The resurrection. Some might wonder what all the fuss is about, thinking, Who cares? What difference does it make if Jesus rose from the dead? And if he did, where’s the evidence?

First of all, it makes all the difference in the world. If Christ did not rise, then thousands of believers have died as martyrs for a hoax.

If he did rise, then he is still alive and can offer peace to troubled, hurting lives. Countless scholars - among them the apostle Paul, Augustine, Sir Isaac Newton and C.S. Lewis - believed in the resurrection. So we need not fear committing intellectual suicide by believing it also.

Paul, a first-century skeptic, turned believer, wrote that "Christ died for our sins...he was buried...he was raised on the third day...he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve (disciples). After that, he appeared to more than five hundred...at the same time, most of whom are still living" (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

Now let’s consider the evidence:

Within a few weeks after Jesus was crucified, a 'movement' arose that had 'upset the world'....how could so many people be stirred so much, in a belief that was led by a man who died and was gone? What about these disciples? Twelve men, (eleven; one, a man named Judas Iscariot, died as the most famous Betrayer the world has ever known) all of whom had lived with and traveled with Jesus for most of his three-year ministry, fled in fear BEFORE the crucifixion, denying they even knew him. All of them later died, some quite badly, for telling the world that Jesus was alive; that they had seen him! Peter was crucified upside down (he would not allow them to crucify him the way Jesus was crucified; he did not believe that he deserved that HONOR) James was put to the sword, John was thrown into boiling oil, Boiled alive, and lived....all of them friends, in the same part of the world, they were probably aware of the fact that their friends were being killed. Can you imagine Your friends being boiled alive? Put to the sword, crucified? Wouldn't that tend to make you want to stop talking??? But they didn't stop!!! Why? Jesus was dead, right? No, he was alive, and they SAW him, and they knew he was alive!!

Where was the body? Well, the Romans were the 'invading army', they were the power force in control at that time, and they were the ones who demanded that everyone stop talking about Jesus. So, if they had the body, they Would bring it out, right? "Here, look!! Here is your 'living' Christ! Now stop this nonesense, and go home!" But they didn't. What did they say? "The disciples will steal the body, and say he is risen, let's put a gaurd at the tomb." Now, who said this? Romans, the most powerful group alive at the time, the force that swept the world. They didn't get THAT powerful by being stupid, or careless. They WERE a mighty, powerful army. So they KNEW what they were doing. Their soldiers were fearless. And they knew who they were talking about, they had studied him for most of the three-year period that he was among them. What did they see, in those three years? They saw a man, surrounded by crowds, but ALWAYS with at least as many as a dozen men. They did not put one man on a tomb that contained a man with a dozen friends. Remember, they were the most successful warriors on the planet at that time. They knew better! How did they NOT have the body then?

The disciples stole the body. Well, could that be? Eleven scared men, tired, poor, hungry men...they did what? Attacked and overcame trained Roman Warriors? Highly unlikely. Were the gaurds sleeping? Punishment for sleeping on GAURD duty could be as little and easy as horrible torture, but mostly it was just death. I think they were wide-awake. Look at what these people did!! The people wanted the bodies taken down, so they requested it, and the Romans went to the bodies and broke their legs, but when they got to Jesus, they saw THAT HE WAS ALREADY DEAD. What?? Wait a minute!!! The other two men were STILL ALIVE!!!! Stripped, savagely whipped, beaten, then crucified, and then, while they were still living, their legs were smashed and broken with clubs! Can you imagine the people that could do this to a human being?? They were not soft people; they were not careless. They were powerful, ruthless, cold-blooded killers. They knew what they were doing, and they DID NOT make mistakes. They could not have been overcome by a few tired, terrified fishermen, really. Could they????

What if he never died? Well, he was stripped naked, brutally whipped, beaten in the head with clubs, then he was crucified, (if you've never drawn a picture of this, picture railroad spikes going THROUGH your hands and feet) then he HUNG there, off the ground, for six hours or so....after that, when he was declared to be dead by Romans (who would not turn their back on an enemy until they KNEW he was dead), they jabbed him with a spear, ..."bringing a flow of blood AND WATER..." Blood is one thing, but water? Well, that sounds like severe internal organ damage. Then he was mummified in spices and grave clothing, and was put in a tomb, sealed by a stone so large that three healthy women, who were going to annoint his body, wondered who would move the stone for them....This man, in this shape, got out of that grave wrap, and rolled the stone back FROM THE INSIDE....and walked out....that can not seriously be considered by anybody, can it????

THEY SAW HIM!! For forty days or so after his death, people claimed to have seen him. At one time a group of over 500 people at once saw him, and it was written down. (Hey, who won the Super Bowl this year?? The New England Patriots, right? Did you SEE them? Were you there??? "Oh, I saw it on tv..." Well, I saw a big ape climb a skyscraper on tv, too. seeing it on tv doesn't make it real..."Oh, it was in all the papers, so I believe it...C'mon, I KNOW they won!!" - Well, these people SAW it with their own eyes, and then they wrote it down, too)

Now, that is something worth remembering, right? But knowing it is not enough. It's what you DO with this knowledge that makes all the difference in the world.

"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit GIVES BIRTH to spirit."

Is THAT worth thinking about now? How brave are you? Try this:

Dear Jesus, I know that you died for me...I know that you are alive. I don't understand it at all, but I believe it. Please help me to SEE what you want me to see. I know I need you in my heart, and my life. Please come in to me, forgive me of my sins, and wash me. Give me eternal life, and show me how you want me to live. I want to turn from this empty life, and live for you, and with you, forever. Thank you God, for saving me, through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Are you ready to die? Do you KNOW that you are ready to leave the body? Do you KNOW where you are going to be? You can, you know...right now, today, YOU CAN KNOW......Come to Jesus Christ, my friend, today, while there's still time......

Want to see more / read more / talk to someone about this?

https://liltori5.tripod.com/god1.html
https://liltori5.tripod.com/theword.html
or email me at sarahh76@hotmail.com

OR, if you like, just do this: Dear God, I KNOW I have never talked to You as I should, or really considered You......for that, I am sorry. I want to know more, hear more....talk to me. Bring me someone, take me somewhere.....tell me what You want me to do, and help me to listen....I want to Know......