Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?

Over the last few years I have written on the resurrection of Jesus.

Check out this 3-part post: Why I Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus.

If you’re interested, I have preached through the same material here.

I still stand behind the statement I made at the beginning of that message: “If it weren’t for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, I wouldn’t be a Christian.” Yes, I do believe it is that important.

I believe that I’ve personally encountered Christ alive in my heart and in the lives of others, but if I were to discover that the resurrection was just an elaborate hoax pulled off by a bunch of dumb hicks, it would mean the end of my faith. Real faith lives or dies with the heart and mind intact.

Take some time and go see the movie Risen (Feb, 2016). This powerful film allows the skeptic to enter into the story and experience the awe and wonder of the event with the first disciples. It tells a fictional story of a Roman soldier that followed the evidence wherever it led him.

So of course I think the historical facts surrounding the empty tomb are quiet convincing. I don’t think that any other explanation fits the evidence nor can it account for what occurred in the subsequent Jesus movement.

As I’ve also written: “The early church didn’t experience explosive growth in the face of relentless persecution for believing the resurrection was a metaphor.”

Since everything hinges upon the resurrection event, I don’t think the skeptic can say they’ve taken the historical Jesus or the Christian religion very seriously until they have examined the evidence for themselves.

Here is a fun video that briefly responds to popular skepticism on the topic.

Let me know what you think. Where does the evidence lead you?

D.D. Flowers, 2016.