Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

The importance, and the word to Christians

• The question posed (in the host's frame): this sunday, christians around the world are going to celebrate the resurrection of jesus christ. And for christians, the importance of the resurrection can't be overstated. Paul said, in first corinthians (the pinpoint as the frame gives it), that: if christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty. But, with all due respect to paul, there are plenty of skeptics out there, who would point out that the idea of a physical, bodily resurrection from the dead is an impossibility. And that the gospel accounts of this are a little more than fairy tales. If one of those skeptics was sitting across from you today: what evidence would you offer, to support the idea of the physical, bodily resurrection of jesus? The answer: well, first of all, there are many reasons. But i'll address christians, and then i'll address skeptics. If you're a christian, and you believe the bible is the word of god: then it's clear — it teaches, in no uncertain terms, that jesus arose bodily from the dead, in a glorified body. Now, if you are not so sure about the bible, and you want supporting evidence: well, let's talk about — do you believe in god? If you believe in god: well, in principle, god can do miracles. So there's nothing impossible, with the idea of resurrection. And if you believe in an afterlife, at all: then there's going to be some sort of future resurrection. And if (it can be) in the future, why not in the past? So, in principle, if you believe in god, or if you believe in an afterlife at all: there's nothing that would prevent the bible's account, from being true.

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:14

In principle — information and the transformed body

• And in our information age ('in our information aids', as heard), it's interesting: we understand that information is non-material (once the caption chrome is struck from the sentence), and it can be transformed, transferred, from one medium to another. So, like, think of computer technology. And think of digital — various digital forms: from cds, to disks, to hard drives. And so we are now understanding that information can be in all kinds of forms. Well, think about human beings. What makes us human is that intangible information. So, in principle, that could be transferred: from one physical body, that decays, to another physical body. Because what's essential about us is not our physical atoms. But the configuration of information. So from a scientific, or technological, point of view — or information technology point of view — in principle, there's nothing shocking, about the possibility of a resurrection: to a transformed body, or a new body. The same person, in a different and new medium, so to speak.

The historical evidence — eyewitnesses and transformation

• But looking more practically: so let's say — okay, we have this bible account, and it's a historical account. Is it believable? And i would say: absolutely. Even on historical terms. If you posit that there is a god, he could do a miracle. Then: does the bible sound credible, at all? And yes, for multiple reasons. First, we have multiple eyewitness accounts. So you have mary magdalene, who was the very first. And it's interesting: but in the first century, women could not testify in court. So if someone were making up an account, it's highly unlikely that they would feature a woman first. Because that would be the least credible, in their culture. So it's a little counterintuitive. But it's interesting that the fact that they did use a woman indicates: well, that must be what really happened. But of course, we're not just depending on mary magdalene. The other women. Then the apostles. And then paul says, in first corinthians (the chapter as he gives it), over 500 people saw the resurrected christ, at one time. And he makes the point that: some have died, but most are still alive. Now, the apostle paul wrote first corinthians. It's one of the first new testament books — say around a.d. 50, or so. So if that account was not true, you would think there'd be many people alive, saying: wait a minute, that's not accurate. On the other hand, if someone wanted to investigate — as paul said, there were many people alive, that they could go to them, and ask them: what did you see? Did it really happen? So, in a way that we can't do, the readers of the new testament could go to eyewitnesses, and ask them. Now, some have made a big deal, because the different accounts are slightly different. Actually, i think that enhances the credibility. If each account was exactly the same, that would indicate collusion. In a court of law, when you have witnesses — that different witnesses, that saw the same event — usually their testimony will vary. And i'm not talking about errors, or false testimony. But people are telling the truth. But every person sees an event, from his or her own perspective. Certain things they highlight. Certain things they ignore. Certain things are important to them. Certain things are not. So if you have a car accident, for example, and five people saw it: five people give testimony. Their testimony is going to be a little different. Now, on essentials, it's going to be the same. But they're going to — it's going to be told from a different point of view. Well, that's exactly what you see, in the four gospels. You see multiple eyewitness accounts, but with little variations of details. Some things featured. Some things omitted. That actually makes it more realistic, and more credible. If someone was trying to manufacture it, they wouldn't have those little details, that differ. But the fact that these are different eyewitnesses: it's exactly what you would predict. Now, not only that, but now let's think about the apostles. So, when jesus was crucified, they were so afraid, that they ran. The spokesman, the boldest one, the apostle peter: he denied the lord three times, and cursed. Well, what changed them — so that, a few weeks later, the apostle peter stood in front of the crowd, on the day of pentecost, and said: you crucified the lord. You murdered him. Well, why would he be so bold? The same crowd, that a few weeks earlier said: crucify him ('crucify and crucify him', as heard). What was to prevent them, from turning on peter, and doing the same to peter? So the frightened disciples were transformed, into bold witnesses of truth. And they said: it's because jesus rose — arose — from the dead ('jesus rose arose from the dead', in his own doubled form). And not only did they preach boldly: they were persecuted. And, according to early church history, all but the apostle john died a martyr's death. Now, if the resurrection of jesus didn't really happen: you would have had to have over 500 witnesses, lying, or being deceived. You would have the 12 apostles — with eyes replacing judas (the hearing of the replacement apostle's name) — who knew the lord personally, intimately. They traveled with him. They ate with him. They knew him, as a human being. For all of them to say: yes, we saw jesus arise from the dead. Jesus had four half-brothers, who didn't believe on him, until after the resurrection. So what would transform these brothers? If the eloquence, and love, and power, and miracles of jesus couldn't convince them: what more could? Well, if you watched your big brother be crucified — and then, a few days later, he came back, and appeared to you — that could convince you. And so nothing could explain the radical transformation: of the apostles, the early believers, the brothers of jesus. And if this was all fake: you'd have all these people colluding, knowingly lying. Now, you might suppose that, for some reason — for fame, fortune, you know — maybe a group of people would conspire, to collude. But to the point of execution? So they might perpetuate their hoax, as long as they're making lots of money. But when it comes down to it — we're putting you in prison; hey, we're gonna execute you — i mean, that would be the perfect time to say: you know what, i made this up. Would you let me out? And of course, the authorities would be more than happy, to get them to recant their tales ('to get their them to recap their tales', as heard). So what possibly could have made all these people turn — from fearful, doubtful, sad believers, who felt like they lost their mission in life — to become bold proclaimers of truth, even to the point of torture and execution? By their own testimony: they had an encounter, with the resurrected christ. Now, many skeptics, or historians — while they won't accept supernatural events — they recognize the force of that argument. So they come up with arguments like this. An orthodox jewish rabbi — pinterest lapid, as the name is heard — who's a very respected scholar: he said, well, i think jesus really did rise to the dead (as heard), like some of the examples in the old testament. So he wasn't god manifest in the flesh. But somehow there was a miracle, like an old testament miracle. Because nothing else would explain it. Other skeptics, they would say: well, it was hallucinations. But then they have to say it was mass hysteria. Over 500 people had to have a mass hallucination, at the same time. So they try — so they can't deny that something incredible, radical, happened. That all these people thought they saw the resurrected christ. So they're trying to come (up) with psychological and sociological explanations, of how that could have happened. But those explanations seem even less probable, than the miracle itself. And so you have these multiple lines of evidence: the eyewitness accounts, the radical transformation (of) the apostles. Of course, you have prophecies of the old testament, that are fulfilled in the new testament, as jesus showed his disciples. And so it all fits together.

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15

The living witness, and the founder argument

• And then, finally, i would say: we have the witness (of) in our lives, today. Countless people — millions of people — have prayed to jesus christ, and have had a personal encounter with him. If jesus didn't really rise to the dead (as heard), they wouldn't have had those encounters. If they're praying sincerely to god, god could answer prayer. But when they pray in the name of jesus: would god answer a false premise, like that? But we have testimonies of people — saved, healed, delivered, transformed. Their lives are changed. Delivered from addiction. By praying to jesus christ, and saying they have a personal encounter with jesus christ. So i think it's very credible: if you're going to believe in god at all, if you're going to believe in the afterlife at all (as he words it the second time), then the testimony of the new testament is very clear, that jesus did rise from the dead. And of course, that is the turning point of all human history. And that's the foundation of our faith, today. Think about it this way: there are many religions in the world. But christianity is the only religion that depends on the death and resurrection of its founder. So: buddhism exists — buddha's dead. Islam exists — you know, muhammad is dead. But christianity claims that its founder rose from the dead. So if he didn't rise (from) the dead, christianity is false. But when we see the rapid expansion of christianity — especially apostolic christianity, a people baptized in the name of jesus christ, filled with the holy spirit, speaking in tongues, by their own testimony, their lives dramatically changed because of their faith in jesus christ — then that shows in reality what the bible says is true: that christianity is based on — [captured text ends mid-sentence]

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• The captured answer breaks off inside the sentence 'that christianity is based on —' at the close of the founder argument; no outro or closing line stands in the delivered file. It stands as captured, on the same footing as the earlier truncated items in this run; the truncation is disclosed on the record's face.

Scripture index: 1 Corinthians 15:14; 1 Corinthians 15.