1. THE EMPTY TOMB Matthew 28:1-10

2. 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. Matthew 28:1-10

3. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Matthew 28:1-10

4. that Jesus is who He said He was. Romans 1:1-4 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. The Resurrection proves…

5. 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. The Resurrection is the Linchpin of the Christian Faith

6. 1.Swoon Theory 2.Wrong Tomb Theory 3.Stolen Away Theory 4.Hallucination Theory Four theories dealing with resurrection and post-resurrection appearances of Jesus

7. Summary: Jesus merely fainted from exhaustion and loss of blood. Everyone thought Him to be dead, but He later recovered and the disciples thought He rose from the dead. Problems: 1.Critically injured 2.Multiple people verified He was dead 3.Getting out of and away from the guarded tomb Swoon Theory

8. Summary: The women who reported the empty tomb went to the wrong one. Problems: 1.The women went to the tomb before 2.Many people knew the location of the tomb Wrong Tomb Theory

9. Summary: The disciples came the stole the body out of the guarded tomb and spread the story that Jesus had risen from the dead. Stolen Away Theory

10. 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 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. Matthew 28:11-15

11. Summary: The disciples came the stole the body out of the guarded tomb and spread the story that Jesus had risen from the dead. Problems: 1.The guards 2.The stone 3.The disciples willingness to dying for a lie Stolen Away Theory

12. Summary: Everyone who claimed to have seen Jesus was hallucinating. Problems: 1.Need fertile imagination, drugs, stress, or deprivation 2.Hallucinations only impact that person 3.Jesus appeared to groups of people multiple times Hallucination Theory

13. …that Jesus actually rose from the dead is a plausible answer. After looking at the facts…

14. we can trust Jesus’ words. He will never drive away anyone that comes to Him He will never lose any that come to Him He is preparing a place in heaven for all who believe One day He will return to judge the living and the dead Everyone who believes in Him shall have eternal life If the resurrection is true, then…