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The worst weekend in history became the BEST DAY EVER…when Jesus walked out of the tomb alive. Join us this Resurrection Sunday as we examine the historical evidence for the resurrection and discover why the risen Jesus changes everything about our daily decisions & our future.

As the sun goes down and that Passover Sabbath begins, thousands of Jewish people are celebrating and resting, but the first followers of Jesus were mourning and moping. Their hopes were dashed to the ground. Scared for their own lives, most of these distraught disciples protected themselves inside locked doors (Jn 20:19).

But, early that next morning - SONDAY morning - several of the female followers of Jesus refused to stay inside, and so, in their last act of service for their beloved rabbi, these women made their way to the tomb early on Sunday morning to anoint His body one, last, time. On the way, they wondered who might move the large stone for them that would allow them entrance (Mk 16:3). Likely unknown to them, the tomb had been sealed because of a major concern the enemies of Jesus had. So if the Roman guard was there, they would NOT have opened the tomb for the women.

That would be a difficult deception to overcome wouldn’t it? According to His disciples, Jesus had many times foretold that He really WAS going to die & RISE from the dead.

To counter these crazy claims, Pilate told the enemies of Jesus...

A guard is not a lone soldier, but a Greek term referring to a small group from 4 to 16 Roman soldiers (several soldiers are obvious later in same passage - Mt 28:11). If anyone DOES attempt to steal Jesus’ body, they will be met with deadly force by the Marines of the day.

That’s NOT THE END OF THE STORY! We gather to celebrate The Best Day Ever!

Are You Convinced?  You believe in Jesus written about in the Scriptures and you trust Him with your life. Do more than just trust what your, parents, pastor, and church says. Examine the evidence for yourself and become confident that Jesus actually resurrected. Before becoming a Christian, Josh McDowell wrote these words, “My heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects.” You and I will never become passionate about something we aren’t convinced of. And when you become convinced, you will be passionate and prepared to help answer the questions that others ask.

Are You Confused? Some of your friends and family believe in and live for Jesus and others don’t. But how are you supposed to determine whether what historical claims from 2000+ years ago are credible or not? Tooday will help you to seriously consider the claims of Jesus and His disciples. 

Are You A Critic? You’re here today because it’s your yearly duty to your family, but you wonder why others believe all this religious stuff. Have you really put in the work to consider the historical claims of Jesus? If someone could give you credible reasons to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, would you still choose to reject Him?

• If so, Josh McDowell says, “Then your problem is not an issue of the MIND, but an issue of the WILL. Even if you were convinced that the claims of Jesus are true, you would STILL REJECT him, because you refuse to bow to His authority.”

The risen Jesus is the Cornerstone of Christianity. 

• Without the resurrection all we have is a miracle-working philosopher - A DEAD one.
• Further, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then He or His disciples were LIARS, as the New Testament writings are littered with the claim that Jesus WOULD and DID rise from the dead. 
• Gary Habermas - preeminent scholar of the resurrection of Jesus - says, “The resurrection is mentioned in over 300 verses in the New Testament? It’s the center of almost every major area of theology…and practice.“

We can trust what Jesus said about Himself, how we should live, what happens when people die, and why He is worthy of our lives. The Resurrection is the proof that Jesus is who He claimed to be. IF JESUS DIDN’T RAISE from the dead - then this is the greatest lie mankind has ever known.

This is a historical fact undisputed by credible scholarship. What IS disputed is to WHY Jesus was crucified. While this was the ultimate act of love, it was much more than that.

John 1:29 “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

If this is true, then: 1) Our sin is SERIOUS. 2) People are PRECIOUS. 3) And Our God is GRACIOUS.

Jesus died on the cross and was buried - this is undisputed by credible scholarship.

Stolen Body? Matthew notes that the enemies of Jesus offered this explanation as to why His body was missing. Fishermen and tax collectors somehow fight past Roman Marines, remove the body, and then do WHAT? Like bury it somewhere else? Then they announce that Jesus is alive and for the rest of their lives, all are persecuted and some are even murdered. 

• If you were about to die for a lie - you KNEW Jesus wasn’t alive; you KNEW where his body was, wouldn’t you give it up?
• Chuck Colson: “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.” 

Swoon Theory. Jesus never really died, he just looked dead. He was buried and revived and then showed himself to the disciples, who concluded he had risen. The Romans knew how to kill people. During the time of Jesus there were over 30,000 Jews who were crucified by the Romans. What about the spear shoved into Jesus’ chest (Jn 19:34)? What if Jesus survived all that? Then how does Jesus move a 2000 lb stone without a lever - uphill - with ripped up wrists and feet, get past the Roman Marines, and con his disciples into believing he has resurrected? Have you ever SEEN someone a couple of days after being beaten badly? Do they look BETTER or WORSE?

Then, there’s the RESURRECTION, that the Gospels point to.

This is an incredible claim. What would you think of multiple people around our community began to talk about how they saw, talked with, and even ate with a man who died a few days back? Whether or not they actually saw the risen Jesus, that the disciples of Jesus claimed to interact with resurrected Jesus is an undisputed fact of history. 

And if they were making this story up, then they used some super strange tactics. 

• The gospels all claim that the first people to see the risen Jesus were WOMEN! In that day, a woman’s testimony was not considered reliable in a court of law. So, if we were making up a story to make it as credible as possible, why would all 4 Gospel accounts mention women as the first to see the risen Jesus (Mt 28:1-10; Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-12; Jn 20:1-18)? 

The men who had been hiding behind closed doors, the apostles of Jesus, had trouble believing what the women said (Lk 24:11), but then, that Sunday evening, it happened, as the disciples were still hiding out - The worst weekend ever ushered in THE BEST DAY EVER!

John 20:19–20 

When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Those women and men weren’t the only ones to claim seeing Jesus. The apostle Paul, a former CRITIC and persecutor of Christianity, wrote about these interactions with the risen Jesus.

• all the apostles is likely referring to the 120 disciples that would be “sent out” (the meaning of “apostle).

James, the oldest brother after Jesus (Mk 6:3), and the rest of His family thought Jesus was crazy (Mk 3:20-21)

…until, according to Paul, James saw Jesus raised from the dead! James becomes a leader in the church of Jerusalem - where Jesus had been tried, beaten, spit on, flogged, crucified, and RAISED from the dead! James opens his letter like this: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…” (James 1:1) 

What would YOUR brother have to do for you to call him your LORD?

Paul had been hunting down and imprisoning followers of Jesus, like a Texas marshal would hunt down criminals.

Suddenly, Paul changes teams! While on the way to hunt down more Christians, Paul claims he was struck by a blinding light. When he asked who this powerful superhuman being was, the voice responded, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5).

Paul not only puts his trust in Jesus, the One he once thought was a deceiving blasphemer, but Paul immediately began a lifelong journey to go tell everyone - Jew & Gentile - about Jesus. 

These interactions with the resurrected Jesus weren’t just a flash in the pan, momentary events, but life-changing events. Jesus was seen over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3).

After Jesus ascends to heaven, the once frightened followers of Jesus, the same ones who once hid behind locked doors in fear for their lives, stood with boldness before the very people who put Jesus to death! Peter & John went to the very temple where their enemies worked, and healed a lame man by the authority & glory of the risen Jesus. The people who heard about the healing gathered to hear Peter & John share how this could happen.

All this is happening in Jerusalem - the place where Jesus had been arrested, beaten, spit on, flogged, and marched out to be crucified - the same place where Jesus had been buried.

ACTS 4:5-7

The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family. After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

Would Peter & John back down? After all, these were the same men (Annas & Caiaphas) who had their King killed. These were the same ones they had earlier been hiding from.

But now things had changed. They had seen Jesus alive, and they trusted Him to help them speak the truth regardless of the consequences. They knew what YOU and I need to know,

BIG TRUTH: If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said.

How do you STAND boldly before the people who want you dead, the same ones who killed your King…in the same city?

Peter & John were convinced that Jesus was ALIVE! The scholars are right: The resurrection transformed the disciples.

If you had seen what they said they saw, the RISEN JESUS standing right in front of you it would transform YOU TOO!

• You realize the One who rose from the dead can give you eternal life, and when the time comes, raise you from the dead. 
• You know that the One who rose from the dead promised His Holy Spirit would never leave you, and empower you to share His message with others.
• You know that the One who rose from the dead would fulfill His promise to return.

BIG QUESTION: What difference does the Risen Jesus make in my Daily Decisions?

Do you turn from sin & obey because Jesus is alive? Do you serve & give because Jesus is alive? 

Do you forgive others because Jesus is alive? Do you share with others because Jesus is alive?

SCRATCH ONE OUT. It’s either NO or….LORD.