Examine the Evidence Intellectually
Pray – (1/2 minute)
Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “ Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. . . Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, . . . Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.” (John 20:1-8)
Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
When the Apostle John wrote about the morning of the resurrection, he shared about the experiences of three people – Mary Magdelene, Peter and himself. In our English translation, the word saw is used three times in the passages, however, in the Greek text, John used three different words. The first “saw” indicated simple sight. Mary saw that the tomb was opened and empty. The second “saw” indicated that Peter examined things closely. The third “saw” indicated that John believed that what he saw meant Jesus had been raised. Peter saw with sight. John saw with insight.
The resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact. It is not blind, anti-intellectual faith to believe it. First, He actually died and was buried. Second, the tomb was empty. The Pharisees concocted the story to say His body was stolen, but that doesn’t hold up to any scrutiny. Third, there were hundreds of eyewitnesses of Jesus after His resurrection. Fourth, the transformation of the disciples from fear to faith to fearless is impossible to explain unless they were certain of it and had received God’s power in their lives. Fifth, the personal experience of billions who have had life changed through faith in Jesus testifies to Him being alive today. Examine the evidence for the resurrection individually. It is safe and sure to put your faith in Jesus.
Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)