Read all about it - Eternity
DID JESUS REALLY COME BACK FROM THE DEAD?
If Jesus didn't come back from the dead then Christianity is not true and we might as well go somewhere else. If Jesus did come back from the dead then He is God and Christianity is absolutely true. It's as simple as that and that's why so many false teachers are trying to get you to doubt the resurrection.
So here are the main reasons why Christians are sure Jesus is alive today and lives in their hearts, promising our spirits new life with Him after our bodies are finished with.
"Now is Christ risen from the dead... even so in Christ shall we all be made alive."
1 Corinthians 15:20,22
1. When Jesus died all his disciples ran away confused and afraid to die. There was no chance they would come back and risk their lives for a dead man who let them all down. Half of them would have gone back to fishing which was their former livelihood.
The people of Israel saw this happening for those three days. They would have thought, "That's the last we'll see of those crazy dudes."
But none of this happened because they saw Jesus for 40 days after which He went up to heaven before their eyes.
This is what they said about their Master coming back from the dead: Peter to the Jews:
 |
"You killed Him by letting sinful men crucify Him. But God raised Him from death, setting Him free from its power, because it was impossible that death could hold Him prisoner." Acts 2:23-24
Peter in the temple: "God raised Him from death - we are witnesses to this." Acts 3:15 |
Peter to Captain Corneluis: "But God raised Him from death three days later and caused Him to appear, not to everyone, but only to the witnesses God has already chosen... " Acts 10:40
Paul in Antioch: "But God raised Him from death, and for many days he appeared to those who had travelled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses for Him to the people of Israel." Acts 13:30-31 etc.
2. Paul was once a zealous anti-Christian who was on assignment for the governing Sanhedrin to round up Christians in Damascus when he was knocked off his horse and blinded by the risen Jesus who appeared from heaven in a vision. |
 |
Jesus said, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute Me? "
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul replied.
"I am Jesus whom you persecute," Jesus replied, after which He told Saul to see a Christian named Ananias in Damascus, who laid hands on his eyes and healed him (Acts 9).
Saul (later called Paul) had this to say about Jesus coming back from the dead: "Just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life." Romans 6:4
"He appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then He appeared to more than five hundred of His followers at once, most of whom are still alive... " 1 Corinthians 15:5-6
"It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me." Galatians 2:20
"For you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith in the active power of God who raised Him from death." Colossians 2:12
"We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in Him." 1 Thessalonians 4:14
3. The Old Testament predicted Jesus would rise from the dead:
Psalm 16:10:" ...I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead."
Psalm 30:2: "I cried to you for help, O Lord my God, and you healed me; you kept me from the grave."
[A703]
 |
Isaiah 53:9-12: He was placed in a grave with those who are evil, He was buried with the rich, even though He had never committed a crime or ever told a lie. ...He will see His descendants; He will live a long life, and through Him my purpose will succeed. After a life of suffering He will again have joy.. etc. |
4. Jesus predicted He will rise again.
How many people do you know boast they will come back from the dead? You would call them nuts. Jesus told His followers and even His enemies He would rise again but they did not understand it till after it happened.
John 2:19,21-22: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it again... "
The temple Jesus was speaking about was His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture and what Jesus had said.
| Matthew 12:40: "In the same way that Jonah spent three days and nights in the big fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth." |  |
Matthew 16:21: "...I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life. "
Matthew 17:22-23: "The Son of Man is about to handed over to those who will kill Him; but three days later He will be raised to life."
Matthew 20:18: "The Son of Man will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of Him, whip Him, and crucify Him; but three days later he will be raised to life."
 |
Matthew 26:31-32: "This very night all of you will run away and leave Me, for the scripture says, 'God will kill the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you." |
You might say, 'How could they have missed all these predictions? But remember what Peter said. None of them wanted to believe he would die on them so they shut all this talk out of their memories until after the event.
5. The empty tomb is very convincing evidence that Jesus is risen. Peter and John saw the grave clothes in the right position not unwrapped but nobody in them.
No wonder the record says that when John entered the tomb, "he saw, and believed." (John20:8).
His doubts and fears immediately gave way to an amazed faith. He realized that the risen Jesus had passed through the linen wrappings. The enemies of Christ have tried weird theories that don't work.
The disciples could not have stolen the body because they were in defeat and dread of the Roman persecution to follow. The tomb was heavily sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers in any case.
 |
Jesus did not faint and come back to consciousness to leave the tomb as how could He have unwrapped the burial clothes and broken out of a guarded tomb in a weakened condition (remember Gibson's Passion of Christ movie?).
Also the spear in His side released blood and water which is proof of death. |
The disciples did not go the wrong tomb as the Jewish leaders could easily have shown people the right one when disciples went around claiming he was risen and He was seen by 500 people. Such lame theories are typical of a world that does not want to believe but prefers darkness to light. Is that you?
6. Jesus appeared over 10x to His disciples and others, to Mary Magdalene, to the other women, to Peter, to the 2 on the road to Emmaeus, to 10 disciples and to 500 witnesses.
7. The apostles would not have preached and written as they did unless they were absolutely sincere and totally convinced of the truth of Jesus rising from the dead. They had instantaneously changed from frightened runaways to bold Spirit-filled proclaimers of Christ and the resurrection.
Such preaching cost them the loss of their lives, but they kept preaching as long as strength permitted.
| Skilled legal minds at the highest level have stated that the apostles could not have kept going with such conviction under such persecution as being eaten by lions and crucifixion if they had not actually seen Jesus after His death. |  |
 |
You must make a decision now, believe in Jesus rising again based on all this evidence or carry on with wild conjecture and guesswork.
Heaven help you to make the right decision. |