rock mar11 prove it

8/6/2019 Rock MAR11 Prove It

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The Resurrectionof Jesus ChristProve

It:Prove it!

How would you proveto someone that yougraduated from elementaryschool?If some wise guy came up to you, and

said you were too dumb (or too

short, or too tan, or too German)

to be in Middle School, and you

probably never even finished

elementary school, how could

you respond?

There are a few possible ways

you could try to establish proof:

Your own personal

testimony: Im pretty sure

I didnt make up a years worth of

math tests and book reports. Or that 5th grade

spelling bee championship. Ill bet you cant spellequilibrium.

Physical evidence: See that scar? Thats from P.E.

Dodgeball. I could take you to the school itself and show you my

picture on the wallfounding member of the After-School Tofu

Club.

Written authority: Ive got the certificate of graduation

right here. Plus all my report cards. Plus a super-sweetValentines Day card from Jamie Saunders.

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Credible witnesses: My mom and dad were right there at

my 5th grade graduation ceremony. They saw the whole thing. Or you

can ask my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Farrell. Or the elementary school

custodianhe sees everything.

Logic: Well, I couldnt very well be in Middle School now, if I hadnt

done the Elementary thing first, right? Dont you think the principal

would have needed to see some transcripts before she let me in?

In the face of such overwhelming evidence, this proof-seekingnaysayer would have to admit that you had, in fact, graduated fromelementary school.

Christians face the same demands for proof from peoplewho would prefer to believe that Jesus was never raisedfrom the dead. Because if Jesus really rose from the dead,people would really have to believe in Him. And if theyreally believed in Him, then theyd have to change theirlives. And its scary for people to change their lives because ofa miracle. So they deny the miracle. But for 2,000 years, Christianshave established proof that has never been torn down:

Personal Testimony: Usually when legends happen, its

hundreds of years later, when theres nobody left alive who actually

remembers the real history. The stories of Robin Hood and the miracles

of Muhammad werent started until centuries after their deaths. In

contrast, the miracles of Jesus and His resurrection were immediately

claimed, when hundreds and thousands of people still remembered Him

personally.

Physical Evidence: Archaeology has confirmed that Jesus

existed. Several statements of the Bible have been confirmed inrecent years. There is no archaeological evidence to contradict Jesus

resurrection, and quite a bit of circumstantial evidence to support it.

Written Authority: Historians of that time, including non-

believers like Josephus, wrote about Jesus and His followers. Their

history agrees with much of the Bibles account.

Credible Witnesses: Over 500 people witnessed Jesus walking

around after His death. One person might lie. A small group mightagree to a conspiracy. But Jesus appeared to many people, in many

Continued on page 6.2

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Easter Lesson 3



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BODY

4

Imagineyouowna21-speed

mountainbike.Itssovaluablethatwhenyourenotridingit,youkeepitchainedinasealedroomwithanalarmsystem. Nowimaginegoingtothesealedroom

onemorningreadytorideyourbike.Youfindthedoorajarandtheroomempty.Nobike!Howwouldyoufeel?

BeforeHewas

crucified,JesushadsaidHewouldberaisedfromthedead.Still,HisresurrectioncaughteventhoseclosesttoHimbysurprise.

Luke 24:11On the first d

the week, very ea

morning, the wom

spices they had prepar

the tomb. 2They found

away from the tomb, 3but

they did not find the body4While they were wondering

two men in clothes that gleambeside them. 5In their fright th

with their faces to the groun

them, Why do you look for the6He is not here; he has risen!

you, while he was still with yo

Man must be delivered into the

crucified and on the third day

they remembered his words.

from the tomb, they told all th

and to all the others. 10It was MMary the mother of James, an

who told this to the apostle

believe the women, because

to them like nonsense.

got up and ran to the

over, he saw the strip

by themselves, and h

wondering to himse

happened

TODA

YS S

N



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S THERE1.Read Luke24:1-3. Why werethe women going toJesus tomb?

2.In 30 seconds,list as many emotionsas you can that thewomen might havefelt when they realizedthat Jesus body was

gone.

3.Review Luke24:4-8. Why do youthink the two men inwhite said what theydid to the women?

4.How do you thinkthe womens feelingschanged whenthey rememberedwhat Jesus hadtold them about Hisresurrection?

5.Read Luke24:9-12. What does itmean to you that Lukelisted exactly who wasamong the women whosaw the empty tomb?

6.Why do youthink the disciples

doubted the womensaccount of the emptytomb? How would youdescribe the differencebetween the otherdisciples reaction tothe womens news andPeters reaction?

7.What does itmean to you thatJesus tomb was foundempty?

8.How could Jesusresurrection from thedead affect you?

4:112

irst day of

ry early in the

omen took the

epared and went to

und the stone rolled3but when they entered,

ody of the Lord Jesus.

ring about this, suddenly

leamed like lightning stoodht the women bowed down

round, but the men said to

r the living among the dead?

en! Remember how he told

h you in Galilee: 7The Son of

o the hands of sinful men, be

day be raised again. 8Then

rds. 9When they came back

ll these things to the Eleven

as Mary Magdalene, Joanna,s, and the others with them

ostles. 11But they did not

ause their words seemed

se. 12Peter, however,

the tomb. Bending

strips of linen lying

nd he went away,

imself what had

ened.

Shawn Finley

CRIPTURE

Easter Lesson 5



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Rex

Bo

hn

Continued from page 3.

different situations. There were far

too many witnesses for them all to be

involved in a lie.

Logic: If Jesus had still been dead,

it would have been easy for the Jews or

the Romans to prove itjust by showing

His corpse. Theyd even set a guard on

the tomb to prevent anyone stealing

Jesus body for just this purpose. How

could a bunch of uneducated fishermen

outsmart or overpower elite Roman

soldiers to steal Jesus body? Why wouldthese apostles be willing to let people

kill them, instead of admitting it was

lie?

This all seems like pretty goodevidence, right? But all of thisignores the single biggest piece ofevidence of Jesus resurrection: howyou live your life.

You were destined for death. Yousin all the time. Every day, in fact.If God were being fair, you woulddeserve to go to hell for all themean stuff you do. But because weaccept Jesus resurrection, we arespared the punishment we deserve.

Therefore our joyful lives should bethe best proof of Jesus miracle.

Always be prepared to give ananswer to everyone who asks youto give the reason for the hopethat you have. -1 Peter 3:15

Do you believe Jesus died foryour sins, and then rose from thedead so you could live in heaven?

Then prove it.

Easter Lesson



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Power. Its all around us and In us. It

exPlodes. It shakes. It burns, freezes, and

sPIns.

Yetwe cannot gaIn Power

over death. The most

awesome powers in scienceand nature cannot rescueour friends, our relatives,from deaths cold grip or firetheir eyes with sparkle onceagain.

but god can. He proved itby unleashing the sheer, raw

power that brought Jesusback to life.

Power is massive.More than a mileof earth blastedinto the sky whenthe volcano onKrakatoa Islanderupted in 1883.That explosiondestroyed theisland, tore a 900-foot gash in theocean floor, andcaused tidal wavesthat drowned36,000 people.Rocks shot up34 miles intothe sky. Dust felleverywhere on

earth for a year.It was the loudestsound in history,equal to a noisein New York thatpeople as far offas Hawaii wouldmistake for nearbycannon fire.

Power can besmall but intense.An ant carriesobjects 10 to 50times its weight.Thats like youcarrying a full-sizevan.

nature is chargedwith power. Athunderstormsair currents canrip a plane in half.Lightning blazesthrough a storm at50,000 miles perhour250 times

faster than thefastest race car.

huMans controlsome forms ofpower. We directthe piercing rayof a laser beam

to burn holesin diamonds ordestroy canceroustissue. We harnesssurging riversfor electricity;then we flood theAstrodome withlight or jolt an

irregular heartbeatback into rhythm.

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