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    The Empty Tomb of Jesus Christ

The central message of the Christian gospel as presented in the Bible is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. If this is mere myth and legend, (“a conjuring trick with bones” as one leading churchman once described it) then the whole fabric of Christianity collapses, and millions of people for 2000 years have been living a lie. But if it IS true, then it has a life-changing implication for every human being – including you.

Tomb

Here are the facts.

  1. Jesus Christ definitely existed approx. 2000 years ago – the Bible record is confirmed by secular Roman history;

  2. He was definitely crucified during the governorship of Pontius Pilate – again, confirmed by secular history;

  3. The Romans were professional executioners – there is no possibility that Jesus merely fainted on the cross, and was revived by the coolness of the tomb, and was then able to convince his followers that he had been raised from the dead;

  4. The Jewish authorities at the time - who were desperate to disprove the resurrection claims – were never able to produce a dead body;

  5. The tomb of Jesus never became a site of special reverence nor of pilgrimage;

  6. The disciples of Jesus, who boldly proclaimed the resurrection, had nothing to gain and everything to lose (including their own lives!) by promoting a lie;

  7. The Bible predicted the resurrection of Jesus (eg Psalm 16:10, written 1000 years earlier), and also makes clear that the resurrection of Jesus was inevitable (Acts 2:22-24).

If those facts are accepted as providing compelling and conclusive evidence that the resurrection of Jesus is an event in history, we must consider the implications for us. The Apostle Paul had this to say to the people of Athens (Acts 17:30/31):

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man (=Jesus) whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

The resurrection of Jesus becomes the guarantee that God will again intervene in human affairs to send Jesus back to set up God’s kingdom here on earth. How our fractured, frightened world needs the healing touch of an all-powerful but just and benevolent ruler! “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20)

 

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