Part 9: The Missing Body

“I believe Christians need to recover a sense of the shocking absurdity of the very idea of the resurrection.” ~ Steven Davis, Theologian “I believe Christians need to recover a sense of the shocking absurdity of the very idea of the resurrection.” ~ Steven Davis, Theologian

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” ~ Sherlock Holmes “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” ~ Sherlock Holmes

“Messiahship in Judaism never envisaged someone doing the sort of things Jesus had done, let alone suffering the fate he suffered. The historian must therefore ask why the early Christians made this claim about Jesus, and why they reordered their lives accordingly.” ~ N. T. Wright, Historian & Theologian “Messiahship in Judaism never envisaged someone doing the sort of things Jesus had done, let alone suffering the fate he suffered. The historian must therefore ask why the early Christians made this claim about Jesus, and why they reordered their lives accordingly.” ~ N. T. Wright, Historian & Theologian

“If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the earth.” ~ C.S. Lewis, Philosopher

“Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” ~ Watchman Nee “Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” ~ Watchman Nee

“When every argument has been considered and weighed, the only conclusion acceptable to the historian must be that there is one disconcerting fact: namely that the women who went out to pay their last respects to Jesus found to their consternation, not a body, but an empty tomb.” ~ Geza Vermes, First Century Historian “When every argument has been considered and weighed, the only conclusion acceptable to the historian must be that there is one disconcerting fact: namely that the women who went out to pay their last respects to Jesus found to their consternation, not a body, but an empty tomb.” ~ Geza Vermes, First Century Historian

“The fact that dead people do not ordinarily rise is itself part of the early Christian belief, not an objection to it. The early Christians insisted that what had happened to Jesus was precisely something new; was, indeed, the start of a whole new mode of existence, a new creation. The fact that Jesus’ resurrection was, and remains, without parallel is not an objection to the early Christian claim. It is part of the claim itself.” ~ N. T. Wright, Historian & Theologian

“If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable, according to the canons of historical research, to conclude that the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, in which Jesus was buried, was actually empty on the morning of the first Easter.” ~ Dr. Paul Maier, First Century Historian “If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable, according to the canons of historical research, to conclude that the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, in which Jesus was buried, was actually empty on the morning of the first Easter.” ~ Dr. Paul Maier, First Century Historian

“The Gospel without the Resurrection is not merely a Gospel without its final chapter; it is not a gospel at all.” ~ Michael Ramsey, former Archbishop of Canterbury “The Gospel without the Resurrection is not merely a Gospel without its final chapter; it is not a gospel at all.” ~ Michael Ramsey, former Archbishop of Canterbury

“Even today, a dead Christ is easier to come to terms with than a living Lord. The former offers stability of a kind, the latter never ceases to surprise.” ~ Derek Tidball, New Testament Scholar “Even today, a dead Christ is easier to come to terms with than a living Lord. The former offers stability of a kind, the latter never ceases to surprise.” ~ Derek Tidball, New Testament Scholar

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." ~ Jesus, Luke 9:22 (TNIV) "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." ~ Jesus, Luke 9:22 (TNIV)

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." ~ Jesus, Luke 9:22 (TNIV) "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." ~ Jesus, Luke 9:22 (TNIV)

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove that you are from God.“ [39] But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. ~ Matthew 12:38-40 (NLT) One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove that you are from God.“ [39] But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. ~ Matthew 12:38-40 (NLT)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come! ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TNIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come! ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TNIV)

“Ordinance of Caesar. It is my pleasure that graves and tombs, which have been erected as solemn memorials of ancestors or children or relatives, shall remain undisturbed in perpetuity. If it be shown that anyone has either destroyed them, or has in any other way extracted the bodies buried there, or has maliciously transferred them to other places thus committing a crime against those buried there, or has displaced the sealing or other stones, against such a one I order that a trial be instituted. Let it be absolutely forbidden for anyone to disturb them. Otherwise it is my will that capital sentence be passed upon such person for the crime of desecration.” ~ The Nazareth Inscription “Ordinance of Caesar. It is my pleasure that graves and tombs, which have been erected as solemn memorials of ancestors or children or relatives, shall remain undisturbed in perpetuity. If it be shown that anyone has either destroyed them, or has in any other way extracted the bodies buried there, or has maliciously transferred them to other places thus committing a crime against those buried there, or has displaced the sealing or other stones, against such a one I order that a trial be instituted. Let it be absolutely forbidden for anyone to disturb them. Otherwise it is my will that capital sentence be passed upon such person for the crime of desecration.” ~ The Nazareth Inscription

Christ’s Kingdom IS…NOT… SpiritualInvisible PhysicalPolitical PersonalPrivate RelationalReligious Christ’s Kingdom IS…NOT… SpiritualInvisible PhysicalPolitical PersonalPrivate RelationalReligious

Part 9: The Missing Body