JESUS CHRIST: WHO IS HE?

Transcription

1 JESUS CHRIST: WHO IS HE? By: Daniel L. Akin, President Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC

2 (The Study of Jesus Christ) HIS PERSON HIS WORK (the ontological dimension) (the functional dimension) FULL DEITY FULL HUMANITY SINLESS LIFE BODILY RESURRECTION (two natures/one personality) VICARIOUS DEATH atonement propitiation (satisfaction) reconciliation substitution justification redemption ransom sacrifice example THEOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO CHRISTOLOGY Philosophical Implication/Speculation Systematic Analysis/Synthesis Historical Creeds/Confessions Biblical Exegesis/Exposition 2

3 FOUR GREAT CHRISTOLOGICAL PASSAGES DOCTRINE OF CHRIST John 1:1 18; 8:58 Philippians 2:5 11 Colossians 1:13 20; 2:9 10 Hebrews 1:1 3; 5 14; 2:5 18 Christ is the God of Incarnation Christ is the God of Humiliation Christ is the God of Creation Christ is the God of Revelation The Word of God Logos Doctrine Logos = Word/Jesus Hinge Texts: 1:1; 1:14; 1:18 His Relationship to the Father: The Word 1:1, 14 Radiant Glory 1:14 Only Begotten One 1:14 Son 3:16 His Divine Work in Creation: Of All Things 1:3 Of Life 1:4 His Divine Work in Salvation: Those Who Receive Him His Divine Nature: Theos = (God) 1, 18 Exclusively God 18 In the Flesh 14 In Eternity Past 1 The Form of God The Image of the Invisible God Early Church Hymn: Christ s Humiliation 6 8 Christ s Exaltation 9 11 His Relationship to the Father: Form of God Equal with God Bondservant Set Aside His Divine Glory Did Not Set Aside His Divine Nature His Divine Work in Salvation: (6 8) Emptied Himself Became a Man Obedient to Death His Divine Nature: Theos = (God) 6 Exalted 9 Lord 11 The Lordship of Christ Exists Over: Creation Church 18; 2:10 Christians 13 14, 20 His Divine Work in Salvation: He Has Delivered Us Transferred Us Redeemed Us Forgiven Us His Relationship to the Father: Firstborn 1:15, 18 The Son He Loves v. 13 Co Eternal/Father 17 His Divine Work in Creation: Of All Things v. 16 Pre Existent v. 17 Pre Eminent v. 18 His Divine Nature: Theotetos = Godhead 2:9 Essence of God 1:19 Complete Deity The Revelation of God Greater Than Prophets Seven Character Affirmations: Heir of All Things v. 2 Creator v. 2 Manifestation of God s Being v. 3 Perfect Representation of God v. 3 Sustainer of All Things v. 3 Savior Exalted Lord v. 3 Greater than Angels Seven Scripture Quotations: Psalm 2:7 (v. 5) 2 Sam. 7:14 (v. 5) Deut. 32:43 (v. 6) Psalm 104:4 (v. 7) Psalm 45:6, 7 (vs. 8 9) Psalm 102:25 27 (vs ) Psalm 110:1 (v. 13) 3

4 When God Became A Man John 1:1 18 I. As the Word of God Jesus continually pre existed 1:1 5 1) He is divine in His person 1:1 2) He is divine in His relation 1:2 3) He is divine in His creation 1:3 4) He is said to be divine in His revelation 1:4 5 a) He is life 1:4 b) He is light 1:4 5 II. As the Word of God Jesus was prophetically witnessed 1:6 9 1) The witness came with power 1:6 2) The witness came with a pronouncement 1:7 3) The witness came with purpose 1:7 4) The witness came with perspective 1:8 9 III. As the Word of God Jesus was personally confronted 1: ) Some reject Him in unbelief 1: ) Some receive Him with faith 1:12 13 IV. As the Word of God Jesus was permanently incarnated 1:14 1) He took a body like us 2) He tabernacled among us 3) He transformed our understanding within us V. As the Word of God Jesus is properly exalted 1: ) He is properly exalted because of His coming 1:15 2) He is properly exalted because of His blessings 1:16 17 VI. As the Word of God Jesus perfectly communicated 1:18 1) His communication is perfect because of His essence 2) His communication is perfect because of His exegesis Notes 1:1 Although verbally parallel with Gen. 1:1 and 1 John 1:1, the contexts assign temporal differences. Whereas Gen. 1:1 speaks of the beginning of creation and 1 John 1:1 emphasizes the incarnate manifestation of God in Christ, John in this verse establishes the preexistence of Christ in eternity past. He already was when the beginning took place. Indeed He is affirmed as being: 1) Coequal, 2) Coeternal, 3) Coexistent and 4) Consubstantial with the Father. Jesus is called word (Logos, Gk.). The idea of the Logos was a philosophical concept in John s day, but John uses the word in a larger sense that would include Hebrew ideas also. He also personalizes the term in the person of Jesus. 4

5 What Is At Stake? / Questions to Consider Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God He says He has always existed Among Pantheists anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God: there would be nothing very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the being outside the world who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pgs I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don t accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pgs (1979 ed.) A. Who was/is He? Four options: Liar: He was not who He said He was and He knew so. Lunatic: He was not who He thought He was and He did not know it. Legend: He was not who others later imagined Him to be. Lord: He was who He said He was and the resurrection proves it to be so. B. Who did Jesus say He was? (His self claims) John 8:58 "Before Abraham was I AM" (He claimed to be the God of Exodus 3:14.) John 14:9 "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." John 10:30 "I and My Father are one." 5

6 Seven Great "I AM s" of John s Gospel: 1. I am the Bread of Life (6:35, 41, 48, 51). 2. I am the Light of the World (8:12). 3. I am the Door of the Sheep (10:7, 9). 4. I am the Good Shepherd (10:11, 14). 5. I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25). 6. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6). 7. I am the True Vine (15:1, 5). The point is this: put these words in the mouth of any other person and they sound absurd and insane. Put them in the mouth of Jesus and they make perfect sense. 6

7 Jesus Is Everything Colossians 1:13 23 Jesus Christ Should Have First Place In Your Life Because: I. Jesus is The Savior 1: Through Christ God delivers us 1:13 2. Through Christ God relocates us 1:13 3. Through Christ God redeems us 1:14 4. Through Christ God forgives us 1:14 II. He Is the Revealer 1:15 1. He is the representation of God 2. He is the manifestation of God III.He Is The Creator 1: He made everything 1: He sustains everything 1:17 IV. He Is The Leader 1: Only Jesus is to have first place 1:18 2. Only Jesus has the fullness of deity 1:19 (cf 2:9) 3. Only Jesus is fit to make reconciliation 1:20 V. He Is The Master 1: We are set apart for His glory 1: We must be steadfast in His gospel 1:23 7

8 What has the Church believed about Jesus throughout its history? Three ancient creeds: 1) Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit And born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven And is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, The holy catholic church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen. that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places 2) The Nicene Creed of A.D. 325 We believe in one God, the Father all sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all the ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ascended into the heavens, and sits on the right hand of the Father, and comes again with glory to judge living and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. 3) The Chalcedon Creed of A.D. 451 "Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame one is perfect both in deity and also in human ness; this selfsame one is also actually God and actually man, 8

9 with a rational soul and a body. He is of the same reality [homoousion] as we are ourselves as far as his human ness is concerned; thus like us in all respect of his deity, and now in these last days, for us and on behalf of our salvation, this selfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who is the God bearer [theotokos] in respect of his human ness. [We also teach] that we apprehend this one and only Christ Son, Lord, onlybegotten in two natures; without confusing the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other, without dividing them into two separate categories, without contrasting them according to area or function. The distinctiveness of each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, the "properties" of each nature are conserved and both natures concur in one "person" [prosopon] and in one hypostasis. They are not divided or cut into two prosopa, but are together the one and only and only begotten Logos of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught us; thus the symbol of the fathers has handed down to us." 9

10 CHRISTOLOGY IN THE CHURCH COUNCILS The resolution of Trinitarian relationships and the hypostatic union of Christ ERROR AGAINST DEITY CHURCH POSITION ERRORS AGAINST HUMANITY Arius Christ is a Created Being Nestorius Christ is two natures in a mechanical union NICEA, 325 CHRIST IS ETERNAL AND TRULY GOD CONSTANTINOPLE, 381 FULL HUMANITY OF CHRIST IS AFFIRMED EPHESUS, 431 UNITY OF CHRIST S PERSONALITY IS AFFIRMED CHALCEDON, 451 ORTHODOX CHRISTOLOGY ESTABLISHED: Two natures in one person Apollinarius Dominant Logos over the Humanity Eutyches Divine Nature Shallows up the Human Nature CHRIST S TWO NATURES: SEVEN VIEWS POSITION REPRESENTATIVE DATE HUMAN NATURE DIVINE NATURE Docetism Marcion 2 nd Cent. Denied Affirmed Ebionitism Jewish Cult 2 nd Cent. Affirmed Denied Arianism Arius 4 th Cent. Affirmed Diminished Apollinarianism Apollinaris 4 th Cent. Diminished Affirmed Nestorianism Nestorius 5 th Cent. Affirmed Affirmed but separated Monophysitism Eutyches 5 th Cent. Affirmed Affirmed but mixed Orthodoxy Athanasius 1 st Cent. Affirmed Affirmed and united 10

11 JESUS CHRIST: GOD S VERY BEST Hebrews 1:1 4 I. If you want to hear God, listen to Jesus. (vs. 1 2) 1. God s revelation through His prophets was true, but partial. (vs. 1) 2. God s revelation through His Son is true and perfect. (vs. 2) II. If you want to see God, look at Jesus. (vs. 2) 1. He is a divine inheritor. (vs. 2) 2. He is the divine creator. (vs. 2) 3. He is the divine revealer. (vs. 3) 4. He is the divine character. (vs. 3) 5. He is the divine sustainer. (vs. 3) 6. He is the divine redeemer. (vs. 3) 7. He is the divine Savior. (vs. 3) III. If you want to worship God, lift up Jesus. (vs. 4) 1. He is not an esteemed servant. (vs. 4; also vs ) 2. He is the exalted Son. (vs. 4; also vs. 5) The Westminster Confession of Faith of

12 Chapter 8 Of Christ the Mediator 1. It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of his church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom he did from all eternity give a people, to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. 2. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon him man s nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man. 3. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure, having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a mediator, and surety. Which office he took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by his Father, who put all power and judgment into his hand, and gave him commandment to execute the same. 4. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that he might discharge, he was under the law, and did perfectly fulfill it; endured most grievous torments immediately in his 12

13 soul, and most painful sufferings in his body; was crucified, and died, was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day he arose from the dead, with the same body in which he suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father, making intercession, and shall return to judge men and angels, at the end of the world. 5. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience, and sacrifice of himself, which he, through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him. 6. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein he was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent s head; and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; being yesterday and today the same, and forever. 7. Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet, by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the person denominated by the other nature. 8. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the Word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by his 13

14 almighty power and wisdom, in such manner, and ways, as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation. The Abstract of Principles of 1858 VII. The Mediator. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed Mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law, suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried and rose again the third day and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He ever liveth to make intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church and Sovereign of the Universe. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 II. God There is one and only living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. A. God the Father God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, 14

15 all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in attitude toward men. B. God the Son Christ is the eternal Son of God. He His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord. C. God the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring 15

16 the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. Affirmations of Historic Christology: 1) There is a true incarnation of the Logos, the second person of the Godhead. This is an assumption of the divine personality of the eternal Logos, so that they constitute, from the moment of the supernatural conception, one undivided life. 2) There is a distinction between nature and person in which nature denotes the totality of powers and qualities which constitute a being; while person is the ego, the self conscious, self asserting and acting subject. 3) The God man is the result of the incarnation. Christ is not a double being, nor a compound being, nor a middle being, but he is the one Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. 4) In the incarnation there is not qualification or diminuation of either the Godhead or the humanity of Christ, but each retains fully and completely its own integrity. Christ is 100% God and 100% human. 5) It is a genuine hypostatic union, which is a real, supernatural, personal, and inseparable union. Two natures have truly been united in the one person Jesus, the Son of God. 6) The whole work of Christ is to be attributed to his person and not to the one or the other nature exclusively. 7) Jesus Christ exists only in an incarnation, and in this sense there is no Jesus of Nazareth possessing an independent life of his own. There was a time when Jesus was not. There has never been a time when the Son was not. 16

17 The Reality of the Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:1 11 I. The resurrection of Jesus is a powerful reality 15:1 2 1) It provides us a standing 15:1 2) It provides us salvation 15:2 II. The resurrection of Jesus is a prophetic reality 15:3 4 1) Messiah died according to the O.T. revelation 15:3 2) Messiah was raised according to O.T. revelation 15:4 (cf. Gen. 22; Ps. 16:8 11; Ps. 22; Is. 52:13 53:12; Jonah 1:17; 2:10; Zech. 12:10) III. The resurrection of Jesus is a proven reality 15:5 10 1) He was seen by Peter 15:5 2) He was seen by the apostles 15:5, 7 3) He was seen by over :6 4) He was seen by James 15:7 5) He was seen by Paul 15:8 10 a) This gospel inspires humility 15:8 9 b) This gospel energizes ability 15:10 IV. The resurrection of Jesus is a proclamation reality 15:11 1) This gospel must be preached 2) This gospel must be believed The mystery of the Incarnation unfolds into the mystery of Good Friday and of Easter. And once more it is as it has been said so often in this whole mystery of faith, that we must always see two things together, we must always understand one by the other for there is no theologia curcis which does not have its complement in the theologia gloriae. Of course, there is no Easter without Good Friday, but equally certainly there is no Good Friday without Easter. Karl Barth. Dogmatics in Outline. (New York: Harper s and Row, 1959) The resurrection of Jesus was a real historical occurrence, and not something first and foremost taking place in the hearts and minds of the first believers. The crucifixion of Jesus by itself could not have motivated the courage of martyrdom and unquenchable hope for the cause of salvation which Jesus preached and embodied in his actions. Jewish Scholar, Lapide Pinchas. The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1983) p

18 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ (A Historical and Theological Analysis) Our Options 1. A great hoax (The resurrection is false) 2. A nice mythology (The resurrection is fiction) 3. The supreme event in history (The resurrection is fact) A. Naturalistic Theories That Reject the Historical, Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Naturalistic ideas were popularized by 19 th century liberal theologians, and some of them are still prevalent today. All of them are rooted in an antisupernatural worldview. 1. The swoon theory. This view argues that Jesus did not really die but fainted because of the enormous physical punishment He suffered. Later, Jesus emerged from the tomb and convinced His followers that He had risen from the dead. In his best seller The Passover Plot, Hugh Schonfield says Jesus planned the whole thing with help from Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus was drugged while on the cross, making it appear that He had died. Unfortunately, He was seriously injured and actually died a short time later. Barbara Thiering, who teaches at the University of Sydney, Australia believes that Jesus was crucified alongside Judas and Simon Magus at Qumran. He was given snake poison to fake His death and later recovered. He would go on to marry Mary Magdalene and later Lydia, and He would father several children! The evidence for these theories is zero! 2. The spirit theory. Jesus was not raised bodily, but He returned in a spirit form or as a spirit creature. This view is sometimes popular among liberal theologians who have mystical interests, as well as among New Age followers. The Jehovah s Witnesses cult, which teaches that Jesus was created by God as the archangel Michael asserts, King Christ Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected an invisible spirit creature. 3. The hallucination theory. The German scholar David Strauss ( ) argued, According to our view the imagination of his [Jesus ] followers aroused in their deepest spirit, presented their master revived, for they could not possibly think of him as dead. [it is] reduced completely to the state of mind and made into an inner event. Ian Wilson, believes that Jesus preprogrammed His disciples to hallucinate by means of hypnosis. 4. The vision theory. The disciples had experiences they interpreted or understood to be literal appearances of the risen Jesus. Though not identical, this view is similar to the spirit theory. 5. The legend/myth theory. Basically the view of the Jesus Seminar, Jesus stories were embellished and exaggerated. Proponents of this view wrongly separate the Jesus of history (who He really was) from the Christ of faith (what the church later imagined Him to be). They see the resurrection as a wonder story indicating the significance the mythical Jesus held for His followers. The tomb, this position claims, most certainly was not empty. 6. The stolen body theory. This is the earliest theory that attempts to explain away Jesus bodily resurrection. It goes back to Matthew 28:11 15 and says the 18

19 disciples stole His body. Occasionally, it is alleged that the body could also have been stolen by the Jewish leaders, the Romans, or even Joseph of Arimathea. 7. The wrong tomb theory. Belief in Jesus bodily resurrection rests on a simple mistake: first the women and later the men went to the wrong tomb by accident. Finding the wrong tomb empty, they erroneously concluded that Jesus had risen from the dead. 8. The lie for profit theory. Jesus alleged resurrection was perhaps the greatest religious hoax ever attempted and was perpetrated by His disciples. Jesus death by crucifixion was a huge disappointment, but His followers saw a way to turn it for good and financial profit. They proclaimed that Jesus had risen, built a substantial following, and profited from the monies they fleeced from people. 9. The twin theory. In a 1995 debate with Christian apologist William Lane Craig, philosopher Robert Greg Cavin argued that Jesus had an identical twin brother. Separated at birth, they did not see each other again until the crucifixion. Following Jesus death, His twin conjured up a messianic identity and mission for Jesus, stole His body, and pretended to be the risen Jesus. 10. The Muslim theory. Islam rejects the biblical witness of Jesus crucifixion, teaching instead that God provided a substitute for Jesus, perhaps even making the person look like Jesus. Surah 4:157 in the Qur an says, They declared: We have put to death the Messiah Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of Allah. They did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but they thought they did. Muslims do not agree on who took Jesus place. Candidates include Judas, Pilate, Simon of Cyrene, or even one of the disciples. B. Contemporary Models for the Resurrection 1. The facticity of the resurrection is seriously questioned or dismissed. The nature of the original eyewitnesses experience cannot be ascertained (Ex. Bultmann, Marxsen, Koester, Kung, Van Buren). 2. A literal resurrection may be true but it cannot be historically verified. The important element is the nature of the disciples experience, and the truth that the resurrection can only be accepted by faith (Ex. K. Barth, Brunner, Bonhoeffer, Bornkamm, Rahner, M. Barth and Torrance). 3. A resurrection is probable and an abstract reconstruction of the historical nature of the appearances is possible. The empty tomb is viewed as the best explanation of the available data. However, it is still argued that the resurrection is an eschatological event and is not demonstrable by historical methodology, although it may possibly be verified in the future (Ex. Grass Christ appeared in a spiritual form; Moltmann the disciples witnessed visionary appearances of the risen Lord). Jesus appearances, then, were more along the lines of private revelations (also included here are R. Fuller, Jeremias, O Collins). Again, such appearances cannot be known expect in faith. 4. A literal resurrection of Jesus and an empty tomb is the most probable solution based upon the available data. (Ex. Pannenberg). Yet Pannenberg rejects a corporeal resurrection body in favor of a spiritual body which appeared from heaven, was recognized as Jesus, spoke, and in Paul s case, was accompanied by a phenomenon of light (Also A.M. Hunter, R. Brown, J.D.G. Dunn, L. Gopplet and A.M. Ramsey). 19

20 5. A literal bodily resurrection of Jesus and an empty tomb is the best solution of the Easter event based upon the evidence. This position differs from number four in its affirmation of a resurrected body. This is the classic orthodox position, and the one affirmed by evangelicals (significant contributions come from Ladd, Craig, Osborne, D. Fuller, Gundry and Geisler; it is also my position). SPECIFIC EVEIDENCES 1. Naturalistic theories fail to explain away the event and have been disproved or rejected (even by liberal scholarship). 2. It does work and meet genuine needs (subjective evidence). 3. The birth and continuance of Christianity with the central message of the resurrection fron the beginning. 4. The change in the day of Worship from the Sabbath to Sunday by Jews. 5. Testified to have been seen by women first, in spite of the invalid nature of their witness in major cases in the first century. 6. Radical change in the disciples. A. New power B. New courage C. Faithful to death * Men will die for a lie. They will not die for what they know is a lie. 7. Empty tomb/no body. 8. Numerous and various resurrection appearances. 9. Unlikely nature of mass hallucination. 10. Reported appearances which lasted 40 days then completely stopped for all. 11. The 50 day interval between the resurrection and the proclamation at Pentecost (Acts 2) in Jerusalem itself. 12. Multitude of fulfilled Old Testament prophecies (Gen.3:15; 12:1 3; 49:9 10; Num.24:17; Deut.18:15; 2 Sam.7:12 16; Psalms 2, 16, 22, 45, 110; Isa.7:14; 9:6 7; 53; Zech.9:9; 12:10; Mic.5:2). 13. The Jewish leaders could not disprove the message. 14. Conversion of two skeptics: James and Paul. 15. Accepted character and claims of Jesus. He claimed to be God (John 8:58; 10:30; 14:9 He claimed He would rise (Matt. 16:24) C.S. Lewis said, He is either Lord, Liar or Lunatic. He left us no other options. 16. Articles left in the empty tomb (John 20:5 ff.). 17. Unexpected nature of the resurrection. 18. Reliable eyewitness documents recording the facts. * The New Testament is the most well authenticated document from the ancient world. There are more manuscripts of the New Testament (5700) of an earlier date and more reliable nature than any other book from antiquity. Histories Oldest MSS Number Surviving 20

21 Livy 59 B.C. A.D th Century 20 Tacitus A.D th & 10 th Centuries 3 Thucydides B.C. 10 th Century 8 + a few papyrus Fragments Herodotus B.C. 10 th Century very few New Testament c c. 5,700 (counting only Greek manuscripts). Plus there are more than 10,000 in Latin,and more than 1 million quotations from the church fathers (Reinventing Jesus: What The Da Vinci Code and Other Novel Speculations Don t Tell You, p. 71). Additional Sources for Additional Study: Akin, Daniel. Discovering The Biblical Jesus. LifeWay, Driscoll, Mark. Vintage Jesus. Crossway, Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ. Zondervan, Stott, John. The Cross of Christ. Downers Grove,