Resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1
Resurrection of Jesus Christ

• Real Hope
• or
• Hopeless Illusion?

2
Something happened

• Definite change in disciples behavior
• Disciples claims of appearances of Jesus
• The absolute fact of the Empty Tomb

3
What happened? 5 Theories

1. Christianity (Jesus died truly rose)
2. Hallucination (Jesus didnt rise apostles were
   deceived)
3. Myth (Apostles were sincere myth-makers)
4. Conspiracy (Apostles were deceivers)
5. Coma (Jesus didnt die)

4
Responses Coma Theory

1. Jesus could not have survived Roman crucifixion
2. No breaking of legsgt already dead
3. Apostles respond to a risen and not a barely
   alive Jesus
4. Roman guards overpowered by a faint, half-dead
   man?
5. Stone moved by same?

5
Responses Coma Theory

1. If simply still alive, where did he go?... How
   did he remain unnoticed?
2. Coma theory turns into conspiracy or
   hallucination theory, since disciples claim he
   was truly risen.

6
Responses Conspiracy Theory

1. Apostles died for this belief that they had seen,
   touched experienced the Risen Jesus
2. Apostles not that clever, creative or intelligent
3. Apostles charactershown in words deeds makes
   it highly improbable
4. No motive to lie no selfish gain

7
Responses Conspiracy Theory

1. If a lie, where was the body? Stolen? How, with
   guards stone? (highly improbable!)
2. Body still in tomb? Preaching of Resurrection in
   Jerusalem impossible
3. Apostles could never have outwitted all the
   Jewish Roman authorities

8
Responses Hallucination Theory

1. Too many witnesses!
2. Witnesses are sane, moral, honest simple
3. 500 saw Risen Christ at once!
4. Hallucinations last minutes/hours not 40 days
5. Hallucinations happen only once except to the
   insane
6. Appearances not only unexpected, but not believed
   at first by apostles themselves

9
Responses Hallucination Theory

1. Hallucinations do not eat Jesus did, on more
   than one occasion
2. Disciples touched Him
3. Disciples (sane) had extended conversations with
   Risen Jesus, several times
4. Disciples could never even have believed an
   hallucination w/out empty tomb

10
Responses Hallucination Theory

1. If disciples spread this story, Js body would
   have been presented if they stole it, were back
   to conspiracy theory
2. H theory only explains appearances not empty
   tomb, rolled away stone and no corpse of Jesus

11
Responses Myth Theory

1. Literary style of Gospels is not myth
2. Not enough time for myth to develop eyewitnesses
   can dispute it
3. Myth theory has 2 layers Historical Jesus, then
   mythical Jesus of Gospels problem no evidence
   for first
4. Inconvenient truth of women as 1st witnesses

12
Responses Myth Theory

• New Testament stress that it is not myth!
• By internal external evidence, we know the
  gospels to be written by the Apostles
  companions not by later myth-makers