1. ? ( honest questions we’re afraid to ask )
What if Easter doesn‘t matter?
What if
What if God doesn‘t exist?
( honest questions we’re afraid to ask )
( honest questions we’re afraid to ask )

2. ? ( honest questions we’re afraid to ask )
The Bible is really just another book?
The basis for following Jesus is actually the Bible.
How important is it?
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( honest questions we’re afraid to ask )

3. No book in history has been so studied, so used, and so abused as the Holy Bible. Millions across history have staked their lives on it. Destiny-defining trust has been placed in it. Graveside hope has been based on it. The charters of nations have been built on it. Others with equal intensity have sought to expel it. Extraordinary good has been spread because of it. Wrongheaded zeal has caused untold evil in the name of it. But above all, it's message stands or falls on its authenticity. Is there truth for all of us with in its pages, or is it only for those with superstitious and unsuspecting minds? Is the Bible mirror fantasy, or is it fantastically true? Is this indeed the word from God to us, or is it the fraudulent work of a few who claimed divine superintendence? - Ravi Zacharias: The Story of the Bible
Read text
What does it mean that they claimed diving superintendence?
Last week we saw one text from 2 Timothy. Here is another.
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4. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV2011) Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4 (NIV2011)
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5. Manuscripts
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6. Comparing manuscripts
New Testament
Homer’s Illiad
Date Written: A.D.
Earliest Copy: A.D.
Time lag: 30 years +/-
Number of Copies: 24,362
Length: 20,000 lines
# lines w/differences: 40
Differentiation Rate: 0.25%
Date Written: 800 B.C.
Earliest Copy: 400 B.C.
Time lag: 400 years
Number of Copies: 1,757
Length: 15,600 lines
# lines w/differences: 764
Differentiation Rate: 5%
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7. Variations in manuscripts: “mistakes”?
Example of John 9:20
Manuscript 1: “His parents answered and said…”
Manuscript 2: “But his parents answered them and said…”
Manuscript 3: “His parents answered them and said…”
Manuscript 4: “His parents answered therefore and said…”
“Not a single teaching of the Christian faith is affected by these variations, nor is any major historical aspect of the gospel narratives or early Christianity affected.”
- Alister McGrath: Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University
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8. Example of Isaiah Result: Comparing the 980 A.D. & Dead Sea Scroll
700 B.C. – Approximate date of writing
980 A.D. – Date of oldest copy (nearly years later than original)
1947 A.D. – Dead Sea Scrolls
150 B.C. – Date of Isaiah scroll (within years of original)
Result: Comparing the 980 A.D. & Dead Sea Scroll
“Proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in 95% of the text. The 5% of variation is chiefly obvious misspellings and slips of the pen.”
- Gleason Archer
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9. Archaeology
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. Acts 17:22-23 (NIV2011)
Does archaeology support the claims of the Bible?
Here are two artifacts that have been discovered just in the last several years that support the truth of the Bible.
One is a bone box, called an Ossuary.
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10. James ossuary (bone box) 63 A.D.
 "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus"
In Israel, there were two stages in a burial. The first stage was immediately after a person died, where the body was placed in a tomb. We see this described in the stories of Jesus and Lazarus.
The second stage happened a year or so later after the flesh had decomposed, and all that was left were the bones. At that time, the bones would be placed in an ossuary, or bone box, like this.
Several years ago, this bone box was discovered in Jerusalem, dated to 63 AD. It was pretty typical, except for the inscription – in the red circle.
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It is interesting to see what the inscription says
"James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus"
Most scholars believe that this inscription is accurate to the original date of usage.
They have done the numbers and figured out the possibility of who this might be. They have determined that there would have been only 1.7 people in the region with a father named Joseph, and a brother named Jesus. The fact that a brother was named is very unusual. This only happened when the brother was very important. So it points to this being the Ossuary of James the just – half brother of Jesus.
Another example is this
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11. Pontius Pilate Stone
 "This building - Tiberium By Pontius Pilatus Prefect of Judea Has been built"
For centuries, scholars doubted the actual existence of Pontius Pilate, who is the Roman governor mentioned the gospels as the one who put Jesus to death.
Just several years ago, this stone was found in the city of Caesarea, right on the shore of the Mediterranean sea. There is an inscription on it, and this is what it says:
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"This building - Tiberium By Pontius Pilatus Prefect of Judea Has been built"
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12. World History
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:26-27 (NIV2011)
What references outside of the Bible do we have? In other words, is there anyone else who spoke of the things that we read about in the Bible?
To understand the situation, we need to realize that outside of the Jewish and Christian faith traditions, there would not have been a great call for writing about him. Think about Jesus as a figure of history in the Roman empire. This is how he would have been thought of.
He was crucified. He was considered a criminal
He was Jewish.
He was a traveling preacher – homeless guy
He was from Galilee – which in their eyes was a hotbed of rebellion, so they wouldn’t want to highlight someone from there.
He associated with those on the outside – tax collectors, prostitutes, etc.
So, do we see Jesus written about in ancient literature outside the Bible?
The answer is yes. As far as the New testament goes, there are 7 places we see it. I will show you just 3.
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13. Josephus (93/94 AD) Jewish Historian
“At this time there was a wise man, who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.”
Antiquities
Jesus was a real person
He was good and virtuous
He had a following of disciples
Crucified by Pilate
Reports of seeing him alive after death.
Josephus was a Jewish historian, and he was taken prisoner by the Romans in their war against the Jews between AD. He tried to convince the Jews to surrender, which they did not.
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14. Tacitus: (115 A.D.) Roman Governor of Asia
“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero falsely charged with the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, coomonly called Christians. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate …”
Annals 15:44
Jesus was a real person
He was put to death
Pontius Pilate
Tiberius
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15. Talmud (500-600 A.D.) - Jewish literature
“On the eve of Passover, they hanged Yeshu. And an announcer went out in front of him for 40 days (saying): ‘He is going to be stoned, because he practiced sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who knows anything in his favor, let him come and plead on his behalf.’ But, not having found anything in his favor, they hanged him on the eve of the Passover.”
Sanhedrin 43a
Jesus was a real person
They wanted to stone him.
Influential
Death by “hanging” – an expression for crucifixion
Died on “eve of Passover.”
Trial of Jesus
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16. Psalm 18:30 (NIV2011) As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
Worship team plays underneath
Psalm 18:30 (NIV2011)
 As for God, his way is perfect:
Maybe you have been following your own way, and you are finding out that it isn’t perfect.
Today can be a day for you to take a step toward His plan.
Commitment: follow his way. Either get back on the path or step on to the path for the first time.
The LORD’s word is flawless;
It is flawless because it is perfect, and it has been protected.
It is also flawless when it is the basis for our lives.
Everyone in the word every day
Commitment: Read the word each day this week.
me with your reaction
he shields all who take refuge in him.
A refuge is a place to hide. A place of security in trouble. A safe place in the midst of a storm.
Today you may be in a storm and you may be wondering what to do. You can come to him – he cares for you.
Commitment: Not go to fear or worry in a time of trouble, but go to the Lord for security, for a refuge.
2 Sam. 22:31