What Do We Believe About Jesus Christ, and Why? Questions? What Do We Believe About Jesus Christ, and Why?

The Questions We Will Address What we believe about Jesus Christ Why we believe this about Jesus Christ Why this matters for us

Romans 1:1-5 “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.”

What we Believe About Jesus? That Jesus is the giver of grace. vs. 5 “. . . Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.”

What we Believe About Jesus? That Jesus is the giver of grace. That Jesus was fully man. vs. 3 “. . . concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. . ."

What we Believe About Jesus? That Jesus is the giver of grace. That Jesus was fully man. That Jesus was fully God. vs. 4 “. . . and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. ”

What we Believe About Jesus? -Key Claim: We believe that Jesus was fully God. -But why? Why does the resurrection show that Jesus Christ is God? -The resurrection shows the following about Jesus: (1) He can predict the future, (2) He has power over nature, (3) He has power over life and death, and (4) nothing can contain Him. -These are divine attributes. If Jesus was raised from the dead, He was God.

Why Do We Believe This about Jesus? There are several possibilities that could account for the empty tomb. The Swoon Theory—Jesus did not really die, He just passed out. The Wrong Tomb Theory—The disciples simply went to the wrong tomb. The Stolen Body Theory—The disciples stole the body. The Resurrection—Jesus came back to life.

The Pre-crucifixion Evidence Prayer in the Garden. Hematidrosis: Luke 22:44—the Bible says Jesus was sweating drops of blood. This is a medical condition known as hematidrosis that results from a victim being in a highly stressful state.

The Pre-crucifixion Evidence Scourging. Jesus was first beaten with a reed or thin stick. Then He was scourged with a cat of nine tails. Eusebius, a third-century historian, says, “The sufferer’s veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure.”

The Pre-crucifixion Evidence The Crown of Thorns. Thorns up to 4 inches long. Pushed onto His head causing severe bleeding.

The Pre-crucifixion Evidence Road to Golgotha. Mark 15:21-22—By this point Jesus is so bad off that He cannot even carry a cross. He is already close to death

The Crucifixion Evidence The Cross. Josephus records that 3 of his friends were crucified. He had them taken down quickly, and 2/3 died from this alone

The Crucifixion Evidence The Spear. John 19:37 says that the soldiers put a spear in His side and blood and water came rushing from the hole. This means that the spear went through the lung (causing more trouble for breathing for the already suffocating Christ), through the Parietal Cardium (a sack of fluid around the heart that is water-like), and through the Right Ventricular (the area of the heart that receives blood from all parts of the body). Jesus was, without question, dead.

The Crucifixion Evidence Pilate’s Demand for Proof. Pilate required certification of Jesus’ death before he would release the body (Mark 15:42-45). At least four Roman soldiers checked to make sure He was dead. They would have made absolutely sure He was dead because if they were wrong they would have been put to death.

The Crucifixion Evidence Jesus’ Hand and Feet. Jesus would have been unable to use His hands and feet even if He would have lived. Sensory and motor nerves were cut when the nails went through. Also, the tendons in His hands, that allow the fingers to move, would have been cut in half.

The Burial Evidence The Tomb was not a Cave. According to Matt. 27:60, the tomb was a new tomb, cut out of the rock.

The Burial Evidence The Tomb was well Known. In John 19:38-42, the Bible says that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus buried Jesus’ body near the location of the crucifixion where there was a garden. This site was well known by the disciples, the Jews, and the Romans.

The Burial Evidence The Burial Clothes. Jesus was wrapped in 75-100 lbs. cloth, spices, and embalming oils, making it very difficult for Him to escape.

The Burial Evidence The Stone. Matt 27:60 notes that a large (3,000-4,000 lbs.) stone was places at the door, requiring about 8-12 men to move.

The Burial Evidence The Guards. In Matthew 27:62-66, the Bible says that Pilate ordered the tomb to be guarded. This means that (1) there was no question where the tomb of Jesus was, and (2) at least 4 guards would have stood watch around the clock.

The Evidence from 3 Days Later The Tomb was Empty. Matt. 28:2 and Mark 16:4 both say the tomb was empty 3 days later. No one disputes this from the ancient world.

The Evidence from 3 Days Later The Appearances. Jesus appeared on at least 12 different occasions: ~ To Thomas in John 20:26-30 ~ To the seven apostles in John 21 ~ To Mary Magdalene in John 20:11 ~ To all the apostles in Matthew 28:16-20 ~ To the other women in Matthew 28:9-10 ~ To all the apostles again in Acts 1:4-9 ~ To Peter in Luke 24:34 ~ To the two disciples in Luke 24:13-13 ~ To the 500 brethren in I Cor. 15:6 ~ To James in I Cor. 15:7 ~ To the ten apostles in Luke 24:34-49 ~ To Paul in Acts 9.

The Evidence from the Disciples Cowards to Courageous. The Disciples go from being cowards to martyrs for the faith: (A) James of Zebedee was beheaded, (B) Philip was crucified, (C) Matthew was slain with a halberd, (D) Mark was dragged and burned, (E) James the ½ bro was beaten and stoned to death, (F) Matthius was stoned and beheaded, (G) Andrew was crucified, (H) Peter was crucified upside down, (I) Paul was beheaded, (J) Jude was crucified, (K) Bartholomew was beaten, (L) crucified and beheaded, (M) Thomas was speared, (N) Luke was hanged, (O) Simon was crucified, (P) John was boiled in hot oil.

Evaluation The Swoon theory. This would explain the tomb being empty and the reappearances. But, given the pre-crucifixion and crucifixion evidence, this view is impossible. The scourging. (2) The spear. (3) Pilate’s demand for proof. (4) Jesus’ hands and feet were now useless. (5) The stone. (6) The guards. Make no mistake about it, Jesus was dead.

Evaluation The Wrong Tomb theory. This view would also explain the tomb being empty and would allow for Jesus actually being dead. But it too is impossible. (1) The tomb was well known. (2) The tomb was under guarded supervision. (3) The appearances to the disciples. (4) The great confidence of the disciples. (5) The absence of the body to this day.

Evaluation The Stolen Body theory. The Jews and the Romans would not have stolen the body because they wanted to silence Christianity. If they stole the body, as soon as the disciples say He was risen they would have produced the body. (1) The guards that would have prevented them from entering the tomb, (2) The appearances of Jesus to James and Paul, and (3) The courage and boldness of the disciples after the resurrection. The disciples didn’t steal the body of Jesus.