DID EASTER REALLY HAPPEN? SO WHAT?

THE EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

WORD STUDY

• WORD STUDY • anastasis: a standing up, i.e. a resurrection, a raising up, rising

DEFINITION

• Resurrection can be defined as the one time event of coming back to life after death with an immortal spiritual body on the day that Christ returns.

• It is “life after ‘life after death’” which may be in heaven or hell.

• Immediately after death is ‘Life after death’. • So after resurrection it is “Life after ‘Life after death’”.

STUDY METHOD : HISTORICAL

• SOURCES: EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES IN GOSPELS AND TRADITIONS/CREEDS RECORDED IN THE LETTERS OF PAUL TO VARIOUS CHURCHES

CORE TEXT – PRE-PAULINE CREED

• 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 3-8

• 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

• 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

• 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

• 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;

• 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;

• 8 and last of all He appeared to me (PAUL) also, as to one abnormally born.

DATING THE PRE-PAULINE CREED (1)

SCHLOLARLY QUOTES - shows the creed was composed from around Pentecost to less than 3 years - Earliest evidence for the resurrection

Even radical scholars like Gerd Lüdemann think that “the elements in the tradition are to be dated to the first two years after the crucifixion . . . no later than three years after the death of Jesus.” - < 3 yrs

Similarly, Michael Goulder contends that Paul’s testimony about the resurrection appearances “goes back at least to what Paul was taught when he was converted, a couple of years after the crucifixion.” - 2 yrs

DATING THE PRE-PAULINE CREED (2)

• An increasing number of exceptionally influential scholars have very recently concluded that at least the teaching of the resurrection, and perhaps even the specific formulation of the pre-Pauline creedal tradition in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, dates to AD 30! In other words, there never was a time when the message of Jesus’ resurrection was not an integral part of the earliest apostolic proclamation. – around the Pentecost.

• No less a scholar than James D. G. Dunn even states regarding this crucial text: “This tradition, we can be entirely confident, was formulated as tradition within months of Jesus’ death.” — Gary Habermas, “Tracing Jesus’ Resurrection to Its Earliest Eyewitness Accounts,” God is Great, God is Good (InterVarsity Press, 2009), 212 - within months

WHAT ARE THE HISTORICAL EVIDENCES FOR

• DEATH

• BURIAL

• EMPTY TOMB

• APPEARANCES

EVIDENCE OF HIS DEATH (1)

1. BIBLICAL EVIDENCE – ALL THE GOSPELS, ACTS, EPISTLES

2. EXTRA BIBLICAL HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus , and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.” – Tacitus, Roman Historian

• “after him whom they still worship—the man who was crucified in Palestine for introducing this new cult into the world” - Lucian of Samosata

• “In the third book of his Histories, Thallus calls this darkness a solar eclipse. In my opinion, this is nonsense because Jesus died at the time of a full moon, which necessitates a “wonderful sign,” or miracle, instead.” – Julius Africanus

EVIDENCE OF HIS DEATH (2)

“What advantage did the Jews gain by executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was

abolished” - Mara bar Serapon

“And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those

that loved him at the first did not forsake him;” - Josephus, Jewish Historian

“On (Sabbath eve and) the eve of Passover Jesus the Nazarene was hanged. And a herald went forth

before him 40 days (heralding): Jesus the Nazarene is going forth to be stoned because he practiced sorcery and instigated and seduced Israel (to idolatry). Whoever knows anything in his defense, may come and state it. But since they did not find anything in his defense, they hanged him on (Sabbath eve and) the eve of Passover.” – Babylonian Talmud

EVIDENCE OF HIS BURIAL

• Joseph of Arimathea, buried Jesus in his newly made tomb. He gave him a proper burial by using a shroud as burial cloth.

• • If Christians were making up the story they would not use Joseph of Arimathea as the person who buried Jesus, as he was

• a. Part of the Jewish Sanhedrin (enemy)

• b. Which sentenced Jesus as a blasphemer and sought Pilate to crucify him (plot to murder)

• 40. SCHOLAR QUOTE • According to A.T Robinson of Cambridge University, The burial of Jesus in the

tomb is “one of the earliest and best attested facts about Jesus”

EVIDENCE OF EMPTY TOMB (1)

• INDEPENDENT LINES OF EVIDENCE – the more independent sources present, the stronger the evidence

• Pre- markan passion source

• Pre- Pauline tradition 1 Corinthians 15

• Matthew – independent source as he mentions “guards” at the tomb which is not in Mark – unique

• Luke another independent source as it mentions 2 disciples visiting the tomb and verifying the claim made by the women. Also in John – independently attested

• John – another independent source – not part of synoptic gospels • Acts – Record of early sermons by Apostles (Acts 2: 29 – 32 , 13: 36 – 37)

EVIDENCE OF EMPTY TOMB (2)

• HISTORICITY of account proves they did NOT “make it up”

• 1. Criteria of Embarrassment

• • Women as first reporters of the risen Lord • Women’s witness not accepted • Made up gospel account would have a male discover the empty tomb

• 2. Unembellished - Mark’s account.

• • Resurrection not witnessed as it happened • No theological descriptions • No use of divine titles • Not the sort expected if made up by Christians • Plain account of what happened

EVIDENCE OF EMPTY TOMB (3)

3. TESTIMONY OF THE ADVERSARY

• Jewish Polemic establishes an empty tomb

• Jews could not produce the body of Jesus and disprove the claims of Apostles

• They claimed it was stolen by the disciples – EXPLAINING AWAY RESURRECTION

• Thus they too claimed the tomb was empty i.e. testimony of the opposition.

• “By far most exegetes hold firmy to the reliability of the biblical statements about the empty tomb.” - Jacob Kraemer, New Testament Critic

EVIDENCES OF HIS APPEARANCES

APPEARANCE TO MARY MAGDALENE

• First to meet Jesus after Resurrection (CRITERIA OF EMBARASSMENT)

• Testimony of Woman Not believed by Apostles • Does not identify him because not expecting him

• Mark 16:9-11 9

Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10And she went and told them that had been

with him, as they mourned and wept. 11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

EVIDENCE OF HIS APPEARANCE (2)

APPEARANCE TO PETER

• 1 Corinthians 15: 5 and that he appeared to Cephas.

• Incident not narrated in Gospels but recorded as a passing comment in Luke 24:34 “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

• “Therefore all New Testament Scholars agree that, however you might care to explain it , Peter did see a post – mortem appearance of Jesus.” – William Lane Craig, Did Jesus Rise from the

Dead?

EVIDENCE OF HIS APPEARANCE (3)

APPEARANCES TO THE TWELVE APOSTLES Luke 24: 36 – 42

John 20: 19 – 20

I Corinthians 5 – Earliest tradition

• Paul’s personal acquaintance with Apostles

• “There can be little doubt that such a resurrection appearance occurred, for it is attested in the old Christian tradition, vouched for by Paul, and independently described by both Luke and John.” –William Lane Craig, Did Jesus rise from the dead?

EVIDENCE OF HIS APPEARANCE (4)

APPEARANCE TO FIVE HUNDRED

• “Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15: 6 • Paul is asking readers to verify the resurrection by meeting the eye-witnesses.

APPEARANCE TO OTHER APOSTLES

• Appears to “other Apostles” • Acts 1: 21 -22 • “ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

EVIDENCES OF HIS APPEARANCE (5)

• APPEARANCE TO JAMES • James the half-brother of Jesus was not a believer or disciple when Jesus was alive •

“By the criterion of embarrassment, the fact of the unbelief of Jesus’ own family is undoubtedly a historical fact.” –William Lane Craig, Did Jesus Rise from the dead?

• • He became a believer after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

• • Bible : James seen in Upper room(Acts1:14), mentioned as one of the three ‘pillars’ of the Church (Gal 2:9), Heads the first Church Council at Jerusalem (Acts 21:18)

• Extra- Biblical Evidence: Antiquities 20. 200 , Josephus the Jewish Historian records that James was stoned to death by the Sanhedrin. • “Even the New Testament Critic Hans Grass acknowledges that James’ conversion is one of the most surest proofs of the resurrection of Jesus”-William Lane Craig, Did Jesus Rise from the dead?

• APPEARANCE TO SAUL OF TARSUS • Pharisaic Jew • Persecutor • Personal Experience • Jew to Christian •

Jewish Persecutor to Persecuted Apostle • Like Osama becoming Christian Evangelist and Apostle

ALTERNATE CONSPIRACY HYPOTHESIS

• Stole Body – Made up story .

• But Women’s witness as first defeats it (CRITERIA OF EMBARASSMENT)

• guard set on satuday (late) – STORY NOT MADE UP

• Early appearances only to disciples – STORY NOT MADE UP

• weak in explaining disciple’s belief in resurrection

• and the proclamation of the resurrection from the very beginning. A dying and rising Jewish messiah itself was not expected in Judaism at that time.

“As N. T. Wright says, in no case across the first century before Jesus or the first century after Jesus do we have any of the followers of these failed Messianic movements claiming that their would-be king really was the Messiah after all or that he had been raised from the dead. He says when your favorite Messiah got himself killed, you basically had two choices: either you went home or you got yourself a new Messiah!” ---- Read more: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/defenders-2-podcast/transcript/s6- 21#ixzz3HqOUXBpU

ALTERNATE NATURALISTIC HYPOTHESES

• APPARENT DEATH HYPOTHESIS • Jesus did not really die – he revived in the tomb – escaped somehow – convinced disciples he is risen • Lacks explanatory power to explain the death of Christ by crucifixion which is one of the established fact of ancient history. • Jesus severly injured – could not open the tomb – over even out of the cloth. Could not have overcome the guards and then escaped. These are naturally impossible. • It does not explain the resurrection appearances and the belief ofthe disciples in Jesus’ resurrection • Highly implausible since Romans were expert executioners who knew who is dead who is not. More over it was double checked by Pilate before handing over body • No one defends in nowdays among scholars

• DISPLACED BODY HYPOTHESIS • Joseph Klausener • Temporarily in Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea – moved to common graveyard for criminals. Unaware the disiciples claim that the tomb is empty and thus the resurrection. • Does not explain post-mortem appearances, belief of disicples resurrection and the emergence of the Church • Joseph of Arimathea – could have corrected the disciples • Jews would not have claimed the body was stolen. They would have claimed this with Joseph of Arimathea as the witness. • Criminal cemetery was nearer • Jewish law forbade moving body later unless it was a family tomb.

• HALLUCINATION HYPOTHESIS • David Frederich Strauss • Defended by Gerd Ludemann • Does not explain the empty tomb or the origin of belief in Jesus’ disciples • Visions of dead ones (still dead) vs resurrection appearance (alive) • Hallucinations don’t occur to groups, certainly not to groups of different people in different locations, not certainly to 500 people at once. • What about enemies ? James, the skeptic and Paul the persecuter • Psycho-analysing Peter and Paul ? You need them to be here to do it.

REASON FOR ALTERNATE NATURALISTIC HYPOTHESES

WHY THESE THEORIES?

• Philosophical Bias

• Naturalist do not believe in God and miracles. So they don’t accept resurrection as a consequence of their philosophical bias

• We need to challenge them with proofs for God rather than evidences for resurrection. Unless they believe in a God, it is unlikely they believe in resurrection.

• Natural laws cannot be broken. Miracles are seen as breaking natural law. Therefore Miracles do not occur.

• But this assumes there is no supernatural – No God.

• Natural laws can be overcome by other natural laws or by Supernatural agency

• Miracles are an act of supernatural agency God. If God exists, miracles are possible. God exists.( Philosophical and Scientific Evidence). Therefore miracles can occur, including resurrection.

PROBABILITY OF RESURRECTION

• PROBABILITY THAT A THEORY IS TRUE – PROBABILITY VIA NON OCCURANCE

• BAYES THEOREM – PROBABILITY OF JESUS RESURRECTION IS 97 PERCENT

SCIENTIFIC MODEL FOR RESURRECTION

• STANDARD MODEL OF PARTICLE PHYSICS

• SPHARELON BARYOGENESIS AND BARYON ANNIHILATION

• BIOLOGICALLY – GENETIC CODE PLUS ELEMENTS FOR BODY FROM NATURE/SUPERNATURE

SO WHAT ?

1. THEOLOGICALLY

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.. 1 Corinthians 15

Faith is vain

Apostles are false witnesses

Gospel is false

Dead will not be raised

No eternal destiny

Faith is futile

We are still in our sins

Dead in Christ are lost

CONTRARY IS TRUE IF JESUS TRULY ROSE FROM THE DEAD

SO WHAT ?• APOLOGETICALLY

• Resurrection is the vindication of the condemned Christ and the validation of his claim that he is the Son of God.

• “and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4

• If Jesus is Son of God as he claimed, then

• We can believe what he taught about anything, especially

• His teaching about Scripture. You need not go around searching how to deal with apparent contradictions in the Bible. You can trust the authority, integrity, inspiration and inerrancy as Jesus did. SOLVES ONE BIG PROBLEM.

• His interpretation of Old Testament prophecy

SO WHAT?

• Practically

• Live for God

• Fulfil his mission for your life

• Remove distractions

• Focus on Christ and eternal destiny

• GO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS