If we already agree that the Bible is a historical document that is better proven than any other document in history, then we can proceed.
Now, let’s show the evidents for the Resurrection.
The first piece of evidence is the empty tomb
-Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Christ off the cross
-The put it in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
-Joseph was a well-known Supreme Court Judge of israel. He was a member of the 71 member Jewish Sanhedrin.
-Three days after putting Jesus in the tomb, it was empty. Both the apostles and their enemies agreed the tomb was empty.
-They wanted to know “who stole the body”. The apostles said “We didn’t steal it. Instead we have seen Jesus Christ risen from the dead.”
-The empty tomb clearly points to the resurrection of Christ.
Secondly, the appearances of Christ cleearly point to His resurrection
-The Gospels have the ring of authenticity, as they record Christ appeared risen from the dead to some grief-torn woman.
-At that time, women had no value in the interworkings of society.
-They were seen as chattel (objects) in the Palestinian Jewish culture.
-Their testimony was not worthy to be heard in court
-Yet the Gospels tell of Christ first appearing to grieving women. (Mary, Joanna, and others)
-Paul asserts that Christ appeared to over 500 people in 1 Corinthians 15.
-In Luke Chapter 24, where Jesus appears risen from the dead to His disciples. They don’t rejoice, but think they are all hallucinating, thinking it must be a spirit. Jesus walks up to them and tells them to touch him to confirm his risen body. “A spirit does not have flesh and bone the way you see I have”
-Christ appeared, risen from the dead, to different people, in different places, and at different times over a period of 40 days.
The third piece of evidence is the transformation of the apostles.
-Before Christ was crucified, they were bascially a bunch of wimps. Christ-deniers, Christ-betrayers, Christ-deserters.
-After He rose from the dead they turned into “deeply committed followers of Christ.” So committed that they all were willing to die for what they had seen, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
-Peter, Andrew, Philip, Simon the zealot, James the son of Alpheus, Bartholomew (Nathaniel) were all crucified because of their faith in His resurrection.
-James the brother of John, and Matthew were put to death by sword for the same belief.
-James, the brother of Jesus, was stoned to death for it.
Why?
The all stood before the Romans, who told them “Say Caesar is Lord and live, or maintain that Jesus is your Lord and we will kill you for it.”
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAID, “I have seen Jesus risen from the dead.”
-They died, not for a belief or a philosophy, but for what they claimed to have seen; a dead Christ, risen from the dead.
Because Jesus is risen from the dead, His claim to be God in human form is true.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, His teaching to how you and I should live our lives in worship of God, and love and serve each other, is true.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, His claim to be the way through death and out the other side to eternal life in heaven, is true.
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
An amazing claim, usually ridiculus when it comes from the mouth of a person.
But when it comes from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead, suddenly it has tremendous credibility.
Faith in Christ is not a blind faith.
Faith in Christ is based on the evidence that He is reliable and He rose from the dead.
That is why putting your faith in Him is such a wise decision to make.