1. Week 9 Review

2. From Last Week…
Liberal theologians and popular fiction like The Da Vinci Code often suggest that Jesus was not deified until Constantine’s Council of Nicaea in AD 325. How would you answer this explanation of the deity of Jesus?

3. From Last Week…
Some critics of the deity of Jesus claim that Jesus did not consider himself God based on passages like Mark 10:18 and Matthew 19:17. How would you respond to this?

4. From Last Week…
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are one religious group that teaches that Jesus is not God, but just a teacher or prophet. One reason given is that the Bible teaches that we should only worship God. What would you say to a Jehovah’s Witness about this?

5. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection
The Crux of our Faith
The Death, Burial, and Resurrection

6. What is so Important about…
…The Death of Jesus?
It was necessary for us (1 Pet. 2:24, Heb. 10:11-12)
…The Burial of Jesus?
Serves as evidence, a challenge to nonbelievers
…The Resurrection of Jesus?
Proved deity (Rom. 1:3-4)
Fulfilled prophecy (Acts 2:27)

7. Challenges to the Biblical Account
Death of Jesus
Swoon theory and variants—Jesus faked his death
Burial of Jesus
Body stolen
Mistake or myth
Resurrection of Jesus
Conspiracy of apostles
Hallucination, some other unusual circumstance

8. The Swoon Theory See Mark 15:36, Mark 15:44 The Death of Jesus
Resuscitation instead of resurrection
Both ancient (Islam) and modern versions
Jesus fainted or was given a drug, etc.
This gave the appearance of death
See Mark 15:36, Mark 15:44

9. Problems with Swoon Theory
Torture before the Cross
The Garden—hemotidrosis (skin, blood vessels)
Lends itself to easier blood loss
The Flogging—hypovolemic shock (blood loss)
Many died at this point
Weakness (Mark 15:21)
Thirst (John 19:28)

10. Problems with Swoon Theory
The Cross itself
Crushed, severed nerves
Excruciating (out of the cross) pain
Possibly dislocated shoulders (Psalm 22?)
Exhaustion from lifting to breathe
Asphyxiation or heart failure
Buildup of fluid (John 19:34)

11. Historicity of Joseph of Arimathea? Could the body have been stolen?
The Burial of Jesus
Historicity of Joseph of Arimathea?
Could the body have been stolen?
How secure was the tomb?
If stolen, who?
Reliability of witnesses?

12. Joseph of Arimathea The Tomb Defending the Burial
Mentioned by name each time—easy to dispute
Unlikely candidate for a story (Sanhedrin)
No competing burial stories
The Tomb
Historical description—stone fit in a groove

14. If stolen, who? Witnesses Defending the Burial
Apostles—martyred for a lie?
Romans—regional instability
Jews—lending evidence to Jesus
Everyone knew where the body was
Witnesses
Women—unlikely witnesses in 1st century

15. The Resurrection of Jesus
Resurrection appearances
Legendary?
Hallucinations?
Circumstantial evidence
Martyrdom
Conversions
Changes to social structures

16. Resurrection Appearances
Legend? Myth?
Remember dating of Biblical accounts
Too soon for myths to develop
Witnesses available to dispute
Hallucinations?
Impossible by definition—individual events

17. The disciples died for their teaching
Powerful Evidence
The disciples died for their teaching
Who would die for a lie?
They had nothing to gain
Skeptics were converted through appearances
Paul, James (brother of Jesus)
Major changes for Jews and Gentiles
Giving up the Old Law, pagan religions for Jesus

18. Question 1
As an exercise, assume that Jesus did survive the crucifixion and his resurrection appearances were just the man Jesus meeting his followers. What problems are left unanswered by this theory?

19. Question 2
If you spoke to someone who believed in a naturalistic explanation for the empty tomb, what strategy would you take to convince them that the disappearance of the body of Jesus could only be explained by the Biblical account?

20. Question 3
Of the three evidences for the resurrection of Jesus that we mentioned in class, which is the most powerful to you? Can you think of any other evidences to support the resurrection of Jesus?