The evidence: the empty tomb - Matthew 28:1-10

Why believe: thewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection - John 17:20

Number of witnesses: I Corinthians 15:3-8

Cephas - Luke 24:34

Twelve (apostles) - Luke 24:36-43

500 at one time (Galilee) - Matthew 28:10

James, the Lord’s brother

Paul (on the road to Damascus) - Acts 22:6-10

Mary Magdalene - Mark 16:9

Other women returning from the tomb - Matthew 28:9-10

Two disciples on the road to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-33

Apostles, Thomas absent - John 20:19-24

Apostles, Thomas present - John 20:26-29

Seven disciples by sea of Galilee - John 21:1-23

Apostles (His ascension) - Acts 1:3-12

Are the witnesses reliable?

Brothers in the flesh - John 7:3-5

Thomas - John 20:24-28

Saul of Tarsus, former great enemy - Acts 9:1-2

Strength of their witness: “infallible proofs” - Acts 1:3

They ate and drank with Jesus - Acts 10:41

They saw, heard, and touched Him - John 20:24-28

The witness of their transformation

Before…

Afraid at His arrest - Mark 14:50

Peter denied Him three times - Mark 14:66-72

The women mourned His crucifixion - Luke 23:27

After His death…

His disciples were sad - Luke 24:13-17

They hid behind closed doors in fear - John 20:19

After His resurrection…

They fearlessly praised God in the temple - Luke 24:52-53

They proclaimed Christ, despite persecution - Acts 5:28-32

The witness of their high moral standards afterwards

They taught others to live holy lives - I Thessalonians 4:1-7

They lived their own lives in unimpeachable ways - I Thessalonians 2:3-12

The witness of the price they paid

The apostles endured much suffering - I Corinthians 4:9-13

All, but one, died a martyr’s death

The significance of the resurrection for unbelievers

Proves that Jesus truly is the Son of God - Romans 1:4

Demonstrates that the Christ truly has all authority - Matthew 28:18

Verifies the truthfulness of Jesus - Matthew 16:21

If the truth, His other teachings are true

He was from God and spoke the words of the Father - John 8:28

No one can come to the Father but through Him - John 14:6

His blood was shed for the remission of sins - Matthew 26:28

He came to offer abundant life - John 10:10

He went to prepare a place for us - John 14:2

He shall come again - John 14:3

There will be a resurrection and judgment - John 5:28-29

What if Christ is not raised?

Gospel preaching is vain - I Corinthians 15:14

Your faith is vain - I Corinthians 15:14

The apostles were false witnesses - I Corinthians 15:15

They swore that God raised Jesus from the dead - Acts 2:32

They claimed to eat and drink with Him - Acts 10:39-41

We are still in our sins - I Corinthians 15:17

All perished at death - I Corinthians 15:18

We are to be most pitied - I Corinthians 15:19

What the resurrection of Jesus does for the Christian

It verifies our justification - Romans 4:24-25

It demonstrates power available to the Christian - Ephesians 1:18-20

The power of our conversion - Colossians 2:11-12

The power available to live the Christian life - Romans 8:11

It gives us living hope in our own resurrection - I Peter 1:3

It demands our complete loyalty to Him - Romans 14:9

He was raised and exalted to be our Lord - Acts 2:32-26

As the risen Savior, our lives and service belong to Him - Romans 14:7-8

Conclusion: Do you believe in the empty tomb? - John 8:24

The ultimate question: “Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:41-42

Faith comes from what is written (John 20:30-31

God is omniscient (Numbers 23:19

What God plans, He accomplishes (Isaiah 46:9-10

The Messiah would be known by prophecy (Isaiah 48:3

Fulfilled prophecy: evidence of Jesus the Messiah (Romans 1:13

The method Jesus used (Luke 24:32

The favored method of teaching about Jesus (Acts 3:18

Fulfilled prophecies concerning His birth (Genesis 3:15

Fulfilled prophecies concerning His lineage

Son of God (Psalms 2:7

Seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3

Son of Isaac (Genesis 21:12

Son of Jacob (Genesis 24:17

Tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10

Family of Jesse (Isaiah 1:1

House of David (Jeremiah 23:5

Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2

From deeds of His enemies (Jeremiah 31:15

Fulfilled prophecies from one day in the life of Jesus

Betrayed by a friend (Psalms 41:9

Sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12

Money thrown down in God’s House (Zechariah 11:13

Price of potter’s field (Zechariah 11:13

Forsaken by His disciples (Zechariah 13:7

Accused by false witnesses (Psalms 35:11

Silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7

He was wounded and bruised (Isaiah 53:5

He was smitten and spat upon (Isaiah 50:6

He was mocked (Psalms 22:7-8

He fell under the weight of carrying His own cross (Psalms 109:24,25; Matthew 27:31-32

His hands and feet were pierced (Psalms 22:16

Crucified with common criminals (Isaiah 53:12

Made intercession for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12

Rejected by His own people (Isaiah 53:3

Hated without a cause prophesied (Psalms 69:4

Friends stood afar off (Psalm 38:11

The people shook their heads as prophesied (Psalms 109:25

He was stared upon (Psalms 22:17

His garments were parted and they cast lots for them (Psalms 22:18

He suffered thirst (Psalms 69:21

Gall and vinegar to drink (Psalms 69:21

He cried out about being forsaken (Psalms 22:1

He committed Himself to God as prophesied (Psalms 31:5

His bones were not broken (Psalms 34:20

His heart was broken (Psalms 22:14

His side was pierced (Zechariah 12:10

Darkness came over all the land (Amos 8:9

Buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9

Fulfilled prophecies from one day in the life of Jesus

29 specific prophecies fulfilled!

Consider the diversity of the prophets.

The diversity of the historians

The mathematical odds of fulfillment: one in 536,870,000!

What are the odds of fulfilling 440 lifetime prophecies?

Faith in the prophecies of His resurrection (Psalms 16:10

Faith in the prophecies of His ascension (Psalms 68:18

Faith in the prophecies of His reign at God’s right hand (Psalms 110:1

The last prophecy: His second coming (Acts 1:9-11

Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ (Romans 10:17.

God attested Jesus with miracles (Acts 2:22

Multitudes responded to the miracles (Matthew 15:31

Concerning miracles

Many exclaim “miracle” when none has occurred.

When someone is healing rapidly

For the most natural of events

When someone escapes injury or death

Claims of miracles: apparitions, delusions, superstitions, frauds, modern day fake “faith” healers

Many do not believe in miracles today or in the Bible

Believers believe in the miracles of the Bible, but not in modern day miracles.

Efforts are often to preach “faith in the miracles,” but need to be preaching to produce faith via the miracles

The role of miracles

Faith came from the Word (Christ) (Romans 10:7

God attested to Christ via miracles (Acts 2:22

Today faith comes from the Word revealed (Romans 10:7

The miracles were written that you might believe (John 20:30-31

What the miracles regarding Jesus tell us about Jesus

Jesus is Lord of Creation

Chemistry

Water into wine (John 2:1-11 - the better wine

Feeding 5000 plus women and children with five loves, two fish … with twelve baskets leftover (Matthew 14:21

Feeding 4000 plus women and children (Matthew 15:38 … using seven loaves with seven “large” baskets leftover

Biology

Cursed the fig tree (Matthew 21:19-22

His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14

The sea

Walking on water (Matthew 14:25

Peace be still (Mark 4:39

Jesus is Lord over distance (space)

Healing nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54

Healing Centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13

Jesus is Lord over the curse of sin: sickness

Healing the blind man (John 9

The lepers (Luke 17:1-19

The lame, crippled, dumb, and others (Matthew 15:30-31

Jesus is Lord over the spirit world - casting out demons

Seven demons of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2

The naed man and the Legion of demons which entered the swine (Matthew 8:28-34

Jesus is Lord over the curse: death

Raising son of widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17

Raising Jairus’ daughter (Mark 6

Raising Lazarus (John 11

The blessing of believing in the miracles (Luke 7:22-23

The resurrection of Jesus

God made Jesus both Lord and Christ by His resurrection (Acts 2:24

The gospel message (I Corinthians 15:3-4

God raised up Jesus (Acts 3:15

Declared the Son of God by the resurrection (Romans 1:4

Therefore all men must confess Him (Romans 10:8-10

All men must obey the plan of salvation (Acts 2:38-41.

Hebrews 11:3 - The ingredients of faith are explained.

Faith is the conviction of things unseen, such as the day of judgment (Philippians 3:8-11.

God’s Revelation, the Bible, does not rely upon and is not subject to experimentation and empirical verification.

The law of the Lord is perfect, sure and right (Psalms 19:7-8, in contrast to the flawed and imperfect nature of scientific investigation.

What is the “causative agent of the preparation of the worlds?”

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God.” Genesis 1:3

To make the cause of the origin of the creation anything other than the person of our Lord and means and methods involving things other than the word of God strikes at the very heart of the gospel itself and is a direct attack upon the deity of Christ!

God’s written word is as powerful today as His spoken one (Romans 1:16.

Even today all things are being upheld by the word of His power (HJebrews 1:2-3); either by natural law (Genesis 8:22.

How did the Word of God prepare the worlds?

“So that which is seen was not made out of things which are visible” - creation ex nihilo (creation from nothing)

The question is often asked: “what difference does it make?”

God’s word had power then, so His word has power now. And God’s word caused the creation then, so His word causes the new creation now. If you take the power from the word of creation, you take the power from the word of the gospel of Christ.

On the question of origins, what shall we say?

Since the Bible says it, I will believe it (I Thessalonians 2:13.

Since the Bible says it, I will teach it (I Peter 4:11. If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.

I must be careful not to add to or subtract from what is revealed (Revelation 22:18-19.

I must earnestly content for the faith revealed (Jude 1:3.

There are two parts to faith:

That God is (Genesis 1:1

God is a rewarder (Matthew 16:8-10

Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:5-6

Without faith, sin reigns (John 16:8-9

Without faith, prayers go unanswered (Mark 11:24

Without faith, good (and great) things become impossible (Hebrews 11:5-6

Without faith, there is no courage (II Peter 1:5

Without faith, there is no basis for hope (Hebrews 11:6