CSI You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down

Luke 24:1-12 (NLT) 4 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

The disciples as well as some people today don’t believe because it sounds too good to be true.

The claim: “Better legs and a better butt with every step.” Reebok claimed that its walking shoes, running shoes and flip-flops were “proven to work your hamstrings and calves up to 11 percent harder” and that they toned the buttocks “up to 28 percent more than regular sneakers, just by walking.” The truth: Though it did not admit to anything, Reebok settled Federal Trade Commission charges, agreed to pay $25 million and promised to stop making claims that toning shoes or apparel strengthen or tone muscles without scientific evidence.

The claim: Listerine can prevent and cure colds and sore throats; rinsing with it is as effective as flossing in fighting tooth and gum decay. The truth: Initially sold as a surgical antiseptic in the 19th century, Listerine was the first product marketed as a mouthwash starting in In 1976, the FTC the maker of Listerine to spend $10 million on ads that stated, “Listerine will not help prevent colds or sore throats or lessen their severity.” Then in 2005, a federal judge ordered the commercials claiming that rinsing with Listerine was as effective as flossing in fighting tooth and gum decay to be pulled.

The claim: “Made from sugar so it tastes just like sugar.” The truth: Under court order, Splenda was required to change its slogan to “It’s made from sugar. It tastes like sugar. But it’s not sugar.” Splenda’s main ingredient is sucralose, which is not sugar and is made in a laboratory.

The claim: Provides immediate and significant pain relief from arthritis and other chronic conditions. The truth: In an $87 million dollar ruling in 2011, the FTC began mailing 248,931 refund checks to consumers who were misled by the company.

The claim: Activia helps prevent colds and flu; and relieves temporary irregularity. The truth: In 2010, a judge ordered Dannon to drop the claims and pay $45 million in damages.

Because we have been misled so many times, we have become skeptical, we need scientific proof– genuine physical evidence of what you are trying to get us to believe. That is one of the reasons why many people say they don’t believe in God. 1 Peter 3:15 (HCSB) 15 but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

For our own faith, and the faith of others, it is critical for us to be able to give a reason why we believe in Jesus, His death, and resurrection. In reality, Christ’s resurrection is crucial to our faith. 1 Corinthians 15:17 (NLT) 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.

If Christ did not rise from the grave, then there is no victory over sin and death. Romans 6:23 (NLT) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. But, is there evidence to support our belief?

Let’s look at the evidence.

1. Jewish prophecies speak of His death and "One who would die for the sins of many." Psalm 22:16-18 (NLT) Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NLT) 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the L ORD laid on him the sins of us all.

The “seventy sevens” prophecy in Daniel 9 predicted the precise date that Jesus, the Messiah, would be “cut off.” Isaiah 50:6 accurately describes the beating that Jesus endured. Zechariah 12:10 predicts the “piercing” of the Messiah, which occurred after Jesus died on the cross.

2. Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. Jesus cannot be ’just a good man’, or ’a prophet’. He was either a liar and has deceived millions of people for centuries. Or, he was crazy to call himself God. Or he is the Risen Christ, and he told the truth! You decide.

Mark 8:31-32 (NLT) 31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. he said so! John 2:19 (NLT) 19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

3. Lack of DNA evidence…The tomb was empty. For Virgin birth and resurrection we’ll never have enough evidence for definitive proof. Evidence gets destroyed. If it happened yesterday, we’d send in CSI and the CIA. But it happened 2000 years ago, and the further back in time, the more difficult it is. So, we are stuck with historians. We know the body was missing, if there was a dead body, Rome and the chief priests would have produced it to squelch the mounting evidence of the resurrection. Where’s the body? So, the blame-game started. - the Jews blamed the Romans – they were on guard at the tomb- the Roman soldiers blamed the disciples – they stole the body- the Christians blamed the Jews – they bribed the guards and their officers- who can we believe?

Matthew 28:11-15 (NLT) 11 As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. 12 A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. 13 They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14 If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15 So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today

Why would Christians want to invent the resurrection and the empty tomb? It would make evangelism among the Jews almost impossible. Jesus was crucified, and for Jews this meant God cursed him- there is no way that God would raise to life anyone who had been crucified.

Did the disciples steal the body?

Who knew the tomb was empty? Everyone.

eye witness reports which would stand up in a modern law court. Deuteronomy 19:15 (NLT) …The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses

1 Corinthians 15:3-9 (NLT) 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James (his own stepbrother who was not a believer during his life's ministry but after this appearance became a believer) and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. (Paul rounded up the believers to be killed.)

5. Jesus showed his resurrected body to women first. Only Jesus would have given women, especially in that day, this honor: Jesus told them to go and tell the disciples the good news about the resurrection. If this was a fairy tale, men would have been the culturally accepted ones to first discover the empty tomb.

6. Evidence carved in marble.

7. The transformation of the twelve disciples

8. The final proof: the work of Jesus today

What more evidence do you need?

References THE CROSS -- W. Alderman Our Beliefs Dictate Our Actions -- Rodney Johnson Good God, It's Morning -- Arley Ellingson You Can't Keep a God-Man Down -- Michael Luke The Empty Promises of Easter -- Steven Kellett New Evidence for the Resurrection-- Rev Dr David Instone-Brewer