JOSH McDOWELL EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT VOLUME I HISTORICAL EVIDENCES FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

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179 chapter 10 the resurrection- hoax or history? Jesus has three basic credentials: (1) The impact of His life upon history; (2) Fulfilled prophecy in His life; and (3) His resurrection. THE RESURRECTION ACCOUNT IN MATTHEW 28:1-11 (See also Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21) 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell

180 my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. 11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 1A. IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

183 2A. THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST THAT HE WOULD BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD 1B. The Importance of the Claims Christ predicted His resurrection in an unmistakable and straightforward manner.   While His disciples simply couldn't understand it, the Jews took His assertions quite seriously.

184 2B. The Claims as Given by Jesus:

185 3A. THE HISTORICAL APPROACH 1B. The Resurrection of Christ as a Time-Space Dimension Event in History (See pages 7-10.) Ignatius (ca 50-115 A.D.), Bishop of Antioch, a native of Syria, a pupil of the apostle John, is said to have ....

186 "Justin Martyr (ca 100-165) philosopher, .... Tertullian (ca 160-220) of Carthage, North Africa says: .... 67/94

187 Josephus, a Jewish historian, writing at the end of the first century A.D., has this.... Professor Leaney says.... Bernard Ramm says: "In Acts 1, Luke tells us that Jesus showed Himself alive by...." 52/192 Clark Pinnock also states: "...." 4/11

189 2B. The Testimony of History and Law 194 3B. The Testimony of the Early Church fathers 195 4A. THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE SCENE OF THE TOMB 1B. The Pre-resurrection Scene 1C. JESUS WAS DEAD Mark records... 200 2C. THE TOMB 201 1D. Professor Gui. makes these.... 2D. He totally.... 202 3D. He completely ignores the perfectly straightforward narrative of the Gospel records: 1E. Why are the following accounts given if Christ's body was not actually taken by Joseph of Arimathea? 2E. What about the accounts of the burial preparations? 3E. What of the women who watched while Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepared and entombed Jesus' body?   They had: 203 4E. How can one ignore the observations recorded concerning the tomb itself? 5E. Why did the Jews ask Pilate to place a guard at Christ's tomb, if no such sepulcher existed? 6E. What are we to think of the visit of the women to the tomb after the Sabbath? 204 7E. 8E. 3C. THE BURIAL 4C. THE STONE 5C. THE SEAL 6C. THE GUARD AT THE TOMB 1D. 2D. 3D. The military discipline of the Romans 4D. What was a Roman guard? 5D. What was the temple guard? 6D. The military discipline of the temple guard 7D. Conclusions 7C. THE DISCIPLES WENT THEIR OWN WAY 2B. The Post-resurrection Scene 1C. THE EMPTY TOMB 2C. THE GRAVE CLOTHES 3C. THE SEAL 4C. THE ROMAN GUARD [p. 223] 5C. JESUS WAS ALIVE -- POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES 1D. Importance of the appearances 2D. The appearances of Christ in the lives of inviduals: To Mary Magdalene, To women returning from the tomb, To Peter later in the day, 6C. THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST GAVE NO REFUTATION OF THE RESURRECTION 1D. They were silent 2D. They mocked 1E. In Athens 2E. Before Agrippa and Festus in Caesarea 3B. Established Historical Fact 4B. Established Psychological Facts 1C. THE TRANSFORMED LIVES OF THE DISCIPLES 1D. 2D. 3D. 4D. 5D. 6D. 7D. 2C. THE TRANSFORMED LIVES OF 1,900 YEARS OF HISTORY 3C. THE VERDICT 5B. Established Sociological Facts 1C. AN INSTITUTION: THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1D. A basic foundation of the establishing of the [local] Church was the preaching of Christ's resurrection: 2D. The [local] Church is a fact of history 2C. THE PHENOMENON OF THE CHRISTIAN SUNDAY 3C. THE PHENOMENON OF CHRISTIAN [ORDINANCE]S 1D. Communion -- Acts 2:46; John 6; Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; I Corinthians 1:23,24. The Lord's Supper is a... 2D. Baptism -- Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:1-6 4C. THE HISTORICAL PHENOMENON OF THE [LOCAL] CHURCH 5A. INADEQUATE THEORIES CONCOCTED TO EXPLAIN AWAY THE RESURRECTION 1B. The Swoooooon Theory 1C. THE VIEW -- CHRIST NEVER ACTUALLY DIED ON THE CROSS, BUT ONLY SWOONED 2C. THE REFUTATION -- 1D. 2D. 3D. 4D. 5D. 6D. 7D. 3C. CONCLUSION 2B. The Theft Theory 1C. THE VIEW -- THE DISCIPLES STOLE THE BODY 1D. Matthew records the following as the theory which prevailed at his time to explain away the resurrection of Christ: ... 2D. That the theft theory as recorded in Matthew was popular among the Jews for some time is seen in the writings of Justin Martyr, Tertullian and others. 3D. John Chrysostom of Antioch (347-407 A.D.) said of the... 2C. THE REFUTATION 1D. The empty tomb has to be explained somehow. 2D. That the disciples stole Christ's body is not a reasonable explanation for the empty tomb. 1E. The guard's testimony was not questioned.   Matthew records that ... (Matthew 28:11). 2E. Much precaution was taken in securing the tomb against the theft.   To the disciples, such measures would have been an insurmountable obstacle in any plan of grave robbery. 3E. The depression and cowardice of the disciples is a hard-hitting ... 4E. If the soldiers were sleeping, how could they say the disciples stole the body? 5E. The soldiers would not have fallen asleep while on watch -- to do so would have meant death from their superior officers. 6E. The stone at the tomb was extremely large (see...). 7E. The graveclothes give a silent testimony to the impossibility of theft. 8E. The disciples would not have moved Christ's body. 9E. They did not realize the truth of the resurrection as yet and so would not have been seeking to make it come true (cf. Luke 24). 10E. 3D. 1E. Did the Jews move the body? 2E. Did the Romans move the body? 3E. Did Joseph of Arimathea move the body? 4E. In conclusion, the facts of the case speak loudly against the theory that Christ's body was moved. 3B. The Hallucination Theory 1C. THE VIEW -- 2C. THE REFUTATION 1D. Were Christ's appearances that important? 2D. 3D. 4D. 5D. 1E. 2E. 1F. 2F. 3E. 4E. 5E. 1F. 1G. 2G. 3G. 2F. 6E. 3C. WHAT CONCLUSION CAN WE DRAW? 4B. That the Women, and Subsequently Everyone Else, Went to the Wrong Tomb 1C. THE VIEW

256 2C. THE REFUTATION 1D. These women had carefully noted where the body of Jesus was ... 2D. The women reported what they had experienced to the... 3D. Furthermore, an angel, sitting there on a stone said, ...

257 4D. If the women went to the... 5D. Even if the women, the disciples, the Romans and the Jews all went to the ... tomb, ...: 38/65 6D. The narrative in Mark reads: ... 7D. Anderson points out another problem for those who hold to the Lake theory: ....

258 8D. John R. W. Stott mentions the attitude of the women.   .... 9D. This was not a public cemetery, but a private burying ground. 10D. Merrill Tenney says, "...." 66/115,116 11D. Some identify the "..." as a gardener. 46/97

259 (Matthew 28:1-10). 12D. What are we to think of Professor Lak.'s theory that the people went to wrong tomb? 6A. CONCLUSION: HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED "..." (John 14:6). "..." (Romans 1:4). Simon Greenleaf, famous Harvard professor of law, says: ".... " 20/46

260 The decision is now yours to make; the evidence speaks for itself.   It says very clearly-- CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED. BIBLIOGRAPHY [omit] And., J. N. D. Christianity: The Witness of History, copyright Tyn. Press 1970. .... And., J. N. D. "..." (copyright). Christianity Today. March 29, 1968. .... [9].... New York: The Christian Literature Company, 1888. [10] Clark, G. W. The Gospel of Matthew. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1896. [13].... London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1906. [14]Dou., J. D. (ed.). The New Bible Dictionary. ..., 1962. .... [28].... Unpublished Th.M. Thesis: Dallas Theological Seminary, May 1967. [31] The Jewish Encyclopedia. ..., n.d. [38].... : Scripture Press Publications, Inc., 1967. .... [55].... Class Notes. ..., CA.: Talbot Theological Seminary, 1969. [59].... Christianity Today. April 15, 1957. .... [73].... Harnsburg: Publishing House of the United Evangelical Church, 1912.

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