The Creed. I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker

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1 I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only The Creed Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right I BELIEVE hand of God the Father Almighty; in CHRIST S from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy RESURRECTION catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen 1

2 What is the One Way to Destroy Christianity Once and for All? For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. - 1 Cor. 15:16-17,19 The insurance against death is to have been created ex nihilo, which keeps open the possibility of an equally miraculous resurrection. Jean Baudrillard, secular postmodernist 2

3 Key Question Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? and what did it accomplish? The Historical Case for the Resurrection 1. Jesus was murdered and buried 2. Three days afterward, His body went missing 3. Jesus appeared alive to various people over the course of 40 days 4. Christ s appearance transformed His followers and became the central focus of their teaching Evidence that Jesus was Buried " And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." (Luke 23:50-56) 3

4 Evidence that Jesus was Buried Burial recorded in all gospels Joseph of Arimathea petitioned Pilate for body Joseph put Jesus in his own tomb Sanhedrin member: unlikely that this would be a lie Burial witnessed by close friends Tomb guarded by soldiers Jews never denied that Jesus was dead and buried Evidence that Jesus Body Went Missing " But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." (Luke 24:1-3) Evidence that Jesus Body Went Missing Empty tomb viewed by Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Peter and John Jewish leaders devised lie to cover up the resurrection; never refuted claim that the body was gone Non-Christian historians record Christian s claims of Jesus being alive 4

5 Evidence that Jesus Appeared Alive "But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which means, Teacher)." (John 20:11-16) Evidence that the Jesus Appeared to Witnesses POST- RESURRECTION APPEARANCES OF CHRIST 1. Very Early 1 st Day. Mary Magdalene Mark 16:9; John 20: Early 1 st Day. The Women Matthew 28: Afternoon 1 st Day. Simon Peter (Cephas) Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5 4. Late Afternoon The Two on the Road to Emmaus Luke 24:31 5. Early Evening The Eleven Mark 16:14; Luke 24:33-39; John 20: week later The Eleven John 20:26 7. Exact time unknown The seven by the Sea of Galilee John 21:1 8. Exact time unknown The 500 brethren 1 Corinthians 15:6 9. Exact time unknown Half-brother James, now the family 1 Corinthians 15:7 head. 10. Exact time unknown The Eleven in Galilee Matthew 28: Exact time unknown The Eleven in Jerusalem Mark 16: Exact time unknown Possible separate meeting of the Eleven Luke 24:44; Acts 1:4 13. During 40 days The 12 who would be preaching this. Acts 1: After 40 days The Ascension Luke 24:50; Acts 1:9-12 "It is historically certain that Peter and the other disciples had experiences after Jesus' death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ." -Gerd Ludeman, Atheist Guttingen University, Germany 5

6 Evidence of Transformed Lives " As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.... On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.... Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply."(acts 4:1-14) Evidence of Transformed Lives Peter crucified upside down Andrew crucified on an X-shaped cross James (disciple) beheaded by Herod John (disciple) banished to Patmos; died natural death in Ephesus Thomas martyred in India James (half-brother of Jesus) thrown from the top of the temple, then stoned Bartholomew filleted alive Matthew killed with sword in Ethiopia Luke hanged in Greece Matthias stoned and beheaded Jude murdered by archers Barnabas stoned at Salonica Paul beheaded in Rome Proposed Alternate Explanations Authorities moved the body no motive for that Spiritual resurrection only the tomb was empty and He did physical things Mistaken identity the tomb was empty, skeptics were converted Swoon theory Jesus did not survive the scourging and cross Hallucination theory mass hallucination not possible Wrong tomb just go to the right tomb and produce the body Disciples stole the body no one dies for a lie they know to be false Legend/myth too early; no myth ever entered into history where 2 generations had not passed. Gospels written with eyewitnesses 6

7 Habermas Flew Debates Anthony Flew, noted (now former) atheist debated Gary Habermas on the historicity of the resurrection. In the end, Flew admitted that Habermas had made an air-tight case that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. What was Flew s answer to that? It was a one-time physical anomaly My Favorite Jesus must have had an unknown, identical twin brother who was separated from him at birth, and who showed up in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion, stole Jesus body, and then showed himself to the disciples, leading them to mistakenly infer that Jesus rose from the dead. Dr. Robert Greg Cavin University of California Professor, Ph.D. Dissertation on the Resurrection (Noted by William Lane Craig in lecture) Jesus Twin Brother? C mon! When we lack the will to see things as they really are, there is nothing so mysterious as the obvious. - Irving Kristol 7

8 The Resurrection is a Copy of Pagan Myths When the dust has soaked up a person s blood, once he is dead, there is no resurrection." -Apollo, founding of Areopagus Aeschylus, Eumenides The Resurrection is a Copy of Pagan Myths Horus Not Resurrected: No account of Horus coming out of the grave with the body he went in with. Some accounts have Horus/Osiris being brought back to life by Isis (after being dismembered) and going to be the lord of the underworld. Krishna Not Resurrected: died and ascended; no resurrection back in this life 8

9 The Resurrection is a Copy of Pagan Myths Attis Not Resurrected: Cybele [the great mother goddess] asks Zeus to preserve Attis and he does with the only signs being that his hair continues to grow and his little finger moves continuously. Only supposed resurrection stories of Attis come AD 150, long after the start of Christianity Mithras Not Resurrected: he completes his earthly mission then is taken to paradise in a chariot alive and well. Tertullian did write about Mithras believers reenacting resurrection scenes, but he wrote about this occurring well after New Testament times. Fallacy of the False Cause What if I told you a story about a British ocean liner that was about 800 feet long, weighed over 60,000 tons, and could carry about 3,000 passengers? The ship had a top cruising speed of 24 knots, had three propellers, and about 20 lifeboats. And what if I told you that this ocean liner hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in the month of April, tearing an opening in the starboard side forward portion of the ship, and sinking along with about 2,000 passengers? What does that sound like? It is a fictional story described in Robertson s book called the Wreck of the Titan or Futility (Buccaneer Books, Cutchogue, New York, 1898). This book was written fourteen years BEFORE the Titanic disaster took place, and several years before the construction was even begun on the Titanic. In the 1880 s, the well known English journalist, W. T. Stead also wrote an account of a sinking ocean liner in the mid-atlantic, and by 1882 had added the detail that an iceberg would be the cause of the disaster. Cults on the Resurrection it could not be that the man Jesus is the Second Adam, the new father of the race instead of Adam; for the man Jesus is dead, forever dead Studies in the Scriptures Vol. V, p.454 in his resurrection he was no more human. He was raised as a spirit creature The Kingdom is at Hand, p

10 The Same Body that Died, Rose The same body that vacated the tomb is the same one that occupied it He had Crucifixion scars He had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) He ate food (Luke 24:42) He was Tangible (Matt 28:9) The body raised is the one sown in death (1 Cor. 15:42) Word soma always means physical bodies Our lowly bodies are transformed to be like His glorious one (Phil 3:21; 1 John 3:2-3) Why the Jesus Tomb is False There is no DNA evidence that this is the historical Jesus of Nazareth The statistical analysis is untrustworthy The name "Jesus" was a popular name in the first century, appearing in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries There is no historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had a child The earliest followers of Jesus never called him "Jesus, son of Joseph. Jesus enemies taunted Him with We were not born of fornication It is highly unlikely that Joseph, who died earlier in Galilee, was buried in Jerusalem, since the historical record connects him only to Nazareth or Bethlehem 10

11 Why the Jesus Tomb is False The Talipot tomb and ossuaries are such that they would have belonged to a rich family, which does not match the historical record for Jesus, a guy who had to get his taxes from the mouth of a fish Fourth-century church historian Eusebius makes quite clear that the body of James, the brother of Jesus, was buried alone near the temple mount and that his tomb was visited in the early centuries, making very unlikely that the Talipot tomb was Jesus' "family tomb" The two Mary ossuaries simply has the name Mary, one of the most common names of that era A Miracle in One of Three Ways 1. Psychological: The disciples and others imagined a risen Christ, changed from unbelieving cowards into courageous evangelists, and went to their deaths for something they ultimately knew to be untrue. 2. Biological: Jesus survived the beatings, scourging, cross, and spear thrust into the heart, fooled his executioners, recuperated in the tomb, rolled away the stone, and had his resurrection falsely proclaimed. 3. Theological: Christ s resurrection was a true, historically valid, and divine miracle where Jesus died and came back to life three days later, which is in keeping with the theme of miracles in the gospels. After examining everything from a historical and rational perspective, the best explanation to account for the facts is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead via a miracle by God. 11

12 That being true, what are the implications for us? The Biblical Basis for the Resurrection "For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay." (Psalm 16:10) "for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."(matthew 12:40) Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19) You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. (Acts 3:15) Theological Implications A Proof that Jesus is the Messiah "concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord," (Romans 1:3-4) 12

13 Theological Implications Necessary belief for salvation "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" (Romans 10:9) Theological Implications Necessary to Cancel Sin s Effects For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:15-16) "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Romans 5:10) 13

14 Theological Implications Provides Hope for Our Resurrection If a man dies, will he live again? (Job 14:14) Theological Implications Provides Hope for Our Resurrection "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,"(romans 6:5) The German chancellor, Konrad Adeneur, once asked Billy Graham this question: Mr.Graham, do you really believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead? Billy Graham somewhat taken aback by the question said, Sir, if I did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I would have no gospel left to preach. And he said Conrad Adeneur paused, walked over to the end of the room, looked out of the window, at the post-war ruins and said, Mr. Graham, outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope for mankind. 14

15 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. -1 Corinthians 15:20 Christ s Ascension " And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. " (Acts 1:9-11) Christ s Place "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19) 15

16 God s Right Hand The word right in the Bible is often used in the sense of being straight ; it is used to describe that which is just or righteous (cf. Gn 18:25). Figuratively speaking, God s right hand is the means whereby victories are obtained for the people of God (Ps. 17:7, 98:1); it is also an instrument of punishment for the ungodly (Heb. 2:16). God s right hand sustains his children in the hour of need (Ps. 139:10). Furthermore, God promises to strengthen the right hand of the person he purposes to help (Is 41:13). To be at the right hand of God is to occupy a place of the choicest blessings (Ps. 16:11) To offer the right hand of fellowship is to extend the warmest and most accepting type of camaraderie (Gal 2:9). Giving the right hand as the sign of a pledge also has a biblical antecedent (2 Kgs 10:15). Although the left hand is often linked to blessings (Prv 3:16), it may also be associated with treachery or other undesirable activity (Eccl 10:2). "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:18-23) All Dead and Buried Buddha Muhammad VS. Confucius Alive Forever! 16

17 I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only The Creed Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right I BELIEVE hand of God the Father Almighty; in CHRIST S from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy RESURRECTION catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen 17