A Solid Faith

Easter Sunrise Bible Study

April 12, 2009

1Corinthians 15:1-19

:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, {2} by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain.

Being “saved” means that your sins have been paid for. It means that you will no longer face judgment from God over your sins. It means that you have eternal life, you will be spending eternity in heaven.

Salvation doesn’t come from being good – all of us have already failed at that.

Salvation comes through faith – trusting in God, trusting in what God has done for us, trusting that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins.

Just what is our faith built on?

Is it built on wishful thinking? Is it only true because we want it to be true?

Some people say, “Well that’s good for you, but I believe in something else”

We have a faith built on established, historical fact. It is based on solid, factual evidence.

One man who was highly skilled at dealing with evidence was Dr. Simon Greenleaf. He was the famous Royall Professor of Law at Harvard University. He is one of the main men that made Harvard the preeminent law school in the United States. Greenleaf produced his famous three-volume work, A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, which still is considered one of the greatest single authorities on this subject in the entire literature of legal procedure.

Greenleaf examined the value of the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ to ascertain the truth. He applied the principles contained in his three-volume treatise on evidence. His findings were recorded in his book, An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice.

Greenleaf came to the conclusion that, according to the laws of legal evidence used in courts of law, “there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history”.

:3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins

Before you establish the resurrection, you need to establish that He actually died. More than a few people claim that Jesus didn’t die on the cross. What does the evidence say?

It was a public death. Jesus stood before Pilate and the religious leaders along with the crowd demanded His death.

Jesus was publicly scourged, whipped, and sentenced to a public execution.

The Romans whipped their prisoners with a device called a “flagrum”, long leather straps with pieces of bone and lead imbedded in it.

Eusebius, a third-century historian, writes: "The sufferer's veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure."

This would have left Jesus greatly weakened.

Crucifixion was always done in a public place – it was intended to be a deterrent to crime, a warning that if you break this certain law, you will suffer this excruciating, slow death. Death usually came by suffocation, as it became harder and harder to push yourself up to catch your breath.

The record states that His death was witnessed by brokenhearted friends and mocking enemies.

The Roman soldiers were asked to speed up the executions because of the Sabbath, but they found that Jesus was already dead.

They verified His death by thrusting a spear into his side. When John (John 19:34) recorded that blood and water came out of the spear wound, it was medical proof that Jesus had already died

Dr. Truman Davis records “…We, therefore, have a rather conclusive post-mortem. Evidence that Christ died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.” (Josh McDowell, “A Ready Defense”).

:3 according to the Scriptures,

Jesus’ death was not a fluke or tragic mistake.

With the sudden death of the young Angel pitcher Nick Adenhart, people are shaking their heads at the tragedy of a promising young life ending so soon.

Jesus’ death was prophesied. It was planned out from the beginning. Isaiah wrote 700 years before Christ:

(Isa 53:5 NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

:4 and that He was buried,

Some claim that Jesus’ body wasn’t put in a tomb, but just discarded on a trash heap. Others claim that the disciples stole the body, or possibly even went to the wrong tomb. That’s not what the evidence says.

The witnesses

Joseph of Arimathea knew where Jesus was buried (Mat. 27:60), having put Jesus in his own unused tomb.

The two Marys had followed Joseph to the tomb (Mat. 27:61). On the next day, they were the same two gals who went to the tomb on Sunday (Mat. 28:1).

John tells us that Nicodemus also was present at the burial (John 19:39).

Solid Rock

Matthew says that Jesus was buried in a tomb carved out of solid rock (Mat. 27:60). There wasn’t a back door or escape hatch.

The Stone

Large stones kept wild animals from getting into tombs. Both Matthew and Mark record that it was a “large” stone that covered the tomb (Mat. 27:60; Mark 16:1-4). Modern engineers have estimated that it would have taken a stone of 1 to 1 ½ tons to cover the entrance (Josh McDowell, “A Ready Defense”). This isn’t something you’d expect a near-dead man to be able to move.

The Guard

Matthew records that a Roman guard unit was sent to make sure that nobody took the body (Mat. 27:66). Roman historical records tell us that four men would be on guard at a time, rotating with twelve other men in four hour shifts. These men would be punished by death if they failed at their duty.

The Seal:

Matthew also records that the tomb was “sealed” (Mat. 27:66). A cord across the stone with wax sealing clay on the ends meant that the authority of Rome would punish anyone who broke the seal.

Burial Customs:

Jewish burial procedures involved winding the body in several layers of cloth and putting 75 pounds of aromatic spices (John 19:39) in between the layers of cloth. Some have suggested that this might have revived a person who had fainted when in reality it would have suffocated someone who was barely clinging to life.

:4 and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

David wrote 1,000 years before Christ:

(Psa 16:10 NKJV) For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

On that first Resurrection Sunday morning, this is what was found:

The seal on the tomb was broken

Somebody was going to be in trouble with the Roman government.

The tomb was empty

If the ladies simply went to the wrong tomb, did Joseph of Arimathea go to the wrong tomb? Did Nicodemus go to the wrong tomb? Did the disciples go to the wrong tomb? Were the guards at the wrong tomb? And if all these people went to the wrong tomb, why didn’t the Romans and the Jews simply produce the body of Jesus after the disciples began to proclaim that He had risen?

The stone was moved.

The original Greek text indicates that the stone was literally picked up and moved away from the tomb, up a hill (Mat. 27:60; 28:2; Mark 16:3; Luke 24:2; John 20:1).

The Roman guard had fled

Though they risked losing their own lives, the Roman guard had left their post and fled to the Jewish high priest to find protection from their boss, Pilate (Mat. 28:11-15).

The empty grave clothes.

John describes what he and Peter found:

(John 20:6-7 NLT) Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, {7} while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

The original Greek text indicates that the cloth around the body was still in its wrapped state, but caved-in like a collapsed chrysalis.

:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. {6} 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. {7} After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. {8} Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

Some suggest the disciples were just experiencing mass hallucinations. But …

The disciples weren’t expecting Jesus to have been alive (Mark 16:11), in fact they didn’t believe the women at first.

One of the disciples, Thomas, refused to believe the stories. Yet Jesus appeared to Thomas, and the skeptic believed (John 20:24-29).

the greater part remain … - When Paul wrote this, people were still alive who had seen Jesus risen. Paul gave critics a chance to check out his claims on their own.

Even the non-believing ancient Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus, writing around 100AD, mentions Jesus dying on the cross and appearing to his followers after three days.^{^[1]}

:9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. {10} But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Paul hints at how his own life had changed because of Jesus. Paul used to be a persecutor of the church, but he became one of the leaders.

Paul wasn’t the only life that had changed because of the resurrection. All the apostles had changed.

When Jesus was arrested, ALL of His followers ran for their lives.

Yet within a few weeks, they were standing face to face with the ones who had crucified their leader.

Even after they were arrested and beaten …

(Acts 5:42 NKJV) …did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

History shows that for the last 2,000 years, lives have changed because of what Jesus did.

On Thursday we’re going to watch a movie about how God took a kid who grew up in the ultimate dysfunctional family, and changed his life.

:11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. {12} Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

:15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise.

We get our English word “martyr” from the Greek word for witness.

History is full of martyrs. Countless men and women have died for their beliefs, for all kinds of beliefs.

While many will die for what they believe to be the truth, few if any will die for what they know to be a lie.

The disciples of Christ didn’t die for something somebody else told them. They died for what they claimed to have seen with their own eyes.

If their claim was a lie, they would know it.

Every apostle went to his grave proclaiming that Jesus rose from the dead.

All but one died a violent, horrible death. For example …

James, killed by the sword by the order of Herod Agrippa

Philip

Matthew had worked in Ethiopia and killed in the city of Nabadah, AD 60

Matthias

Andrew was crucified at Edessa

Peter was crucified upside down in Rome

Paul was beheaded by a sword in Rome

Bartholomew was beaten and crucified in India

Thomas was also killed in India with a spear

Simon the zealot was crucified in Britain, AD 74

John miraculously survived being boiled in oil in Rome, exiled to Patmos, but died of old age, the only apostle not to be martyred.

:16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. {17} And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! {18} Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. {19} If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we have no proof that He actually paid for our sins.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then maybe there is no heaven. Maybe all our loved ones who have already died have simply perished.

If we have spent our lives saying “no” to sinful pleasures and enduring persecution for following Jesus, what a complete waste of time … if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead.

But He did.

It’s worth it to follow Jesus.

It Wouldn’t Have Mattered – play video

This is no game. This isn’t some nice “optional” thing you might want to include into your life.

This is about life or death. Your life or your death.

^{^[1]}Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996, c1987). The works of Josephus : Complete and unabridged. Includes index. (Ant XVIII, iii 3). Peabody: Hendrickson.