Reasons to believe

1
Reasons to believe and to hope By Rev.
Dr. Dave Geisler
www.meeknessandtruth.org www.intelligentdesign.sg
2
New claims about Jesus Christ
Titanic director James Cameron says they
aren't trying to undermine Christianity in their
new documentary that claims the remains of Jesus,
his wife, Mary Magdalene, and their child have
been found. http//www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007
/02/26/jesus-tomb.html?refrss
Titanic director James Cameron
But if the bones of Jesus have been found? And
if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is
useless and so is your faith. 1 Cor. 15 14
3
Many Are Questioning The Biblical Story of Jesus
The Da Vinci Code The Lost Gospel of Judas The
Lost Tomb of Christ
4
Virginia Tech Killer, Seung-Hui Cho, He killed
32 people and then himself
5

• The Tsunami of Hopelessness

6
Pluralism
All views are true!
7
RELIGIONS
JUDAISM
HINDUISM
ISLAM
TAOISM
CHRISTIANITY
BUDDHISM
8
Pluralism
If there can be no one right answer,
How can there be any hope?
9
Pluralism
If all views are true then nothing is true!
10
Pluralism
Dr. Norman Geisler
11
Jesus is the only hope
12
How can I know that Jesus is real and that
Christianity is not just one religion among many
others?
What is so special about Jesus?
13
Out of all the many religious beliefs in the
world, why should I choose to believe in Christ
and exclude other perspectives?
14
All religious truth claims by definition are
exclusive in some way.
Both Statments cannot be true!

• The woman is pregnant
• 2. The woman is not pregnant

15
It is not just Christian Truth that is narrow!
Christianity by faith alone in Christ
alone Islam by belief in Allah, his prophet
Muhammad, and good works Hinduism by
overcoming karma and incarnations with good
works Buddhism by cessation of desire through
eight-fold path
All Truth Is Narrow!
16
Exclusiveness not necessarily a bad thing!
17
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4 (NIV)

• (Verse 1) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
  called to be an apostle and set apart for the
  gospel of God (Verse 2) the gospel he promised
  beforehand through His prophets in the Holy
  Scriptures (Verse 3) regarding his Son, who as to
  his human nature was a descendant of David,
  (Verse 4) and who through the Spirit of holiness
  was declared with power to be the Son of God by
  His resurrection from the dead Jesus Christ our
  Lord.

18
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4 (NIV)

• Introduction
• A snapshot of the Apostle Pauls life (Rom. 11)
• Pauls connection to Christ (verse 1a)
• 2. Pauls calling from Christ (verse 1b)
• 3. Pauls commitment to Christ (verse 1c)

19
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4 (NIV)

• Introduction
• A snapshot of the Apostle Pauls life (Rom. 11)
• Pauls connection to Christ (verse 1a)
• Paul, a servant (bond servant) of Christ Jesus,
  
• Pauls calling from Christ (verse 1b)
• Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
  apostle

20
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4 (NIV)

• Introduction
• A snapshot of the Apostle Pauls life (Rom. 11)
• Pauls connection to Christ (verse 1a)
• 2. Pauls calling from Christ (verse 1b)
• Pauls commitment to Christ (verse 1c)
• Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
  
• apostle and set apart for the gospel of God

21
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4 (NIV)

• Introduction
• A snapshot of the Apostle Pauls life (Rom. 11)
• Pauls connection to Christ (verse 1a)
• 2. Pauls calling from Christ (verse 1b)
• Pauls commitment to Christ (verse 1c)
• How could the Apostle Paul be so committed to
  what God had called him to do?
• He had a deep abiding convictionthat Jesus is
  the one and therefore there are reasons to
  believe and to hope.

22
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4
Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
1-2-4)
Three specific pieces of evidencesfor the truth
of the message he is proclaiming!
23
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• The Old Testament scriptures point towards Jesus
  (Rom. 12)
• (Verse 2) the gospel he promised beforehand
  through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

24
Everything in the Old Testament Points to Jesus!

• In Genesis, Christ is the Seed of the woman (Gen.
  315)
• In Exodus, He is the Passover lamb (Ex. 123f)
• In Leviticus he is the atoning Sacrifice (Lev.
  1711)
• In Numbers he is the Smitten Rock (Num. 208,11)
• In Deut. he is the faithful prophet (Deut. 1818)
• In Joshua he is the captain of the Lord of Host
  (Josh. 515)
• In Judges he is the Divine Deliverer (Judg. 218)
• In Ruth he is the Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth 312)
• In 1 Sam. he is anticipated as the Anointed One
  (1 Sam 210)
• In 2 Sam. he is the Son of David (2 Sam. 714)
• In 1 Kings and 2 Kings he may be viewed as the
  coming King.
• In 1 and 2 Chronicles he may be viewed as the
  builder of the Temple
• (1 Chron. 2820).
• In Ezra he is the restorer of the Temple (Ezra
  614-15)
• In Nehemiah he is the restorer of Nation (Neh.
  615)
• In Esther he is the preserver of the Nation
  (Esther 414)
• In Job he is the living redeemer (Job 1925)
• In Psalms, he is the Praise of Israel (Ps. 1506)
• In Proverbs he is the Wisdom of God (Prov.
  822,23).

25
Everything in the Old Testament Points to Jesus!

• Luke 2427 And beginning with Moses and all the
  Prophets he explained to them what was said in
  all the Scriptures concerning himself.
• The Bible is a Jesus book from Gen. to
  Revelation!

26
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• The Old Testament scriptures pointed towards
  Jesus (Rom. 12)
• Jesus was of the (Kingly) blood line of the Son
  of David (Rom. 13)
• (Verse 3) regarding his Son, who as to his
• human nature was a descendant of David,

27
Prophecy (Messianic)
J. Barton Payne in his Encyclopedia of Biblical
Prophecies (P. 665-670) lists 191 Prophecies that
were literally fulfilled in the life, death, and
resurrection of Christ

• Place of birth (Mic. 52)
• Time of birth (Dan. 925)
• Manner of birth (Is. 714)
• Sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zech. 1112)
• Manner of death (Ps. 2216)
• Peoples reactions (mocking, spitting, staring,
  etc.) (Ps. 227,8, 17)
• His side pierced (Zech. 1210)
• Burial in a rich mans tomb (Is 539)

28
Some Reasons To Consider Jesus

• James Cameron is quoted in the documentary The
  Lost Tomb of Jesus as saying that the probability
  is very remote (about 600 to 1) that a family
  other than that of Jesus would have the same
  names as the family buried in the tomb.
• Yet the Author he quotes (Dr. Andrey
  Feuerverger) has recanted those statistical
  conclusions.
• I now believe that I should not assert any
  conclusions connecting this tomb with any
  hypothetical one of the NT family.  The
  interpretation of the computation should be that
  it is estimating the probability of there having
  been another family at the time living in
  Jerusalem whose tomb this might be, under certain
  specified assumptions.
• http//fisher.utstat.toronto.edu/andrey/OfficeHrs
  .txt

29
Statistical Probability

• 8 prophecies all being fulfilled in the life of
  Christ
• I X 10 to the 17 power
• Taken from Peter Stoner, Science Speaks

30
Statistical Probability
8 prophecies all being fulfilled in the life of
Christ I X 10 to the 17 power Taken from
Peter Stoner, Science Speaks Texas is 1159
times the size of Singapore. So a 2 ft high pile
of silver dollar in Texas would be equivalent to
0.7068 km of silver dollars in Singapore.
This is equivalent to about 166 floors of a tall
building. It is like taking the Republic plaza
(66 floors) and staking it on top of the UOB
Plaza (66). - that is only 132 floors
31
Statistical Probability

• 48 Prophecies
• I X 10 to the 157 power
• (more atoms then there are in the Universe)
• Taken from Peter Stoner, Science Speaks

32
Mathematical Implication

• You could win the Singapore Lottery toto for
  billions and billions and billions of years in a
  row, and never even come close to equaling the
  high improbability of Jesus fulfilling just 48
  prophecies by lucky coincidences!
• A question we should consider
• Why is it that if someone wins the lottery once
  they think I am luck but if they win it twice
  they think the gods must be behind it yet they
  think so little of the possibility of Jesus
  Christ actually being the Messiah when the odds
  of Jesus fulfilling through lucky coincidences
  just 48 of the 191 specific prophecies concerning
  the messiah is more remote than the odds of
  winning the lottery toto every time for billions
  and billions of years in a role.

33
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• The Old Testament scriptures pointed towards
  Jesus (Rom. 12)
• Jesus was of the blood line of the Son of David
  (Rom. 13)
• Jesus was revealed to be or determined to be
  of the very nature of God by His resurrection.
  (Rom. 14)

34
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• Jesus was revealed to be or determined to be
  of the very nature of God by His resurrection.
  (Rom. 14)
• (Verse 4) and who through the Spirit of holiness
  was declared with power to be the Son of God by
  His resurrection from the dead Jesus Christ our
  Lord.
• To declare something as true in this context
  is to reveal or unmask its very nature.

How does the resurrection reveal or prove that
Jesus is in fact God? Answer Only God has
power over death!
35
The Bodily Resurrection of Christ is the
Cornerstone for the Christian Faith

• And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching
  is useless and so is your faith.
• - I Corinthians 1514
  (NIV)

36
What is the Evidence that Jesus really did die
and rise from the Dead?
37
Fact 1 Jesus Death By Crucifixion
Accepted by almost all scholars of the N.T.

• It is reported by both Christians and
  non-Christian ancient sources. (Josephus,Tacitus,
  The Jewish Talmud, and etc.)
• 2. Modern medical authorities have verified his
  death

38
Fact 1 Jesus Death By Crucifixion

• Modern medical authorities have verified his
  death.

Clearly, the weight of historical and medical
evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the
wound to his side was inflicted and supports the
traditional view that the spear, thrust between
his right rib, probably perforated not only the
right lung but also the pericardium and heart and
thereby ensured his death. Accordingly,
interpretations based on the assumption that
Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at
odds with modern medical knowledge. JAMA March
21,1986, p. 1463
39
Fact 2 The Disciples were willing to die for
their belief that Jesus appeared to them.

• New Testament Scholar Pinchas Lapide said,
• If the Disciples were totally disappointed and
  on the verge of desperate flight because of the
  very real reason of the crucifixion, it took
  another very real reason in order to transform
  them from a band of disheartened and dejected
  Jews into the most self-confident missionary
  society in world history. Time, May 7th, 1979
• He concludes that a bodily resurrection could
  possibly have been that reason.

Remember people may die for what they think is
true but is false, but history has yet to record
someone who died for something they knew was
false!
40
Fact 3 The Empty Tomb
Accepted by 75 of all N.T. scholars
41
Fact 3 The Empty Tomb?

• Jerusalem Factor
• Jesus was executed buried and then his
  resurrection was proclaimed in Jerusalem.
• Therefore it would have be impossible for
  Christianity to get off the ground if Jesus body
  were still in the tomb.

• Why?
• Because Christianity is not based on a religious
  ideology but on an actual historical event.

42
Christianity Is Based On A Historical Event

• And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching
  is useless and so is your faith. More than that,
  we are then found to be false witnesses about
  God, for we have testified about God that he
  raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise
  him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if
  the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been
  raised either. And if Christ has not been raised,
  your faith is futile you are still in your sins.
  Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are
  lost. If only for this life we have hope in
  Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. I
  Corinthians 1514 -19(NIV)

Remember that You can take Buddha out of
Buddhism and still have Buddhism, and you can
take Muhammad out of Islam and still have Islam,
but you cant take Christ out of Christianity and
still have Christianity, and specifically you
cant take the resurrection out of Christianity
and still have Christianity. Dr. Dave Geisler
43
Fact 2 The Empty Tomb?

• Jerusalem Factor

• Jesus enemies attested to the empty tomb
• When the chief priest had met with the elders
  and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a
  large sum of money, telling them, you are to
  say, His disciples came during the night and
  stole him away while we were sleeping. If this
  report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him
  and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers took
  the money and did as they were instructed. And
  this story has been widely circulated among the
  Jews to this very day. Matt. 2812-14 (NIV)

• You would not claim that the body was stolen if
  the body was still in the tomb.
• Little boy, homework, and dog

44
Fact 2 The Empty Tomb?

• Jerusalem Factor
• Jesus enemies attested to the empty tomb
• Geza Vermes, Prof. Jewish Studies Oxford Univ.
• When every argument has been considered and
  weighed, the only conclusion acceptable to the
  historian must be that the woman who set out to
  pay their last respects to Jesus found to their
  consternation, not a body, but a empty tomb.

45
What Things Can Both Christians and
Non-Christians mostly agree on?

• Jesus died due to crucifixion
• History records that his tomb was empty

Fact 3 Something occurred that convinced a
number of people both friend and foe of
Jesus that he had been resurrected and had
appeared to them
Almost all scholars agree on this point. 1
Cor. 153-8 speaks bout the 500 witnesses.
46
Fact 3 Something occurred that convinced
others that he had been resurrected and had
appeared to them.

• Paul
• James
• He was an unbeliever through Jesus crucifixion.
  (neither James, nor any of Jesus' younger
  brothers, apparently believed in Jesus during his
  lifetime (see Mark 3.21, 31-5 John 7. 1 - 10).
  Yet he became a leader in the early church.

47

• Paula Fredriksen, Ph.D. (Historian of ancient
  Christianity at Boston University.
• I know in their own terms what they saw was the
  raised Jesus. Thats what they say and then all
  the historical evidence we have afterward attests
  to their conviction that thats why they saw. Im
  not saying that they really did see the raised
  Jesus. I wasnt there. I dont know what they
  saw. But I do know that as a historian that they
  must have seen something.

48
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• Jesus was revealed to be or determined to be
  of the very nature of God by His resurrection.
  (Rom. 14)

• 1. The death of Christ by Crucifixion,
• The willingness of the disciples to die for their
  beliefs, and the empty tomb.
• The post-Resurrection appearances

49
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• II. More reasons to believeand to Hope

50
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from
the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ
from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through his Spirit, who lives in
you. Rom. 811 (NIV)
51
What is my conviction about Jesus being the One?
52
Some Reasons To Consider Jesus
If Titanic Director James Cameron is convinced
that it is worthy of his time to develop a
documentary about Jesus because a statistician
has told him that the probability that some other
family would have the same names as the family
buried in the tomb is 600 to 1 against that
possibility, (and that statistician has since
recanted those predictions), then
Remember this is more atoms than there are in the
Universe!
how much more should we seriously consider Jesus
Christs claims to deity when the astronomical
probability that one other person other than
Jesus could fulfill even 48 of the 191 biblical
prophecies is one chance in 1 x 10 to the 157
power?
53
Why Are So Many So Quickly Questioning The
Biblical Story of Jesus?
The Da Vinci Code The Lost Gospel of Judas The
Lost Tomb of Christ
54
Why are so many prone to discount the evidence of
Jesus from History?
For the time will come when men will not put up
with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great
number of teachers to say what their itching ears
want to hear. They will turn their ears away from
the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4
3-4 N.I.V.)
55
Can We Afford To Risk Not Caring What Jesus Says!

• If you were not sure if you should follow Jesus
  or or other great religious leaders, consider
  this perspective.
• If you follow Jesus and you are wrong, you may
  have many other life times to get it right.
• Yet if you follow other paths and you are wrong,
  you do not have any more chances to get it right.
  (Heb. 927)
• Wouldnt it be wise then to choose Christ first?

56
Reasons to believe and to hopeRom. 11-4

• Introduction
• A snapshot of the Apostle Pauls life (Rom. 11)
• Reasons to believe Footprints in the sand (Rom.
  1-2-4)
• The Old Testament scriptures pointed towards
  Jesus (Rom. 12)
• Jesus was of the blood line of the Son of David
  (Rom. 13)
• Jesus was revealed to be or determined to be
  of the very nature of God by His resurrection.
  (Rom. 14)
• II. More reasons to believeand to Hope!

57
Reasons to believe and to hope By Rev.
Dr. Dave Geisler
www.meeknessandtruth.org www.intelligentdesign.sg