INTRODUCTION
Why are we here worshipping today? Why is there Christianity? Simply put, it’s because Jesus rose from the dead.
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:13–14)
I remember the scene from my high school years vividly. I was in the parking lot of the Lutheran church with my friend Chuck. I don’t know why we were there, or what the conversation was about. I remember saying to Chuck, “I think the Bible was made up by one person in order to fool a lot of people.”
Did the disciples make up the story of the resurrection and therefore the Christian Faith?
I want to share with you some reasons today why I believe that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened. These reasons—or evidence—are just tip of the iceberg. I won’t go in depth in each one, it will be more like that sampler plate you get at a restaurant.
If you want to learn more, I could recommend several books that you could read: J. Warner Wallace, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, and William Lane Craig all have books detailing the evidence for Jesus’s resurrection.
Then, in the second part of this message, I want to share what Jesus’s resurrection shows us about God.