10 EVIDENCES FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Christianity stands or falls on one major claim – Jesus the Christ physically died and physically rose from the dead. If this claim is false, Christianity is false. If this claim is true, it has profound implications for you and me!

All other religions are founded on private revelations. Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, claimed to have had a very private revelation of the four noble truths. Muhammed  ibn ʿAbdullāh, known to Muslims as the Prophet, claimed to have had a private encounter with the Angel Gabriel and a private revelation that God (‘Allah’ in Arabic) was one and that the Qur’an was His final revelation to mankind. Joseph Smith claimed to have had a private encounter with an angel called Moroni who privately revealed to him golden tablets inscribed with Hieroglyphics revealing a fantastic story of the ancient Hebrews migration to the Americas. But Christianity is public. The miracles surrounding the birth of Jesus (the first Christmas, were public). Christ’s demonstration of miracles, which included – instantly healing leprosy, blindness, lameness, palsy, and raising people back to life, were done publicly. His second greatest miracle, the raising of Lazarus from being dead having been dead for 4 days, was witnessed by scores of people with many of them being sceptics! His encounter with angels and dead saints were seen publicly. His post-mortem appearances were witnessed by those who had seen Him executed by the Romans. At one time, up to 500 people saw the resurrected Jesus – very publicly!

At Easter, it is good to be reminded of the evidences for the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

1.  The Romans killed Christ with many witnesses to the death.
2.  The lifeless body of Christ was buried in a wax-sealed tomb secured by armed guards.
3.  The tomb was found on the following Sunday morning to be empty.
4.  The women who went to the tomb that Sunday morning met, talked with, and touched the resurrected Jesus.
5.  Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus to two despondent followers.
6.  Jesus appeared to His surviving disciples and ate with them.
7.  Jesus appeared to the sceptical Thomas.
8.  Jesus appeared to 500 people at one time prior to His ascension.
9.  His opponents could not present the dead body of Christ.
10.  Thousands of Jewish converts immediately changed their day of worship from the Saturday Sabbath to Sunday (the day Christ rose from the dead).

He is risen!

Dr. Andrew Corbett

SOME PAIN IS NOT OBVIOUS AT EASTER

Most people’s pain is obvious. Their cast, their bruise, their bleeding, or their scar tell a story. But there is a pain, a deep pain, which is not obvious. It is often masked by a happy face and a funny disposition. This pain can not be drugged, counselled, or washed away. The first Easter was about an extraordinary man who felt the combination of infinite physical and inner pain and triumphed over it. 

Christ’s physical pain was obvious during the Passion of the first Easter. Coinciding with his intolerable physical pain was the infinitely deep pain of his soul which was not obvious. We all experience a fraction of an eye-dropper drip of this same soul pain. This is guilt.

There’s actually a lot of things not obvious about the first Easter. Our deepest pain being healed because Jesus who took the accumulation of human guilt and shame upon himself to suffer as our substitute is not obvious when most people regard Easter being about chocolate eggs. Today, the Person behind Easter can do for your unseen pain what no pill, bottle or couch could ever do, even though this may not be obvious. 

Andrew Corbett

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