The Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Passover is a time when Torah-observant Jews observe and remember how the LORD brought their ancestors out of Egypt, gave them His commandments through Moshe (Moses) and led them into a new land - a land of milk and honey. Christians, followers of the way of Jesus Christ, members of the Church - the body of Christ, the children of God, citizens of the Kingdom of God, Messianic believers and followers of Yeshua, the Messiah, celebrate the cornerstone event of their 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 support His claims. I believe you will find that the facts do support them. If they are true, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most important events in the history of mankind . . . events that are inter-twined with our lives from past to present to eternity.

The purpose of this page is to present several different books, documents and writings, including my own, from years recent and long past, that offer proofs for the resurrection of Jesus. These are proofs that you can investigate and research yourself.

If you do not have a child-like faith in God's own revealed word, the Bible, look to the book The Case for Christ, which is a very convincing compilation of evidence by former atheist Lee Strobel - a journalist who set out to explore the historical and factual basis for his wife's salvation and faith in Jesus Christ. He discovered that the evidence and the facts support the Biblical narratives and became a Christian himself in the process.

Or, look to attorney Frank Morison, who wrote the book Who Moved The Stone? As an unbeliever, Morison 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 supports the truth of the Resurrection.

Read Sherlock's Tryal of the Witnesses for additional proof.
Simon Greenleaf, whose The Laws of Legal Evidence is required reading in many legal schools, was challenged by a student to apply his laws to the four Gospels. After researching, he wrote An Examination of The Testimony of the Four Evangelists, concluding that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is, by the evidence, the most well-established fact of ancient history.
Examine the pages of Paley's Evidences of Christianity and search the Internet Archives for Nathaniel Lardner's The Credibility Of Gospel History Or, The Principal Facts Of The New Testament Confirmed By Passages Of Ancient Authors, Who Were Contemporary With Our Saviour, Or His Apostles, Or Lived Near Their Time.
Turn the pages of A.M. Fairbairn's lectures on Christ in Modern Theology.
Jesus spoke, recorded in Matthew 7:1 -Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you use, it shall be measured to you again.
In that spirit, although a controversial and, by his own admission, a far from perfect man, it is hard to argue with the historical facts and the logic, presented in a very simple and understandable way, in one of many sermons by Dr. W. Eugene Scott entitled The Proofs for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many others have written similar apologetic discourses concerning proofs for the Resurrection, which an internet search will reveal. 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.

Read C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity for a brief, engaging overview of the meaning of the Christian faith for contemporary readers.

These links and descriptions lead to writings which are current, contemporary, historical and ancient. The lists and links do not necessarily advocate the accuracy or support the point of view of the writings but make them available because they specifically and clearly address the evidence for the historical Jesus and the details of His life, death and resurrection from the point of view of those who lived and worked with Jesus to preach the gospel message, to bring the light and truth of the Kingdom of God to the world and who were witnesses to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah for the sins of all the world. The Bible - especially in the original Hebrew and Greek or in the translations which are true to the original languages - is the only sure word from God that we have. And throughout the centuries, faith and belief in the accuracy of the word of God has been supported by historical and archeological research and discoveries.

A webmaster of another site sent me the following interesting information, which follows in brackets: [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. (was Josephus a Jewish Christian, living in the Jewish community, who wanted to maintain his stance as an impartial historian while restraining his desire to tell everyone about the risen Lord?) 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 (some) Jews and (some) Christians at the time: it would have been easy for the (non-believing) Jewish side to question the existence of Jesus, but this they never did.] - additions in ( ) added to clarify that many Jews believed in and followed the teaching of Jesus and were in harmony and unity with the gentiles who chosed to follow in the way of Christ as well.

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 and conspiring in these events were some of the Jewish religious and political leaders and some of the Roman authorities. Some believed Jesus to be guilty of blasphemy. Others were interested in maintaining their lucrative positions of power and leadership. 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, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and a man whom, from all appearances in the Gospel accounts, was a believer in the teachings of Jesus. 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." Paul would later write in I Corintians 15:1 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve apostles: After that, he was seen of more than five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present day, but some are fallen asleep (passed away.) After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

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, supporting 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 reported 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 reporting 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 circumstances, it is very unlikely. Either the disciples were lying and they knew it or THEY WERE HONEST AND TRUTHFUL MEN, REPORTING 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 relationship 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 support 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. Many Christians celebrate the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ on a day called Easter. Easter is identified with the Babylonian pagan sun worship of Baal and his wife, the "Queen of Heaven," called Ishtar, Astarte or Easter, in English. The eating of hot cross buns and the ritual of painting eggs in various colors comes out of ancient pagan goddess worship and fertility cult rites.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is correctly observed during Passover, which varies from year to year due to the date of the new moon. Passover was first observed, according to the direct commandment of God through Moses. The slaying of the paschal lamb and the application of the lamb's blood above and on the sides of the doorposts was done at the commandment of the LORD through his servant Moshe or Moses so that the death angel would passover the homes of the Jews. The firstborns of the Egyptians died, after which Pharoah let the Jews go out of Egypt. Many of Egypt at that time worshipped pagan idols. The first passover was a foreshadowing of the time when Jesus would come as the sacrificial lamb and shed his blood on the cross so that all might be free from sin and its bondage to live eternally - free from sin because Yeshu`a took the sins of the world upon himself.

Christmas is now celebrated at the time of winter solstice, which was observed by sun worshippers and followers of Nimrod, as the Feast of Saturnalia. This change was made at the time of the establishment of Roman Catholicism as the official religion of Rome by Emperor Constantine. A close look at the word Christmas would suggest a slight abbreviation of Christ Mass. Many Christian biblical scholars postulate that the birth of Christ would be more accurately observed in the fall, mid September to early October, during the times of the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles - one source even names the birthdate as September 28th! Some scholars believe this change in the birthdate of Jesus was devised to accomplish two purposes - to associate a Christian holiday with a pagan one - in the tradition of Rome, bringing all beliefs together by associating their festivals, rituals and symbols. And the other reason, much more sinister - to further distance Roman Catholicism from the Jewish roots of Christianity and from the Jews themselves. This practice was to continue as the shameful Christian persecution of the Jewish people was traced through the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and the holocaust. Adolf Hitler, who claimed to be a Catholic, justified the "final solution" with centuries-old Jewish persecution by the Roman Catholic church and with the anti-semitic writings of Martin Luther - who denounced the Jews when they would not convert to his Protestant, reformed religion that broke with Roman Catholicism. True Christians - believers who have faith in Jesus Christ as the Holy son of God - should not observe pagan holidays and rituals.

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. Yeshua (Jesus) died so that God could look at us through Him, seeing the sinlessness of Jesus when He looks at us. Yeshua is our Messiah, our mediator and our saviour. Please pray and thank God for sending us His Holy son, Jesus.


Excerpts from the King James Version of the Holy Bible are in the public domain.

Bible study, essay and historical commentary - Copyright © 1980-2010 by God's Peace Ministry

related web pages

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apologetics index

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Faith topics 1

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every student.com

Bible.org




Topics.
The Good News - the Gospel of John.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Paley's Evidences of Christianity
Sherlock's The Trial of the Witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Words of wisdom and warning.
The Authority of the Holy Scriptures - the Bible.
The Sign of Jonah.
The Two Babylons.
Thoughts.
Thoughts for today and every day.
...a refiner and purifier of silver.
Prophecies confirming Jesus as the Messiah.
To the Jew first and to the Gentile - Come let us reason together.
The Way.
Spirit.
Atheism.
Belief in God or science?
Old fossils?
Evolution or devolution?
The Shroud and The Sudarium.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Blood and Flesh.
Christmas.
Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
How should followers of Jesus live?
A praise and worship leader gone astray?
St. Valentine's Day.
The influence of feminism, new-age and pagan philosophy in the church.
God, the Father.
Marriage is for one man and one woman.
Touchy subjects.
The apostate church.
The last days.
Ancient conflict - Isaac vs. Ishmael.
A Tale of Two Films - The da Vinci code and The Passion of The Christ.
Current events and topics.
Fascism.
To veterans and to those who serve in the armed forces.
The world.


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