- The Empty Tomb: The tomb was empty. No corpse of Jesus was ever
found. Early enemies would have certainly done anything to find the
body and silence the resurrection story forever. The tomb was heavily
guarded to prevent theft.
- Scripture Prophecies: Detailed prophecies foretold many facts about
the Messiah including:
Who He would be;
What He would do;
When He would come; and
Where He would be born.
- Jesus Own Prophecies: Jesus Himself prophesied precise details of
His death and resurrection. This substantiates His divinity.
- Paul's Change: A prominent leader of the persecution of Christians
gave up wealth, position, and status once he encountered the risend
Jesus. Paul recorded most of the New Testament.
- The Other Witnesses: Many people witnessed the risen Christ …
over 500 people saw Jesus after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6).
If the resurrection had been false, the Gospel accounts being circulated
would never have stood the test of time.
- The Manuscript Explosion: Never before or since has such an explosion
of reporting of an event ever occurred, as with the birth, life, and
resurrection of Jesus. The historical record was available to many
eyewitnesses.
- Rapid Church Formation: Events caused the formation of the church
-- a body that survived the most focused and intensive persecution
of all time.
- Non-Christian Evidence: Several non-Christian writers recorded facts
about Jesus, His disciples, and the resurrection.
- The Disciples' Martyrdom: Eleven people who certainly knew the truth
of Jesus and the resurrection, willingly -- even joyfully -- died
to support the historical account. It reflected a purposeful effort
of disciples to ensure the historical record remained intact, in spite
of the cost of eventual execution.
- Historical Martyrs: Millions of people, many able to communicate
with eyewitnesses, willingly died to preserve the historical record.
- The Jewish Record: Even those people violently opposed to Jesus
provide historical evidence, including hundreds of prophecies, prophetic
feasts, and references in writings such as the Talmud.
- Archaeology: Archaeologists believe they have located the site of
Jesus' birth. Other compelling evidence of the existence of Jesus
and extensive knowledge of the resurrection have been discovered.
Order your copy of What is the Proof
for the Resurrection? by Ralph O. Muncaster.
More from Ralph Muncaster's
Web site
More from CBN.com's special Easter
section
Taken from What is the Proof for the Resurrection? by Ralph
O. Muncaster. Copyright 2000 by Ralph O. Muncaster. Used by permission
of Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 97402.
Ralph O. Muncaster, a former skeptic of the Bible, is the
founder of Strong Basis to Believe, a ministry that helps people struggling
with the Christian faith. He is a frequent lecturer at colleges, churches
and organizations, and is a professor at Vanguard University of Southern
California.
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