1. Easter Sunday March 27, 2016

2. Choices! Choices! Choices!

3. Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

4. Five Commitments that Define a Christian Returning Sunday April 17 th follow Jesus!

5. Philippians 2:5-11 His humiliation and his exaltation

6. His suffering (His humiliation) Philippians 2:5-8 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

7. His glory (His exaltation) Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

8. His glory (His exaltation) Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

9. How do we know the resurrection of Christ really happened? So what? What is the big deal about the resurrection?

10. How do we know the resurrection of Christ really happened?

11. Four lines of evidence: Reliable documents

12. Reliable? NOT!

13. July 29, 2013 issue

14. Reliable documents Each of the gospels were written by either an apostle of Jesus or a close companion of an apostle of Jesus …  Matthew – an apostle  Mark – a close friend of the apostle Peter  Luke – a close friend of the apostle Paul and a well educated physcian-historian  John – an apostle

15. Reliable documents The New Testament has far more manuscript evidence than any other writing of antiquity!  The writings of Aristotle – 5 surviving mss  the writings of Plato – 7 surviving mss  the writings of Caesar – 10 surviving mss  the writings of Homer – 600 surviving mss  The New Testament – over 24,000!!!!

16. Reliable documents The mss we have of the NT tend to be much closer to the date of the originals than mss of these other writings of antiquity!  the writings of Aristotle - 1400 yrs after original  the writings of Plato - 1200 yrs after original  the writings of Homer - 500 yrs after original  the writings of NT - less than 100 yrs after original

17. How do we know the resurrection of Christ really happened?

18. Four lines of evidence: R eliable documents E mpty Tomb

19. Matthew 28:12-15 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

20. Empty Tomb Acts 2:29, 31-32 Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day... he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

21. Four lines of evidence: R eliable documents E mpty Tomb A ppearances of Christ

22. Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living. Appearances of Christ

23. Tiger Woods

24. Four lines of evidence: R eliable documents E mpty Tomb A ppearances of Christ L ives transformed

25. Matthew 26:69-70 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”

26. How do we know the resurrection of Christ really happened?

27. Four lines of evidence: R eliable documents E mpty Tomb A ppearances of Christ L ives transformed

28. Four lines of evidence: R eliable documents E mpty Tomb A ppearances of Christ L ives transformed

29. So what? What is the big deal about the resurrection? 1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

30. So what? What is the big deal about the resurrection? John 11:25-26 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

31. So what? What is the big deal about the resurrection? John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

32. So what? What is the big deal about the resurrection? Here at Grace we believe that salvation is... -By grace alone! -Through faith alone! -In Christ alone!