1. THE CASE OF THE MISSING BODY
EASTER SUNDAY
THE CASE OF THE MISSING BODY

2. “No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily
“No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again.”
John 10:18 (NLT)

3. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17 (NLT)

4. Common Objections to the Resurrection:1
Dead men don’t rise.

5. Common Objections to the Resurrection:2
A resurrection is scientifically impossible.

6. Common Objections to the Resurrection:3
The Bible simply contains religious testimonies written by the already convinced.

7. “Luke is an historian of the first rank… This author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”
~ Sir William Ramsay

8. Common Objections to the Resurrection:4
Perhaps the women went to the wrong tomb.

9. Common Objections to the Resurrection:5
So what if the body was missing? That just means it was stolen or moved.

10. WHO COULD HAVE STOLEN THE BODY?
THREE POSSIBILITIES:
ROMAN GOVERNMENT
JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS
THE DISCIPLES

11. Common Objections to the Resurrection:6
The fact the disciples died for their faith doesn’t prove anything.

12. People will die for their faith if they believe it is true, but they will not die for their faith if they know it is false.

13. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day… He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, I saw him, too…
1 Corinthians 15:4-8 (NLT)

14. Common Objections to the Resurrection:7
Paul claims that 500 people saw Jesus at the same time. But these are 500 nameless people.

15. “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know… God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”
Acts 2:22, 32 (NIV)

16. Common Objections to the Resurrection:8
The resurrection accounts are contradictory.

17. Common Objections to the Resurrection:9
The appearances were hallucinations.

18. “Hallucinations are individual occurrences
“Hallucinations are individual occurrences. By their very nature only one person can see a given hallucination at a time. They certainly are not something which can be seen by a group of people.”
~ Gary Collins

19. “Having 500 different people have the same hallucination at exactly the same time would be a greater miracle than the resurrection itself.”
~ Unknown

20. Common Objections to the Resurrection:10
The appearances were simply wish-fulfillment.

21. “Perhaps the transformation of the disciples is the greatest evidence of all for the resurrection… When Jesus died, they were heartbroken, confused and frightened. But within less than two months they came out of hiding,

22. full of joy, confidence and courage
full of joy, confidence and courage. What can account for this dramatic transformation? Only the resurrection, together with Pentecost which followed soon afterwards.”
~ John Stott

23. “I know what evidence is, and evidence like that for the resurrection has never broken down yet.”
~ John Singleton Copley

24. THE CASE OF THE MISSING BODY
EASTER SUNDAY
THE CASE OF THE MISSING BODY