-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
This is a copy/paste. The formatting is recognized here
Examining the Resurrection.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I want you to listen to the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then conclude individually, whether you believe He rose from the dead or not. Throughout this trial, you will hear about the crucifixion, how there was no way He could have survived it. You will hear from a Roman guard who was guarding the tomb, eyewitnesses, a centurion, and even early skeptics of the day. We will also look at the physical evidence of such as what was used to beat and crucify the victim. The whips, nails, the cross, the crown of thorns. We will also look at the broken seal, and the cloth that he was wrapped in.
Let the court proceed.
Examining the Resurrection.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I want you to listen to the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then conclude individually, whether you believe He rose from the dead or not. Throughout this trial, you will hear about the crucifixion, how there was no way He could have survived it. You will hear from a Roman guard who was guarding the tomb, eyewitnesses, a centurion, and even early skeptics of the day. We will also look at the physical evidence of such as what was used to beat and crucify the victim. The whips, nails, the cross, the crown of thorns. We will also look at the broken seal, and the cloth that he was wrapped in.
Let the court proceed.
-
1
- Show all
It opened formatted in Notepad for me... (cut and pasted into four posts total including this one)
Examining the Resurrection.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I want you to listen to the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then conclude individually, whether you believe He rose from the dead or not. Throughout this trial, you will hear about the crucifixion, how there was no way He could have survived it. You will hear from a Roman guard who was guarding the tomb, eyewitnesses, a centurion, and even early skeptics of the day. We will also look at the physical evidence of such as what was used to beat and crucify the victim. The whips, nails, the cross, the crown of thorns. We will also look at the broken seal, and the cloth that he was wrapped in.
Let the court proceed.
The first witnesses I call to the stand is Joseph of Arimathea.
Joseph of Arimathea, please tell the court a little bit about yourself and your relationship with Jesus.
Joseph: “Certainly. I’m a prominent council member, who is also a disciple of Jesus.”
Thank you. Did you witness the crucifixion or death of Jesus?
Joseph: “Yes, I went to Pontius Pilate, who is the governor (Mt. 27:2), and for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate for Jesus’s body (Mk. 15:43; Jn. 19:38). I along with Nicodemus, took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury (Jn. 19:38-42). I then rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed (Mt. 27:57-60).”
So, to be sure I and the jury heard you correctly, you and Nicodemus wrapped the body in linen cloth, and along with Nicodemus laid it in a new tomb (Mk. 15:46; Mt. 27:57-60; Jn. 19:38-42)?
Joseph: “Yes, sir. That is correct.”
Is Nicodemus here in the audience?
Joseph: “He is.”
Could you point him out for jury?
*Joseph points toward Nicodemus*
Thank you, once again.
Was Jesus dead when you took him off the cross, wrapped Him up in linen cloth and put Him in the tomb?
Joseph: Absolutely.
No further questions, judge. I’d like to call my next witness, Luke.
Hello, Luke..how are you doing this afternoon?
Luke: “I’m doing well, thank you. Yourself?”
Just fine…
Luke, would you tell the jury a bit about yourself.
Luke: “I’m a follower of the risen Messiah, as well as a physician, and a laborer of the gospel” (Col. 4:14; Phm. 1:24)
A physician, you say?
Luke: “Correct.”
In your opinion as a physician, would you take a look at these items before you and tell the jury if anyone would have been able to survive the crucifixion? There are the nails, the whips (leading up to the crucifixion), the crown of thorns, and the spear that was used in his side. Could it have been reasonable to conclude anyone was able to survive all of that?
Luke: “As a physician, I can unequivocally say that no one would have been able to survive the crucifixion as we know it in regard to Jesus.”
Thank you…and other physicians agree with you. Dr. C. Truman Davis stated “Jesus experienced hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain where tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins -- a terrible crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.”
No further questions for Luke, judge.
By now, I hope we all can see the evidence beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus did die on the cross. How could He have survived the amount of blood loss from scourging, the vicious crown of thorns pressed down into His head, the nails that no doubt caused horrendous and serious damage to His feet and hands, the hours of pain and agony, and then a spear that was drove in His side? It’s not reasonable to conclude that He survived that.
My next witness, I will call one of the Roman guards.
Afternoon, sir. Would you care to state to the court what is it you do and where you were on the night of the burial?
Roman Guard: “I’m a Roman soldier, who was one of the guards who was appointed to guard the tomb of Jesus.” (Mt. 27:66).
And was the tomb sealed shut?
Roman Guard: “Yes. It was.”
And how secure was it from being able to be able to get inside?
Roman Guard: “The chief priests and the Pharisees were told by Pilate to “make it as secure as you know how.” (Mt. 27:65).
I see…to make it as secure as you know how…sir..could you please tell the jury by identifying what this is that I’m holding in this bag of evidence?
Roman Guard: “That is a seal that they sealed the stone with.”
According to Easton’s Dictionary, a seal, concerning the tomb, was for the purpose of making sure that the disciples would not come and steal the body away (ver. 63, 64). The mode of doing this was probably by stretching a cord across the stone and sealing it at both ends with sealing-clay.
Is his definition correct, sir?
Roman Guard: “Yes. His definition is correct”
Would it be also fair to say it also stands or stood for the power and authority of the Roman Empire?
Roman Guard: “Sure, yes.”
Yet, the seal was broken, was it not?
Roman Guard: “It was…”
Sir..how was the seal broken when y’all were guarding the tomb? Better yet, how was the tomb moved when y’all were on guard?
Roman Guard: “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” (Mt. 28:13).
If y’all were asleep then how do you know it was His disciples? Don’t answer that..answer this..what’s the consequence for falling asleep on the duty as a Roman soldier? When one falls asleep on duty, that is abandoning their duty or their post, correct? Abandoning their duty/post for sleep?
Whether it was or wasn’t considered abandoning, falling asleep is still a serious offense, correct?
Roman Guard: “Correct.”
In fact, in referencing Polybius’s work, The Rise of the Roman Empire (c. 110 BC), Spartacus-educational.com states
“If the Roman soldier is found guilty (of falling asleep on duty), he is punished by fustuarium. This is carried out as follows. The tribune takes a cudgel and lightly touches the condemned man with it, whereupon all the soldiers fall upon him with clubs and stones, and usually kill him... If large groups desert their posts under extreme pressure, the officers reject the idea of beating to death or executing all who are guilty, but the solution they adopt is as effective as it is terrifying. The tribune calls the legion on parade... he chooses by lot... about a tenth of those who have shown themselves guilty of cowardice. Those on whom the lot has fallen are clubbed to death.”
Examining the Resurrection.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I want you to listen to the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then conclude individually, whether you believe He rose from the dead or not. Throughout this trial, you will hear about the crucifixion, how there was no way He could have survived it. You will hear from a Roman guard who was guarding the tomb, eyewitnesses, a centurion, and even early skeptics of the day. We will also look at the physical evidence of such as what was used to beat and crucify the victim. The whips, nails, the cross, the crown of thorns. We will also look at the broken seal, and the cloth that he was wrapped in.
Let the court proceed.
The first witnesses I call to the stand is Joseph of Arimathea.
Joseph of Arimathea, please tell the court a little bit about yourself and your relationship with Jesus.
Joseph: “Certainly. I’m a prominent council member, who is also a disciple of Jesus.”
Thank you. Did you witness the crucifixion or death of Jesus?
Joseph: “Yes, I went to Pontius Pilate, who is the governor (Mt. 27:2), and for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate for Jesus’s body (Mk. 15:43; Jn. 19:38). I along with Nicodemus, took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury (Jn. 19:38-42). I then rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed (Mt. 27:57-60).”
So, to be sure I and the jury heard you correctly, you and Nicodemus wrapped the body in linen cloth, and along with Nicodemus laid it in a new tomb (Mk. 15:46; Mt. 27:57-60; Jn. 19:38-42)?
Joseph: “Yes, sir. That is correct.”
Is Nicodemus here in the audience?
Joseph: “He is.”
Could you point him out for jury?
*Joseph points toward Nicodemus*
Thank you, once again.
Was Jesus dead when you took him off the cross, wrapped Him up in linen cloth and put Him in the tomb?
Joseph: Absolutely.
No further questions, judge. I’d like to call my next witness, Luke.
Hello, Luke..how are you doing this afternoon?
Luke: “I’m doing well, thank you. Yourself?”
Just fine…
Luke, would you tell the jury a bit about yourself.
Luke: “I’m a follower of the risen Messiah, as well as a physician, and a laborer of the gospel” (Col. 4:14; Phm. 1:24)
A physician, you say?
Luke: “Correct.”
In your opinion as a physician, would you take a look at these items before you and tell the jury if anyone would have been able to survive the crucifixion? There are the nails, the whips (leading up to the crucifixion), the crown of thorns, and the spear that was used in his side. Could it have been reasonable to conclude anyone was able to survive all of that?
Luke: “As a physician, I can unequivocally say that no one would have been able to survive the crucifixion as we know it in regard to Jesus.”
Thank you…and other physicians agree with you. Dr. C. Truman Davis stated “Jesus experienced hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain where tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins -- a terrible crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.”
No further questions for Luke, judge.
By now, I hope we all can see the evidence beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus did die on the cross. How could He have survived the amount of blood loss from scourging, the vicious crown of thorns pressed down into His head, the nails that no doubt caused horrendous and serious damage to His feet and hands, the hours of pain and agony, and then a spear that was drove in His side? It’s not reasonable to conclude that He survived that.
My next witness, I will call one of the Roman guards.
Afternoon, sir. Would you care to state to the court what is it you do and where you were on the night of the burial?
Roman Guard: “I’m a Roman soldier, who was one of the guards who was appointed to guard the tomb of Jesus.” (Mt. 27:66).
And was the tomb sealed shut?
Roman Guard: “Yes. It was.”
And how secure was it from being able to be able to get inside?
Roman Guard: “The chief priests and the Pharisees were told by Pilate to “make it as secure as you know how.” (Mt. 27:65).
I see…to make it as secure as you know how…sir..could you please tell the jury by identifying what this is that I’m holding in this bag of evidence?
Roman Guard: “That is a seal that they sealed the stone with.”
According to Easton’s Dictionary, a seal, concerning the tomb, was for the purpose of making sure that the disciples would not come and steal the body away (ver. 63, 64). The mode of doing this was probably by stretching a cord across the stone and sealing it at both ends with sealing-clay.
Is his definition correct, sir?
Roman Guard: “Yes. His definition is correct”
Would it be also fair to say it also stands or stood for the power and authority of the Roman Empire?
Roman Guard: “Sure, yes.”
Yet, the seal was broken, was it not?
Roman Guard: “It was…”
Sir..how was the seal broken when y’all were guarding the tomb? Better yet, how was the tomb moved when y’all were on guard?
Roman Guard: “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” (Mt. 28:13).
If y’all were asleep then how do you know it was His disciples? Don’t answer that..answer this..what’s the consequence for falling asleep on the duty as a Roman soldier? When one falls asleep on duty, that is abandoning their duty or their post, correct? Abandoning their duty/post for sleep?
Whether it was or wasn’t considered abandoning, falling asleep is still a serious offense, correct?
Roman Guard: “Correct.”
In fact, in referencing Polybius’s work, The Rise of the Roman Empire (c. 110 BC), Spartacus-educational.com states
“If the Roman soldier is found guilty (of falling asleep on duty), he is punished by fustuarium. This is carried out as follows. The tribune takes a cudgel and lightly touches the condemned man with it, whereupon all the soldiers fall upon him with clubs and stones, and usually kill him... If large groups desert their posts under extreme pressure, the officers reject the idea of beating to death or executing all who are guilty, but the solution they adopt is as effective as it is terrifying. The tribune calls the legion on parade... he chooses by lot... about a tenth of those who have shown themselves guilty of cowardice. Those on whom the lot has fallen are clubbed to death.”
Why would y’all fall asleep knowing this would happen? And—not to sound morbid, but why are you still alive due to the repercussions? Remember, you’re under oath.
Roman Guard: “We didn’t…”
Didn’t what?
Roman Guard: “Didn’t fall asleep…”
Excuse me sir, but you said moments ago y’all fell asleep…
Roman Guard: “We were given a large sum of money and were told to say we fell asleep. We were also told if this comes to the governor’s ears, that the chief priests and the elders would have appeased him and make us secure (Mt. 24:12-14).”
So just to clarify, all who were on guard that night were well awake, were guarding the tomb, to prevent anyone to be able to get in to steal the body?
Roman Guard: “Yes…”
Yet, the tomb was empty. Wasn’t it?
Roman Guard: “Yes, the tomb was empty…”
No further questions for the witness.
The next witness I call to the stand is Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene, would you explain to the court what you witnessed three days after Jesus had been crucified?
Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,fn and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Mary, how did the disciples react at the news of the resurrection?
Mary: They did not believe it at first.
“And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.” (Mk 16:13)
Mary, are you admitting you saw the risen Jesus, the tomb was rolled away, and His own apostles didn’t believe it when you told them?
Mary: “Surprisingly, yes.”
What about the Roman guards? How did they react?
Mary: “the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.” (Mt. 28:4)
One of those Roman guards, was he the one I just questioned before you?
Mary: “Yes. He’s one of them.”
Could you point him out to the jury?
*Mary points to the guard*
Thank you, Mary. You’ve been of great help.
The next witness I call to the stand, is the Apostle Peter
Peter, you’re one of the Apostles of Christ, correct?
Peter: “That is correct..My Lord and Saviour chose me along with 11 others while He was on earth to be one of His Apostles.” (Acts 1:2)
Matthew 4:18-20 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
John 15:16-17 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. “These things I command you, that you love one another.
I have to ask, is it true that you and the others moved the stone and stole the body?
Peter: “No, it’s not true at all. Just the opposite, for I was one of the Apostles to run to the tomb after I had heard. Why would I have done that knowing we stole it? I and the others were also shocked and didn’t believe when we first heard about His resurrection at first. If we did what we have been accused of, then I and the others would have reacted in a different way when we first heard about it.”
John 20:3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
Peter, was this the only time you saw Jesus after His resurrection?
Peter: “Oh, no..He was with us for another forty days. Presented Himself with many infallible proofs, and He spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)
Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Thank you, Peter. No further questions for you.
I call the Roman guard back to the stand.
Sir, by now as you know you are under oath…so be careful how you respond to these questions. Understand?
Roman Guard: “I understand.”
Good.
Did you see Mary Magdalene on the third day, which would have been on a Sunday?
Roman Guard: “Yes. I saw her there”
And is it true that the guards [which would include you] shook for fear of him, and became like dead men”?
Guard? Is it true?
Judge: “Answer the questions.”
Roman Guard: “Yes…it’s true.”
Why?
Roman Guard: “Because we were afraid of the penalty for failing”
Afraid of the penalty for failing or afraid of what you and the others had seen?
Prosecuter: “Objection! Lawyer is presupposing there was a resurrection!”
Judge: Sustained. Don’t ask the guard questions like that could be of any presumption, defense.”
Sorry, judge. I will ask it in a different way.
Guard, what purpose would y’all have to react in that manner when you have admitted on record that y’all were not asleep? In other words, y’all were awake, y’all would have been armed, the disciples did not steal the body (and if anyone had a reason to steal the body to say Jesus resurrected, it would have been them), but you’ve admitted in your earlier statement that y’all were all well awake and were guarding the tomb to prevent anyone to be able to get in to steal the body.
In light of all of that, how was the the tomb then moved? You’re under oath…
Guard: “Ok, I admit it! The reason we were scared to the extent that we were was because we all witnessed something we have never witnessed!”
What was that?
Guard: “An angel of the Lord descended from heaven and the great earthquake happened. The earthquake happened when the angel descended. His form, his external appearance, the way he looked was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow! He rolled away the stone and sat on it! Just as the lady said earlier!” (Mt. 27:2-3)
Thank you, guard. No further questions for you.
The next witness I will call to the stand is the centurion.
Sir, could you tell the jury what you were doing when Jesus was on the cross?
Centurion: I was guarding Jesus.
So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt. 27:54).
Did you witness anything out of the ordinary that particular day?
Centurion: Matthew 27:45 the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. Matthew 27:51-53 the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
And as the result of all of that, what did you say when you witnessed all those things?
Centurion: “Truly this was the Son of God!” (v54)
Do you believe that?
Centurion: “I do!”
No further questions.
My next witness to the stand is the Apostle Thomas.
Thomas, what led you to go from “doubting Thomas” to believing?
Thomas: “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas,fn because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn. 20:24-29)
So..just like Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the others, you also saw and felt Jesus?
Thomas: “I most certainly did”
And the resurrected Jesus, is why you believe?
Thomas: “Oh, absolutely.”
No further questions...
My next witness to the stand is the Apostle Paul
Paul, you’ve had a rather interesting background..would you mind telling the jury about it?
Roman Guard: “We didn’t…”
Didn’t what?
Roman Guard: “Didn’t fall asleep…”
Excuse me sir, but you said moments ago y’all fell asleep…
Roman Guard: “We were given a large sum of money and were told to say we fell asleep. We were also told if this comes to the governor’s ears, that the chief priests and the elders would have appeased him and make us secure (Mt. 24:12-14).”
So just to clarify, all who were on guard that night were well awake, were guarding the tomb, to prevent anyone to be able to get in to steal the body?
Roman Guard: “Yes…”
Yet, the tomb was empty. Wasn’t it?
Roman Guard: “Yes, the tomb was empty…”
No further questions for the witness.
The next witness I call to the stand is Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene, would you explain to the court what you witnessed three days after Jesus had been crucified?
Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,fn and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Mary, how did the disciples react at the news of the resurrection?
Mary: They did not believe it at first.
“And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.” (Mk 16:13)
Mary, are you admitting you saw the risen Jesus, the tomb was rolled away, and His own apostles didn’t believe it when you told them?
Mary: “Surprisingly, yes.”
What about the Roman guards? How did they react?
Mary: “the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.” (Mt. 28:4)
One of those Roman guards, was he the one I just questioned before you?
Mary: “Yes. He’s one of them.”
Could you point him out to the jury?
*Mary points to the guard*
Thank you, Mary. You’ve been of great help.
The next witness I call to the stand, is the Apostle Peter
Peter, you’re one of the Apostles of Christ, correct?
Peter: “That is correct..My Lord and Saviour chose me along with 11 others while He was on earth to be one of His Apostles.” (Acts 1:2)
Matthew 4:18-20 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
John 15:16-17 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. “These things I command you, that you love one another.
I have to ask, is it true that you and the others moved the stone and stole the body?
Peter: “No, it’s not true at all. Just the opposite, for I was one of the Apostles to run to the tomb after I had heard. Why would I have done that knowing we stole it? I and the others were also shocked and didn’t believe when we first heard about His resurrection at first. If we did what we have been accused of, then I and the others would have reacted in a different way when we first heard about it.”
John 20:3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
Peter, was this the only time you saw Jesus after His resurrection?
Peter: “Oh, no..He was with us for another forty days. Presented Himself with many infallible proofs, and He spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)
Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Thank you, Peter. No further questions for you.
I call the Roman guard back to the stand.
Sir, by now as you know you are under oath…so be careful how you respond to these questions. Understand?
Roman Guard: “I understand.”
Good.
Did you see Mary Magdalene on the third day, which would have been on a Sunday?
Roman Guard: “Yes. I saw her there”
And is it true that the guards [which would include you] shook for fear of him, and became like dead men”?
Guard? Is it true?
Judge: “Answer the questions.”
Roman Guard: “Yes…it’s true.”
Why?
Roman Guard: “Because we were afraid of the penalty for failing”
Afraid of the penalty for failing or afraid of what you and the others had seen?
Prosecuter: “Objection! Lawyer is presupposing there was a resurrection!”
Judge: Sustained. Don’t ask the guard questions like that could be of any presumption, defense.”
Sorry, judge. I will ask it in a different way.
Guard, what purpose would y’all have to react in that manner when you have admitted on record that y’all were not asleep? In other words, y’all were awake, y’all would have been armed, the disciples did not steal the body (and if anyone had a reason to steal the body to say Jesus resurrected, it would have been them), but you’ve admitted in your earlier statement that y’all were all well awake and were guarding the tomb to prevent anyone to be able to get in to steal the body.
In light of all of that, how was the the tomb then moved? You’re under oath…
Guard: “Ok, I admit it! The reason we were scared to the extent that we were was because we all witnessed something we have never witnessed!”
What was that?
Guard: “An angel of the Lord descended from heaven and the great earthquake happened. The earthquake happened when the angel descended. His form, his external appearance, the way he looked was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow! He rolled away the stone and sat on it! Just as the lady said earlier!” (Mt. 27:2-3)
Thank you, guard. No further questions for you.
The next witness I will call to the stand is the centurion.
Sir, could you tell the jury what you were doing when Jesus was on the cross?
Centurion: I was guarding Jesus.
So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt. 27:54).
Did you witness anything out of the ordinary that particular day?
Centurion: Matthew 27:45 the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. Matthew 27:51-53 the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
And as the result of all of that, what did you say when you witnessed all those things?
Centurion: “Truly this was the Son of God!” (v54)
Do you believe that?
Centurion: “I do!”
No further questions.
My next witness to the stand is the Apostle Thomas.
Thomas, what led you to go from “doubting Thomas” to believing?
Thomas: “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas,fn because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn. 20:24-29)
So..just like Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the others, you also saw and felt Jesus?
Thomas: “I most certainly did”
And the resurrected Jesus, is why you believe?
Thomas: “Oh, absolutely.”
No further questions...
My next witness to the stand is the Apostle Paul
Paul, you’ve had a rather interesting background..would you mind telling the jury about it?
Paul: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.
“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, “as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.
“And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
“So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid,fn but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
“So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’
“And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
“came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.
“Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.
‘For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ (Acts 22:3-16)
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (1 Timothy 1:12-13)
That’s quite an incredible story Paul. Thank you for sharing that with us. Before your conversion, you made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” (Acts 8:3), am I hearing you right?
Paul: “That is correct. Yes.”
What led you to change? What led you to stop persecuting Christianity?
Paul: “The resurrected Jesus.”
Thank you, Paul. No further questions.
Members of the jury, there are other witnesses that I could call testifying as witnesses of resurrection of Jesus Christ. The other apostles, the two disciples on Emmaus road (Luke 24:13-33, 43), James (1 Cor. 15:7), Salome (Mk. 16:1), etc etc, but if you don’t believe any of these people do far, what if I could give you over five hundred eyewitnesses to the resurrection, who all seen Him at once, who the greater part are still alive to give testimony to it?
“After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor. 15:6)
Members of the jury, I call the over 500 witnesses…
*The people in the room hears a crowd outside chanting*
If I may turn on the TV, judge.
As the TV is turned on, the jury and all in the courtroom see the parking lot of the courtroom flooded with hundreds of people. Each chanting, “Jesus resurrected!! He’s alive!! We all saw Him!! Every single one of us saw Him with our very eyes all at once!”
The chants stop, and the TV is turned off.
Thank you.
I will now present my closing argument.
We have established beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus did get crucified. We have established beyond reasonable doubt from a physician that He could not have survived the crucifixion. We also established beyond reasonable doubt that He was buried in the tomb, with a stone rolled in front of the entrance. A Roman soldier on guard also admitted that he and the other guards on duty were not asleep, that they had been paid off to say they were. He also admitted to witnessing an angel moving the stone, and admitted that the tomb was empty. A centurion who stood at the cross admitted to believing that Jesus is the Son of God after witnessing events. We heard testimony after testimony—hundreds of testimony, of eyewitnesses seeing the resurrected Jesus.
I will now close with fifteen reasons why the resurrection occurred beyond reasonable doubt.
First, if I was a Roman guard, why would I and the others allow a group of men to somehow be able to get past us, roll away the stone, get in the tomb, give them time to unwrap the linen cloths that had been wrapped over the body of Jesus, fold the handkerchief that was on His head, and then allowed them leaving with the body (John 20:6-7)?
Second, why would I or the others do that when according to the Roman law, if a prisoner escaped, the jailer who had him in charge was compelled to suffer the penalty which was to have been inflicted on the prisoner. If a jailer would have received the death penalty, then why would a Roman guard not receive the same? Especially considering what all they would have had to allow the apostles to do. The apostles would be equivalent to a group of men today, who doesn’t condone violence or bodily harm, who followed a Man who taught to love thy neighbor as thyself (Matt. 22:39), who taught to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you (Lk. 6:27-28), to somehow end up getting past a group of well trained men who are armed and ready like the secret service, CIA, National Guard, or FBI, and they are guarding the door to which they have the leader who the group of men follow, and he is locked in a room for interrogation for a crime which he never committed, or getting past members of the national guard or some other armed forces who are guarding him for interrogation. Oh, and then add the death penalty for the members of the FBI, Secret Service, CIA, National Guard or whoever was guarding the person if they allowed the captive to get away.
Third, if I was an apostle and I stole the body, why would I have went against the commandments that my Lord, the Son of God mentioned to me about stealing (Mk. 10:19; Lk. 18:20)? And why would I want to be like the devil in lying (John 8:44)? By continuing to preach the resurrection occurred when I know it didn’t would be sinful, and an unrepentant one at that. Why then would I do all of these things when it would be going against what Jesus stood for and taught?
Fourth, why would I have decided to steal the body and preach a lie all while knowing I would be tortured or murdered?
Fifth, if I was an enemy of Jesus who had authoritative power, as soon as I heard there was being a message preached of Him being resurrected, do you think I would have let it continue and not have tried to find the body to stop it? I would have gathered the apostles and had them to tell me where the body was buried or where they took it after they stole it. I wouldn’t have wanted it to remain hidden or stolen, as that would have allowed people to believe what the apostles were saying. Without producing the body, people would be led to believe He arose.
Sixth, if I was an apostle who had stole the body and knew where it was, was being tortured and being brutalized to the point of being murdered if I didn’t confess, do you think I would have allowed it to continue? No. I’d tell them. Also, if I was going to steal the body, why would I take the time to unwrap linen cloths, and fold a handkerchief that his head was wrapped in (Jhn 20:6-7)? If I was going to steal a body from a tomb I wouldn’t have taken the time to do any of that. I would have said “Ok, we are going to simply go in there, take the body and leave. No time to waste.” If one of them began unwrapping the linen cloth’s, I would have been like “We ain’t got time to do that! We gotta go! Let’s go!” It’s not rational to think any one would take time to unwrap someone and fold a handkerchief if they were in the process of stealing a body.
Seventh, if I was an apostle, why would I, in desperation say “I saw the resurrected Christ”, all while knowing I stole His body? Why would I or any of the others who helped steal it say that when we have His body or buried it? We would be willingly lying/deceiving ourselves, and once again, we’d be knowing it to be a lie all while knowing we would be murdered for a lie.
Eighth, if I was Saul, a persecutor of the Way (Acts 22:4), why would I go from being a persecutor to the persecuted for the name of Jesus (Acts 9:16)? Why would I have hallucinated or lied about seeing the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 15:8), only to become a Christian (Acts 22:16), to then be willing to die for the faith that I was once trying to destroy (Gal. 1:23)? For what reason and purpose would I do this? If I was murdering Christians, knowing what they themselves had endured and gone through at the hands of persecutors (since I myself was a persecutor), what purpose would it serve me? I had no reason to lie or hallucinate about Jesus appearing to me, so why would I do any of that and preach the faith?
“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, “as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.
“And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
“So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid,fn but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
“So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’
“And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
“came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.
“Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.
‘For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ (Acts 22:3-16)
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (1 Timothy 1:12-13)
That’s quite an incredible story Paul. Thank you for sharing that with us. Before your conversion, you made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” (Acts 8:3), am I hearing you right?
Paul: “That is correct. Yes.”
What led you to change? What led you to stop persecuting Christianity?
Paul: “The resurrected Jesus.”
Thank you, Paul. No further questions.
Members of the jury, there are other witnesses that I could call testifying as witnesses of resurrection of Jesus Christ. The other apostles, the two disciples on Emmaus road (Luke 24:13-33, 43), James (1 Cor. 15:7), Salome (Mk. 16:1), etc etc, but if you don’t believe any of these people do far, what if I could give you over five hundred eyewitnesses to the resurrection, who all seen Him at once, who the greater part are still alive to give testimony to it?
“After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor. 15:6)
Members of the jury, I call the over 500 witnesses…
*The people in the room hears a crowd outside chanting*
If I may turn on the TV, judge.
As the TV is turned on, the jury and all in the courtroom see the parking lot of the courtroom flooded with hundreds of people. Each chanting, “Jesus resurrected!! He’s alive!! We all saw Him!! Every single one of us saw Him with our very eyes all at once!”
The chants stop, and the TV is turned off.
Thank you.
I will now present my closing argument.
We have established beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus did get crucified. We have established beyond reasonable doubt from a physician that He could not have survived the crucifixion. We also established beyond reasonable doubt that He was buried in the tomb, with a stone rolled in front of the entrance. A Roman soldier on guard also admitted that he and the other guards on duty were not asleep, that they had been paid off to say they were. He also admitted to witnessing an angel moving the stone, and admitted that the tomb was empty. A centurion who stood at the cross admitted to believing that Jesus is the Son of God after witnessing events. We heard testimony after testimony—hundreds of testimony, of eyewitnesses seeing the resurrected Jesus.
I will now close with fifteen reasons why the resurrection occurred beyond reasonable doubt.
First, if I was a Roman guard, why would I and the others allow a group of men to somehow be able to get past us, roll away the stone, get in the tomb, give them time to unwrap the linen cloths that had been wrapped over the body of Jesus, fold the handkerchief that was on His head, and then allowed them leaving with the body (John 20:6-7)?
Second, why would I or the others do that when according to the Roman law, if a prisoner escaped, the jailer who had him in charge was compelled to suffer the penalty which was to have been inflicted on the prisoner. If a jailer would have received the death penalty, then why would a Roman guard not receive the same? Especially considering what all they would have had to allow the apostles to do. The apostles would be equivalent to a group of men today, who doesn’t condone violence or bodily harm, who followed a Man who taught to love thy neighbor as thyself (Matt. 22:39), who taught to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you (Lk. 6:27-28), to somehow end up getting past a group of well trained men who are armed and ready like the secret service, CIA, National Guard, or FBI, and they are guarding the door to which they have the leader who the group of men follow, and he is locked in a room for interrogation for a crime which he never committed, or getting past members of the national guard or some other armed forces who are guarding him for interrogation. Oh, and then add the death penalty for the members of the FBI, Secret Service, CIA, National Guard or whoever was guarding the person if they allowed the captive to get away.
Third, if I was an apostle and I stole the body, why would I have went against the commandments that my Lord, the Son of God mentioned to me about stealing (Mk. 10:19; Lk. 18:20)? And why would I want to be like the devil in lying (John 8:44)? By continuing to preach the resurrection occurred when I know it didn’t would be sinful, and an unrepentant one at that. Why then would I do all of these things when it would be going against what Jesus stood for and taught?
Fourth, why would I have decided to steal the body and preach a lie all while knowing I would be tortured or murdered?
Fifth, if I was an enemy of Jesus who had authoritative power, as soon as I heard there was being a message preached of Him being resurrected, do you think I would have let it continue and not have tried to find the body to stop it? I would have gathered the apostles and had them to tell me where the body was buried or where they took it after they stole it. I wouldn’t have wanted it to remain hidden or stolen, as that would have allowed people to believe what the apostles were saying. Without producing the body, people would be led to believe He arose.
Sixth, if I was an apostle who had stole the body and knew where it was, was being tortured and being brutalized to the point of being murdered if I didn’t confess, do you think I would have allowed it to continue? No. I’d tell them. Also, if I was going to steal the body, why would I take the time to unwrap linen cloths, and fold a handkerchief that his head was wrapped in (Jhn 20:6-7)? If I was going to steal a body from a tomb I wouldn’t have taken the time to do any of that. I would have said “Ok, we are going to simply go in there, take the body and leave. No time to waste.” If one of them began unwrapping the linen cloth’s, I would have been like “We ain’t got time to do that! We gotta go! Let’s go!” It’s not rational to think any one would take time to unwrap someone and fold a handkerchief if they were in the process of stealing a body.
Seventh, if I was an apostle, why would I, in desperation say “I saw the resurrected Christ”, all while knowing I stole His body? Why would I or any of the others who helped steal it say that when we have His body or buried it? We would be willingly lying/deceiving ourselves, and once again, we’d be knowing it to be a lie all while knowing we would be murdered for a lie.
Eighth, if I was Saul, a persecutor of the Way (Acts 22:4), why would I go from being a persecutor to the persecuted for the name of Jesus (Acts 9:16)? Why would I have hallucinated or lied about seeing the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 15:8), only to become a Christian (Acts 22:16), to then be willing to die for the faith that I was once trying to destroy (Gal. 1:23)? For what reason and purpose would I do this? If I was murdering Christians, knowing what they themselves had endured and gone through at the hands of persecutors (since I myself was a persecutor), what purpose would it serve me? I had no reason to lie or hallucinate about Jesus appearing to me, so why would I do any of that and preach the faith?
Ninth, even if the disciples did somehow get past the guards and was able to bury the body, unlike the enemies of others who does not want a body recovered, the people who despised Jesus would have wanted His body to be recovered. If the disciples stole the body of Jesus, buried it and it remained missing, then from the enemies perspective it would only strengthen the case of Christianity, because the disciples would have people believing He resurrected. For that reason, the enemies of Jesus would not have wanted His body to remain hidden, because bringing out His body would be proving He didn’t rise from the dead and would end Christianity. If the disciples had hid the body the enemies would have forced the disciples to tell them where it was to stop the Christian faith, as Christianity falls or stands on it (1 Cor. 15:14, 17).
Tenth, with over 500 eyewitnesses, not only would the resurrection have been orally passed down, but who is to say there were not any letters of those eyewitnesses concerning the resurrected Christ to also be circulated before any of the NT was ever written? Due to this, there is strong evidence for the resurrection that is so close to the event itself than for any other ancient historical writing.
Eleventh, why do we have the New Testament and why does Christianity exist if the resurrection did not occur then why? Why does the church exist if not for the resurrection? Perhaps the reason is because that is exactly what happened to Jesus (John 21:14, Acts 2:24, 32, 3:15, 26, 4:2, 10, 33, 5:30, 17:18, Rom. 1:4, 1 Peter 1:3, etc etc).
Twelfth, the New Testament and Christians would not exist if Jesus had not risen from the grave. Everything was transformed by the resurrection. It was impossible to halt or discourage the apostles and faithful disciples once they realized that death on the physical world was not the end. The Resurrection gave rise to the New Testament; the New Testament did not give rise to the Resurrection. In other words, if the Resurrection did not occur..there would have been no New Testament. If the resurrection did not happen then there would be no New Testament Christianity. It would have been abruptly halted and stopped, but no one could and can. Why, if the tomb was not empty, did the enemies have to resort to accusing the disciples of stealing the body (Matt. 28:11-15)?
Thirteenth, the only explanation for why the stone was rolled away, for the linen cloths and handkerchiefs, for the empty tomb, for why Saul became a Christian, is because Jesus had resurrected. The only explanation for the other apostles and other faithful disciples to endure and be willing to suffer and die for what they all believed in, is because they knew the resurrection happened and was true. They didn’t just believe. They knew. It wasn’t a mass hallucination they saw, because why would all of them be willing to go through the horrors they did, even to the point of death for a hallucination? It wasn’t because they stole and hid/buried the body, because why would they have not told the persecutors where the body was to stop the horrors of suffering they were enduring? One of them would have recanted…but none of them did. Why? Because there was no dead body to be hidden or buried. The reason they kept the faith through it all is because Jesus really did resurrect. Why? Because the most logical and reasonable explanation is the resurrection did indeed occur, just as Jesus said it would (Mk. 10:32-35).
Fourteenth, what would the jury (or for that matter, any other jury), do after hearing over 500 eyewitness testimonies telling them that a resurrection (the resurrection of Christ), had occurred? (1 Cor. 15:6). If you were to call each one of the witnesses of the resurrection to a court of law to be cross-examined and you didn’t take a break, who could possibly walk away unconvinced after listening to hours of eyewitness testimony? After hearing the overwhelming evidence for the resurrection of Christ, any intelligent jury would render the verdict to be true. That is what Darling, a former Chief Justice in England, allegedly is supposed to have said: “In its favor as a living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.”
Fifteenth, when you look at the unreasonable claims of having them somehow being able to sneak past the guards, move the huge stone, unwrap the body that was wrapped in linen, take time to take the handkerchief that was on his head, fold it together in a place by itself while stealing the body, then deciding to come up with an idea to spread a lie they invented all while knowing they’d be tortured and murdered is unreasonable to believe.
For what purpose would it serve to do that if He was dead? And then why not tell them where the body was at as they were being threatened or tortured? None of that is reasonable to believe.
To endure all of what they did, the most logical and reasonable explanation is the resurrection did indeed occur, just as Jesus said it would (Mk. 10:32-35).
People of the jury, have you reached a verdict?
The End!
Tenth, with over 500 eyewitnesses, not only would the resurrection have been orally passed down, but who is to say there were not any letters of those eyewitnesses concerning the resurrected Christ to also be circulated before any of the NT was ever written? Due to this, there is strong evidence for the resurrection that is so close to the event itself than for any other ancient historical writing.
Eleventh, why do we have the New Testament and why does Christianity exist if the resurrection did not occur then why? Why does the church exist if not for the resurrection? Perhaps the reason is because that is exactly what happened to Jesus (John 21:14, Acts 2:24, 32, 3:15, 26, 4:2, 10, 33, 5:30, 17:18, Rom. 1:4, 1 Peter 1:3, etc etc).
Twelfth, the New Testament and Christians would not exist if Jesus had not risen from the grave. Everything was transformed by the resurrection. It was impossible to halt or discourage the apostles and faithful disciples once they realized that death on the physical world was not the end. The Resurrection gave rise to the New Testament; the New Testament did not give rise to the Resurrection. In other words, if the Resurrection did not occur..there would have been no New Testament. If the resurrection did not happen then there would be no New Testament Christianity. It would have been abruptly halted and stopped, but no one could and can. Why, if the tomb was not empty, did the enemies have to resort to accusing the disciples of stealing the body (Matt. 28:11-15)?
Thirteenth, the only explanation for why the stone was rolled away, for the linen cloths and handkerchiefs, for the empty tomb, for why Saul became a Christian, is because Jesus had resurrected. The only explanation for the other apostles and other faithful disciples to endure and be willing to suffer and die for what they all believed in, is because they knew the resurrection happened and was true. They didn’t just believe. They knew. It wasn’t a mass hallucination they saw, because why would all of them be willing to go through the horrors they did, even to the point of death for a hallucination? It wasn’t because they stole and hid/buried the body, because why would they have not told the persecutors where the body was to stop the horrors of suffering they were enduring? One of them would have recanted…but none of them did. Why? Because there was no dead body to be hidden or buried. The reason they kept the faith through it all is because Jesus really did resurrect. Why? Because the most logical and reasonable explanation is the resurrection did indeed occur, just as Jesus said it would (Mk. 10:32-35).
Fourteenth, what would the jury (or for that matter, any other jury), do after hearing over 500 eyewitness testimonies telling them that a resurrection (the resurrection of Christ), had occurred? (1 Cor. 15:6). If you were to call each one of the witnesses of the resurrection to a court of law to be cross-examined and you didn’t take a break, who could possibly walk away unconvinced after listening to hours of eyewitness testimony? After hearing the overwhelming evidence for the resurrection of Christ, any intelligent jury would render the verdict to be true. That is what Darling, a former Chief Justice in England, allegedly is supposed to have said: “In its favor as a living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.”
Fifteenth, when you look at the unreasonable claims of having them somehow being able to sneak past the guards, move the huge stone, unwrap the body that was wrapped in linen, take time to take the handkerchief that was on his head, fold it together in a place by itself while stealing the body, then deciding to come up with an idea to spread a lie they invented all while knowing they’d be tortured and murdered is unreasonable to believe.
For what purpose would it serve to do that if He was dead? And then why not tell them where the body was at as they were being threatened or tortured? None of that is reasonable to believe.
To endure all of what they did, the most logical and reasonable explanation is the resurrection did indeed occur, just as Jesus said it would (Mk. 10:32-35).
People of the jury, have you reached a verdict?
The End!
Where would I find that info? This laptop is about least four years old?
Found it! Microsoft Windows 11 home
Found it!
Microsoft Windows 11 home
-
1
- Show all