THE LIFE, DEATH and RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST and EASTER
Easter is a time when Christians celebrate the cornerstone event of the
faith, namely the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God. There
can be no doubt that the Resurrection took place, unless you've not
studied the evidence. If you have rejected Jesus Christ on the basis
that a resurrection didn't happen because it couldn't happen, therefore,
because it couldn't happen, it didn't happen and anyone who says it did
is lying because it couldn't happen, so it didn't happen and there is no
use in exploring it further . . . please examine all the facts. If you
are going to reject Jesus Christ as your personal savior, do it because
you have sought out and studied the evidence and determined that the
facts do not sup****t His claims. I believe you will find that the facts
do sup****t them. If they are true, the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ are the most im****tant events in the history of mankind . .
.. events that are inter-twined with our lives from past to present to
eternity.
If you do not have a child-like faith in God's own revealed word, the
Bible, look to contem****ary lawyer Frank Morrison, who wrote a book
called Who Moved The Stone? As an unbeliever, Morrison set out to
disprove the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After extensive research, he
accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior. His search led him to meet
the one true God of the Universe, Jesus Christ, and, in the process, to
a realization that the evidence sup****ts the truth of the resurrection.
Read C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity or Sherlock's Tryal of The Witnesses
for additional proof. Do not leave the pages of Paley's Evidences for
the Christian Faith, Nathaniel Lardner's study of antiquity or D. W.
Forrest's studies on Christ unturned. And by all means, look at
Fairbain's lectures on Christ in Modern Theology. Without pause, read
Dr. W. euGene Scott's proofs for the Resurrection and the 6-volume study
of the Resurrection. The Bible, the above sources and many others served
as primary sources for this discourse on the Resurrection. Supernatural
events require a supernatural God . . . an omniscient, all powerful God
who loved us so much that He was willing to give His own son to redeem
us from our sins.
A webmaster of another site sent me the following interesting
information, which I include in quotes: "A few months ago I was looking
over the account of Jesus Christ in Grolier's Multi-media Encyclopedia
and came across the following, which you would probably find
interesting, too. This material was under a sub-heading of information
from outside of the Christian community: Among Roman historians, TACITUS
(Annals 15.44) records that the Christian movement began with Jesus, who
was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate. SUETONIUS (Claudius 25.4)
refers to the expulsion of the Jews from Rome because of a riot
instigated by one "Chrestus" in AD c.48, and this is usually taken to be
a confused reference to the Christians and their founder. PLINY THE
YOUNGER (Epistles 10.96), writing to Emperor Trajan, says that the early
Christians sang a hymn to Christ as God. Some references are late,
anti-Christian propaganda, but an early reference in the Babylonian
Talmud says that Jeshu ha-Nocri was a false prophet who was hanged on
the eve of the Passover for sorcery and false teaching. The evidence
from the historian JOSEPHUS is problematical. He recounts (Antiquities
20.9.1) the martyrdom of JAMES, "the brother of Jesus called the
Christ," in AD 62. Another passage in the Antiquities (18.3.3) gives an
extended account of Jesus and his career, but some features of it are
clearly Christian interpolations. Whether this passage has an authentic
nucleus is debated. Thus the Roman sources show a vague awareness that
Jesus was a historical figure as well as the object of a cult; the
reliable Jewish sources tell us that he was a Jewish teacher who was put
to death for sorcery and false prophecy and that he had a brother named
James. The Jewish evidence is especially valuable because of the
hostility between Jews and Christians at the time: it would have been
easy for the Jewish side to question the existence of Jesus, but this
they never did."
It is historically evident that Jesus Christ was persecuted by the
enemies of God and put to death by order of the Roman authorities. Among
those instigating these events were religious and political leaders,
some believing Jesus to be guilty of blasphemy; Others were interested
in maintaining lucrative relation****ps with the Roman conquerors. Still
others were looking for a charismatic leader who would turn the peoples'
dislike for the Roman occupation into a revolt. Many saw Jesus as a
threat to their income, their religious traditions or both. Others saw
him as a troublemaker, stirring up revolutionary fervor for freedom from
Rome.
As to His resurrection, is there any doubt that if there is a God, that
He is all powerful? He created the universe and all that dwells within.
If He could do this, surely He could raise Himself from the dead . . .
He chose to manifest Himself in human flesh, to be tested, tortured and
finally executed through one of the cruelest and most painful forms of
death.
The four Gospels (Mark, perhaps written first, from which Matthew, Luke
and John quote) give similar, yet slightly different, personal accounts
of the events that follow. Jesus' hands and feet bled from the punctures
made by the nails holding Him to the cross. His body, when raised on the
cross, hung from His outstretched arms, each breath more difficult . . .
suffocating, slowly, while His detractors jeered below and soldiers cast
lots for His garments. Judas Iscariot walked away from the sight, unable
to bear his betrayal of Jesus and the other disciples, hanging himself
on a tree. Jesus prayed for those who abused and mocked Him, pleading
"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". Darkness fell on
the whole land for three hours while God turned away from His son,
allowing Him to take all the past, present and future sin of the world
upon Himself. Feeling a sinless God turning away from the only worthy
sacrifice for our sins, Jesus called out "My God, My God, why have you
forsaken me?" Then, sensing the end of his human life and the completion
of His atonement, Jesus uttered "It is finished . . . Father, into your
hands I commit my spirit". Making sure He was dead, the Centurion's
spear pierced His side.
After being lowered and removed from the cross, with the permission of
Pilate, Jesus' body was carried to a new tomb, that of Joseph of
Arimathaea. His body was wrapped and placed in the tomb. The Roman
soldiers, under strict orders, rolled an enormous stone to cover the
door of the tomb, securing it with a seal. They stood a careful watch,
fearing for their lives if they failed their mission to keep Jesus' body
from being stolen. After all, Jesus had predicted His Resurrection. What
better way for the disciples to triumph than to steal the body and
proclaim that Jesus had fulfilled His prophecy?
Early on the morning of the day following the Sabbath, the third day
after Jesus' death on the cross, Mary of Magdala brought aromatic spices
and ointments to place on Jesus' body. (Scholars debate the timing here,
some suggesting that Christ arose at sunset, when the next day begins
according to the Hebrew calendar.) A great shaking, as if an earthquake,
caused the soldiers to tremble in fear. An angel of the Lord rolled away
the stone and invited the women to enter the tomb. Stepping inside, they
heard an angel of the Lord say "Why seek the living among the dead, He
is not here, He is risen!" They ran to tell others of His glorious
resurrection.
In the next few days, Jesus appeared to many, including "doubting
Thomas", who believed only when he had seen for himself. He fell at
Jesus' feet when he saw him and Jesus said, "Because you have seen me,
you have believed; blessed they who have not seen and have believed."
The disciples were miraculously changed after Jesus' resurrection,
receiving the power of the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended into heaven.
They performed, and many witnessed, miracles done in the name and in the
spirit of Jesus. These same disciples traveled to the ends of the earth,
spreading the gospel, performing miracles, and, most, dying a martyr's
death.
Peter's unpredictability became a rock of stability, preaching across
mid-Asia. He was crucified outside Rome, upside down at his request,
because he did not feel worthy to be crucified upright as was his Lord.
John became loving, gentle and patient, banished to the Isle of Patmos
where he suffered great persecution for his preaching and where he was
given a vision that became the final book of the Bible, The Revelation
of Jesus Christ. "Doubting" Thomas was a realist who wouldn't believe
that Jesus had risen from the grave until he saw it for himself. After
seeing Jesus, he was transformed, taking the gospel into the most
difficult region of the world to penetrate with the Christian message,
the Himalayas and India. Thomas was pierced with a Brahman sword near
Madras, India. James, the brother of Jesus, may have been among other
family members who didn't wish to be embarrassed by his Brother's
unusual claims. Claiming that Jesus was beside Himself, James sought to
lay hands on Jesus. But after the Resurrection, James became the
foundation of the Christian faith in Jerusalem, suffering persecution at
the hands of the Jewish religious leaders at Jerusalem who were afraid
that the new Christians would undermine their authority, decimate their
wealth and possibly, bring their lives to an end.
The transformation of the apostles is nothing less than miraculous. Men
who were unstable, selfish, doubting and rejecting became stable,
unselfish, loving, trusting and of unwavering faith, willing to die to
carry the words of Jesus throughout the world. Suffering great
persecution in their journeys, Bartholemew was flayed (skinned alive)
with a whip and died. Mark, dragged to death in the streets of
Alexandria. Luke, hanged by an idolatrous priest, in Greece. Andrew was
crucified on a criss-cross cross, now known as a St. Andrew's Cross.
Phillip who preached in Phrygia, died a martyr at Hierapolis. James the
Less was crucified in Egypt and Simon the Zealot was crucified also.
Jude preached in Assyria and in Persia, where he was martyred. Preaching
in Judea, James of Zebedee was beheaded around A.D. 44.
Many have theorized that the disciples stole the body and agreed to lie
about the resurrection and the ascension publicly. Perhaps they could
have held to the story if they all stayed together, sup****ting one
another. But they all left Jerusalem for the far points of the globe and
each one continued to preach the life, death, resurrection and ascension
of Jesus amidst harsh persecution and to the death. As a group, they
fled and left Jesus to be crucified alone. After the resurrection, they
suffered and died alone without one deviation from their claims. Why?
Because their claims were and are true. The body was not stolen, by the
apostles or the Jewish religious leaders or the Romans, because it was
not there. It is not there today because the tomb is empty and scholars
still debate the exact location of Jesus' tomb. If Jesus' body had
remained in the tomb, it would have been clearly marked and its
whereabouts known to this day. Why remember the location of an empty
tomb? He is risen!
Only two possible theories explain the New Testament preaching of the
Resurrection. They survive from eight possible scenarios. One: The
disciples stole the body and preached resurrection. Two: Jewish leaders
took the body. The disciples, discovering an empty tomb, believed Jesus
resurrected. Three: Roman authorities took the body. The disciples,
discovering an empty tomb, believed Jesus resurrected. Four: The women
who first re****ted the resurrection went to the wrong tomb. Five: Jesus
wasn't really dead. Six: The disciples were hallucinating. Seven: The
disciples made up the story to save face. They were lying. Eight: The
disciples were re****ting exactly what they saw, heard, experienced and
knew to be true. The only possible theories are 7 and 8. One: If the
disciples stole the body, they were lying and that leaves number 7. Two:
If Jewish leaders had taken the body and proven it, the apostles'
resurrection preaching would have ceased. This still can't explain
Christ's appearances and the ascension of which the apostles were
preaching. This leads back to number 7. Three: Same as two. Jewish
leaders, in unison with Roman authorities, would quash the resurrection
preaching by producing the body. If three is valid, it only explains the
empty tomb, not the supernatural occurrences. Again, the disciples would
have to be lying. Four: If the women went to the wrong tomb, find the
right one (and the body) and the resurrection preaching would have
ceased. The new garden tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathaea, referred
to in scripture as an honorable counselor, and its whereabouts was
well-known to many in Jerusalem at that time. Five: Nobody has ever
revived from a Roman crucifixion. The Centurion pierced the internal
organs of Jesus' body with a spear to make sure that he was dead. The
apostles didn't preach a near-dead Christ but a vibrant, living one.
Six: The disciples were hallucinating . . . possible only if they were
in a conducive frame of mind - insane, intoxicated, hungry, sleepy,
depressed - but they were on fire with preaching a risen Lord! The body
would have to be in the tomb if they were hallucinating. But, it wasn't
and nobody else produced it as being stolen. A body that disappeared and
12 hallucinating preachers might appear commonplace today, but at that
time and in those cir***stances, it is very unlikely. Either the
disciples were lying and they knew it or THEY WERE HONEST AND TRUTHFUL
MEN, RE****TING FACTS AS THEY KNEW THEM.
And what of Jesus? Many have called Him a "good and wise teacher", but
not God. He had no sense of moral inferiority. He judged others without
pause. He claimed to be the son of God and the only way to the Father.
(In Mark's gospel, the reference is to the Son of Man. This holds much
more meaning for Hebrew readers as Daniel predicts that the Son of Man
will come on clouds of glory in supernatural power to establish His
Kingdom as Messiah.) He forgave sin, performed miracles and healed
supernaturally. He spoke with the authority of God. Jesus cannot be a
good and wise teacher unless His claims about Himself are true. Jesus
made humanly extravagant, supernatural claims about Himself. Either He
is who He said He is or he is not. There is no middle ground.
Therefore, what of the countless numbers through the ages, beginning
with Jesus and the disciples, who have upheld the timeless Gospel
message and given their lives for the Christian faith? Collective
madness is the only plausible explanation for suffering such persecution
and dying in such terrible ways. Unless, of course, Jesus had lived and
died and risen from the grave! Then, the acts of the apostles and all
the saints since are seen in the light of believers taking up their
cross, following in the footsteps of Jesus, willing to give their lives
in service to God in hope of the eternal life to come.
Because of the Resurrection of Jesus, we know the One who designed the
pattern for our lives and we have the answer to why. Jesus is the
authority, His word in the Bible is the guidebook. All mysteries are
solved in its pages and because He is risen, we can have a continuing
relation****p with God through prayer and through seeking His presence in
our lives. Jesus said He would be resurrected and He was. He said He
would return. And that is our ever-present hope as the prophecies
concerning events prefacing His return have nearly all been fulfilled.
Archaeological discoveries throughout history sup****t the Bible and its
claims. The discovery of the Bible codes, if realistic and accurate,
prove scripture to be a revelatory chronicle of the events of mankind.
Christians celebrate the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ at
Easter. There appears to be validity to the claim that Easter would be
more correctly observed from Wednesday through Saturday, to coincide
with the Hebrew feast of the Passover. (Editor's note: Although, this is
another study, Christmas is now celebrated at the time of winter
solstice, which was observed by sun wor****ppers and followers of Nimrod,
as the Feast of Saturnalia. Some postulate that the birth of Christ
would be more accurately observed in the fall, mid September to early
October, during the Feast of Trumpets. Even the word "Easter" may be a
variation on "Ishtar", a name associated with paganism. The origin of
the Easter Egg Hunt may be in fertility cult practice. Regardless, the
true meaning of the Easter contemplation and celebration is much
stronger than any pagan associations it has become linked to).
Praise be to the Holy One of Israel who died on the cross to save the
world from sin. A Holy God cannot look upon sin. Jesus died so that God
could look at us through Him, seeing the sinlessness of Jesus when He
looks at us. Jesus is our mediator and our saviour. Please pray and
thank God for sending us His Holy son, Jesus.
http://lamplightmus.topcities.com/write.html
--
lamplighter
John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
|
