the evidence covered
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
3/15
A BRIEF OUTLINE O FEVENTS
Jesus preached for 3 years
Was crucified on the cross
Jesus body laid in the tomb of Joseph ofArimathea
On the third day the body of Jesus was discovered
to be missing from the tomb
Jesus appears to many of his followers
Jesus followers begin to preach the good news that
Jesus had risen from the grave
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
4/15
FOUR FIE LDS OFEXA MINATI ON1. That Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of
Arimathea
2. That on the third day the tomb was found empty3. Jesus appeared to many people after the
resurrection
4. The changed lives and teaching of Jesus followers
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
5/15
1. The Tomb of Joseph ofAr imatheaI. Burial site known to Jew and Christian
II. 1 Cor. 15:3-7 mention that he was buried
III. Verified by Marks GospelIV. Joseph of Arimathea not legendary
V. No competing burial stories
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
6/15
1. The Tomb of Joseph ofAr imatheaWe know more about the burial of the Lord Jesus than
we know of the burial of any single character in all
of ancient historywe know the very tomb in
which this body was placed, the name of the manwho owned it, Joseph, of a town known as
Arimathea. We know even where this tomb was
located, in a garden nigh to the place where He
was crucified, outside the city walls.
- Smith, Wilbur M. Therefore Stand: Christian Apologetics, pg 370,371
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
7/15
2. The Tomb was Found Empty Was part of early source material for Marks
Gospel dating to possibly as early as A.D. 37
Classical Historian A.N. Sherwin concluded that
not even two full generations was enough time for
legend to develop
Empty tomb implied in 1 Cor. 15
Womens testimony embarrassing if fabrication
Earliest Jewish teaching taught an empty tomb
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
8/15
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
9/15
3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tion Jesus appear to many different groups
List of eyewitnesses given in 1 Cor. 15 the
teaching in 1 Cor. 15:3-7 can be dated frombetween 2 8 years after the resurrection
Many passages have multiple attetestations so
highly likely to be credible accounts
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according tothe scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above
five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater
part remain unto this present, but some are fallen
asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then ofall the apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:3-7
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
10/15
3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tionThis Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are
witnesses. Acts 2:32
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised
from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 3:15
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
11/15
3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tionBut God raised him from the dead. And he was seen
many days of them which came up with him from
Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto
many people.Acts 13:30,31
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
12/15
3. Jesus Appearances AfterResurr ec tionNote that when the disciples of Jesus proclaimed the
resurrection, they did so as eyewitnesses and they did so
while people were still alive who had had contact with
the events they spoke of. In 56 A.D. Paul wrote thatover 500 people had seen the risen Jesus and that most
of them were still alive (I Cor. 15:6). It passes the
bounds of credibility that the early Christians could
have manufactured such a tale and then preached it
among those who might easily have refuted it simply byproducing the body of Jesus.
- Montgomery, John Warwick,History and Christianity, pg. 78
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
13/15
4. The Changed Lives of JesusFo ll owersI. The Law of Moses said he that is hanged (on a
tree) is accursed of God
II. Jewish belief had no expectation of anyone risingfrom the dead before the resurrection
III. Suddenly disciples begin preaching that Jesus rose
from the grave
IV. The disciples were convinced that Jesus had risen
from the dead
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
14/15
4. The Changed Lives of JesusFo ll owersThink of the character of the witnesses, men and women who
gave the world the highest ethical teaching it has ever
known, and who even of the testimony of their enemies
lived it out in their lives. 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 they were trying to foist upon the world. Thatsimply wouldnt make sense.
- Anderson, J.N.D. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity Today, pg. 6
-
8/14/2019 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ an Historical Fact by Craig Simpson
15/15
CO NCLU DI NG THOUGHTS
The most logical and
satisfactory explanation wehave is that God did in fact
raise Jesus Christ from the
dead