A New Beginning

A New Beginning

Sunday Apr 04, 2004 || 9:45 AM

Speaker: Greg Laurie

Worship: Harvest Worship Band

Luke 24

The main reason people reject the account of death and resurrection is:

1. Not because they have researched it.
2. They hide behind excuses because they know it will demand something of them.
3. They don't want to be held accountable for their actions
4. They don't want to think about a God they will have to stand before one day.
5. If resurrection is true, then we will have to stand before Christ one day.
6. People will hide behind theories.
   1. The Swoon theory.
      1. Jesus did not actually die, but went into a deep coma from great pain and trauma from crucifixion. The coolness of the tomb revived him and he was able to get out.
   2. The Twin theory.
      1. Jesus had an identical brother named Jerome. Jerome is separated from Jesus at birth and does not see him again till the time of the crucifixion. He con-cocks a story and steals the body and pretends to be the resurrected Christ
   3. The No Burial theory.
      1. Jesus was never put into the tomb to start with. Instead thrown into a mas grave for criminals, according to Roman custom.
      2. If true then the Jews or the Romans would not have bothered to seal Him in the tomb.
      3. All they would have to do to disprove the resurrection was to just show the dead body to the people.
   4. The Mass Hallucination theory.
      1. Everyone that saw the risen Jesus walking around among them was hallucinating. Because of the earnest desire to see Him alive again.
      2. Seen by disciples.
      3. Seen by 500 people
   5. The Disciples Stolen the Body theory
      1. They fled for their lives and yet had courage to make the story up and boldly preach about a resurrection that they knew was untrue.
      2. If the resurrection was a lie then why would all the disciples go to an early grave without recanting.
      3. All disciples died premature deaths. Tortured and executed because Christ has risen.
      4. When there is a lie or conspiracy, it will always break down somewhere. Usually on a persons death bed. None of the disciples broke under pressure during the tortures and deaths.
         1. Luke, was hung on an olive tree in Greece.
         2. Peter, crucified upside down in Rome.
         3. James the great, beheaded in Jerusalem.
         4. James the less, thrown off the Temple.
         5. Bartholomew, filleted alive
         6. Andrew, bound to a cross, preaching to his persecutors till he died.
         7. Thomas, run threw with a lance.
         8. Jude, shot to death with arrows.
         9. John, put into a cauldron of boiling oil, but he didn't boil. Banished to the island of Pátmos, Greese ( I think all heard the story and feared, so they banished him and let fate take its course: John whom Jesus loved)