The resurrection of Jesus is rooted in history, grounded in scripture and confirmed in experience. (Nicky Gumbel)
Thinking about the musings from Day 53: Christianity And The Life Of Jesus.…
I would submit to you that when one reviews the evidence presented from the following sources: the Torah, Old Testament, Flavius Josephus, Tacitus and Pliny the Younger, one can come to this logical conclusion: the birth and life of Jesus of Nazareth were in fact real events. With these historical facts out of the way, the focus needs to shift to the death of Jesus of Nazareth….
And, more importantly, what happens 3 days after that.
The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
There are 5 references that I found located throughout the Holy Bible regarding an individual who is to be resurrected from the dead. Consider the following bible verses:
Psalm 16:10 (KJV):
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 71:20 (KJV):
20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Isaiah 25:8 (KJV):
8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
Hosea 13:14 (KJV):
14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
Acts 3:15 (KJV):
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
In addition, there are 8 references that I found throughout the New Testament regarding Jesus of Nazareth claiming that it would be he himself who is to be raised from the dead. Consider the following bible verses:
Matthew 12:40 (KJV):
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 16:21 (KJV):
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 26:32 (KJV):
32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Mark 9:9 (KJV):
9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
John 6:39 (KJV):
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 11:25-26 (KJV):
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
1 Corinthians 15:12 (KJV):
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Revelation 1:18 (KJV):
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
So, after reading the following 13 verses from the Holy Bible, is the trilemma solved?
Is Jesus of Nazareth in fact Lord and not a Liar nor a Lunatic?
Do you still need more evidence before coming to a final conclusion regarding the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth were presented?
What more evidence is there?
That will be covered next time.
Do not feel discouraged if you are having a difficult time understanding the validity of the birth of Jesus but not his death and resurrection. Do not feel discouraged if you are still undecided and need to see more evidence regarding the resurrection of Jesus. Instead, embrace the idea that after learning a little bit more of the death and resurrection of Jesus, perhaps the nudge became a little more apparent. Is there more to learn? Absolutely. Embrace the idea that you cannot, nor should not, ever stop learning.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 KJV)
Was today’s blog a little confusing at times? Was the content perhaps a little overwhelming? Did you feel lost not understanding some or most of the subject matter?
Those feelings are totally understandable and it is ok to have one or more of those feelings. Remember that you are reading Day 54: Is he a Liar…A Lunatic…Or Lord? The Claims.
If you haven’t been in class since the first day of school…or when the project began…or when the contract was first signed, etc., these feelings make perfect and logistical sense.
Please feel free to go back to where all of this began: