DID JESUS CHRIST RISE FROM THE DEAD? IS IT REALLY IMPORTANT? YES!! 1 Cor 15:14,17 NIV 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 17 AND IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, your faith is futile; YOU ARE STILL IN YOUR SINS. NO RESURRECTION = NO SALVATION!!

CLAIMS OF JESUS: Matthew 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9; 17:22,23; 20:18,19; 26:32; 27:63. Mark 8:31; 9:10; 9:31; 10:32-34; 14:28,58. Luke 9: John 2:19-22; 12:34. JESUS CLEARLY ANTICIPATED HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION JESUS ALWAYS SPOKE OF HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION TOGETHER !

THE FACTS: 1)Jesus lived nearly 2,000 years ago. 2) He was crucified on a cross. 3)His body was buried in a tomb. 4) 3 days later his body had gone from the tomb. WHAT HAPPENED? 4 POSSIBILITIES: THEFT 1) THEFT - the body was stolen. SWOON 2) SWOON - he did not die (only fainted). HALLUCINATION 3) HALLUCINATION - all the post resurrection appearances were illusions. MIRACLE 4) MIRACLE - He did rise from the dead.

THEFT 1) THE THEFT THEORY: (Mat 28: I 1-15 NIV) While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED? ATHE DISCIPLES STOLE THE BODY. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: 1)THE EMPTY TOMB HAD TO BE EXPLAINED SOMEHOW. 2)THE GUARDS TESTIMONY WAS NOT QUESTIONED. WHY NOT? 3) THE TOMB WAS SECURED AGAINST THEFT - POSTING THE GUARD (Mat 27:66 NIV) So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and POSTING THE GUARD. [A Roman guard consisted of a minimum of 4 soldiers.]

4)THE DEPRESSION AND COWARDICE OF THE DISCIPLES - THEN ALL THE DISCIPLES DESERTED HIM AND FLED. (Mat 26:56 NIV) But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." THEN ALL THE DISCIPLES DESERTED HIM AND FLED. WITH THE DOORS LOCKED FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS (John 20:1 9 NIV) On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, WITH THE DOORS LOCKED FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you". The disciples knew there was a guard of Roman soldiers on the tomb. (Remember they were the S.A.S. of their day!)

[In the days of Jesus, the stone used to cover the entrance to a tomb usually took three men to move it! What about the noise as it was rolled back]. 7) THE STONE WAS LARGE AND HEAVY - (Mark 1 6:3,4 NIV) and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5) IF THE SOLDIERS WERE ASLEEP, HOW DID THEY KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED? 6) ASLEEP ON DUTY MEANT DEATH FOR A ROMAN SOLDIER! QUOTE: The ordinary punishment for falling asleep on the watch was death'. (Professor A.B.Bruce).

8) THE GRAVE CLOTHES - (John 20:6,7 NIV) Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. [Assuming the disciples had silently rolled the stone away while the guards slept, would they have then unwound the grave clothes and left them in the tomb or grabbed the body and ran?] 9) THE DISCIPLES HAD NOT FULLY REALISED THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION - WHY MAKE IT COME TRUE? (John 20:9 NIV) (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead).

10) THE DISCIPLES SPENT THE REST OF THEIR LIVES PROCLAIMING THE RESURRECTION! Christian tradition tells about the deaths of some of the disciples: Matthew Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia. Mark Mark expired at Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city. Luke Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece. John John was put in a cauldron of boiling oil, but escaped death in a miraculous manner, and was afterward branded at Patmos.

Peter Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward. James, the Greater, James, the Greater, was beheaded at Jerusalem. James, the Less, James, the Less, was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple, and then beaten to death with a fuller's club. Bartholomew Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew Andrew was bound to a cross, whence he preached to his persecutors until he died. Thomas Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies. Jude Jude was shot to death with arrows. Matthias Matthias was first stoned and then beheaded. MEN WILL DIE FOR THE TRUTH BUT NOT FOR A KNOWN LIE! ALL DIED STILL PROCLAIMING THE RESURRECTION

B) THE JEWS OR THE ROMANS STOLE THE BODY 1) if the Jews had stolen the body, then producing it would have finished Christianity. 2) It was in Pilate's best interest to leave it well alone. NEITHER COULD PRODUCE THE BODY!

SWOON 2) THE SWOON THEORY: Christ did not die on the cross but only fainted (or was drugged) and later recovered in the cool of the tomb. 1) CHRIST WAS DEAD ACCORDING TO THE SOLDIERS, JOSEPH AND NICODEMUS. (Mark 1 5:43-45 NIV) Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. (John 1 9:33,34 NIV) But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. A CENTURION FORMALLY STATING THE DEATH OF A PRISONER RISKED DEATH HIMSELF IF THIS FACT WAS FOUND TO BE FALSE!

2) THE DISCIPLES DID NOT SEE A 'REVIVED' JESUS. 3) HOW DID HE MOVE THE STONE FROM INSIDE THE TOMB, AND CLOSE TO DEATH? 4) HOW DID HE GET PAST THE ROMAN GUARD OUTSIDE THE TOMB? 5) HOW DID HE MANAGE TO GET OUT OF THE GRAVE CLOTHES? 6) IT IS A LONG WALK TO EMMAUS ON PIERCED FEET! Emmaus is approximately 7 miles from Jerusalem. 7) IF CHRIST HAD REVIVED THEN HE WAS A DECEIVER AND A LIAR!

HALLUCINATION 3) THE HALLUCINATION THEORY: Christ's post resurrection appearances were the result of people having hallucinations! 1) WERE THE APPEARANCES OF JESUS IMPORTANT? Acts 1:22 NIV 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” The 'hall mark' of an apostle was that they had been eyewitnesses of the resurrection. 2) WOULD IT MATTER IF CHRIST'S APPEARANCES WERE VISIONS? If the apostles had only seen visions the whole of Christianity is based on the dreams that some people had 2000 years ago and is therefore meaningless.

3) WERE HIS APPEARANCES JUST VISIONS? a) It is extremely unlikely for 2 people to see exactly the same hallucination at the same time. b) The appearances were seen by many people on one occasion. c) Often other senses were involved - hearing and touch. d) People tend to hallucinate what they expect. QUOTE: The disciples were not gullible, but rather cautious, 'slow of heart to believe'. They were not susceptible to hallucinations. Nor would strange visions have satisfied them. Their faith was grounded upon the hard facts of verifiable experience.' John Stott. Basic Christianity

IF YOU ARE NOT CONVINCED BY ANY OF THESE POSSIBILITIES - YOU HAVE ONLY ONE LEFT: A MIRACLE (Rom 1:4 NIV) and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Confucius' tomb- occupied Buddha's tomb- occupied Mohammed's tomb- occupied Jesus' tomb- CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!! EMPTY