Hi brother Bon,
One preacher in our church who believe that Jesus is just a man, told us that Jesus did not really died on the cross. He said that he was still alive when he was taken down from the cross and after he was put to the tomb, his disciples nursed him back into good health. That’s why he did not really resurrected from the dead.
What do you think of this?
Your sister in Christ. (Please hide my name.)
Dear Sister,
The answer to your question is very simple. To know if this preacher is telling the truth, you just need to do the following:
Flogged that preacher with 40 heavy strokes, press a crown of thorns on his head, let him carry a cross for about 4 kilometers. Nail him on that cross. Hang him there for about six hours. Pierce his side with a spear up to his heart and put him on an air tight tomb for three days. And let’s see if he still alive.
Of course I’m just kidding. ????
But kidding aside, please know that the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible. This is where our faith was founded. To preach the Lord Jesus Christ is to preach His resurrection. If the Lord did not resurrect, then all our faith was in vain. There’s no point believing in the Lord. There’s no need to continue to be a Christian. The Christian faith is just a foolish fantasy.
But here are the overwhelming evidence that we can be sure on the resurrection of the Lord:
1. The Lord predicted His resurrection (Matt 16:21; Mark 9:9-10; John 2:18-22).
2. The Old Testament prophesied about it (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31; 13:33-37).
3. The tomb was empty and the grave clothes was left behind. If those who opposed Christ wished to silence His disciples, all they had to do was produce a body, but they could not (John 20:3-9).
4. Many people saw the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-39; John 20:11-29; John 21:1-9; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-8).
5. The lives of the disciples were revolutionized. Though they fled and even denied Christ at the time of His arrest, they later feared no one in their proclamation of the risen Christ (Matt 26:56, 69-75).6. The resurrection was the central message of the early church. The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church (Acts 4:33; 5:30-32; Rom. 5:24).
6. Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives. We know that Jesus is alive not only because of the historical and biblical evidence but also because He has miraculously touched our lives.
7. All founders of the world religions died, only the Lord has an empty tomb. Siddhartha Guatama (now known as the Buddha) lie in a grave at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is buried in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, is buried in Nauvoo, Illinois.
The fact is that the Romans were experts at killing and didn’t make mistakes. And to make it all the more certain the Roman Solider trust his spear through the side of Jesus on the cross, piercing His heart. Jesus certainly died. But even better, He certainly rose from the dead!
Now, I want you to think of the future resurrection and rapture that not only one body will be missing but many! If there was perplexity because of just one empty tomb, imagine the amount of perplexity and confusion when the graves of all believers are opened and all the members of the Bride disappear!
Make sure you that you are part of that believing Bride!
You might also want to read these good articles here about why we believe that Jesus rose from the dead:
https://bible.org/illustration/why-we-believe-jesus-rose-dead
Be Blessed!
Bon
