Wednesday, March 30, 2016

There are those who try to debunk the resurrection.  They give two suppositions

One: Christ didn't really die.  However, many people were there when actually died.  The Roman soldiers were charged with taking Him off the cross when He was dead.  And since it was approaching the Sabbath, they wanted to hurry it up.  So they checked the two men hanging on either side of Jesus and broke their legs to hurry the process up.  But when they came to Jesus, he was already dead.  However, just to be absolutely sure, one of the soldiers stabbed Him in the side.  Water and blood gushed out--He was dead.  So since he was already dead, they didn't need to break Jesus' legs.  All of this is recorded by different people who were there.  Not one account, but several.

Two:  Someone stole the body.  This is the weakest of the two suppositions for several reasons.  Pilot charged the Roman "watch" with guarding the tomb because Jesus had said He would rise on the third day--and it was critical that this not happen.  They were posted specifically so that the "body theft" could not happen.  Losing the body of Jesus was punishable by death for the Roman soldier.

Ken always said that Roman soldiers on watch were equatable to Marine sentries.  They would never sleep.  That was the reason there was a "watch."  Pilot told them to stay there three days.  It wasn't one man.  It was many men guarding against theft.  Not one sentry, but an entire "watch."

But suppose the entire cadre of Roman soldiers didn't do their job--which is not believable--and a body snatcher slipped in.  Why would some thief stop to unwind all the burial wrappings and leave them in the tomb before taking the body.  With the guards outside.  It makes no sense.  If they were going to steal the body, they would have taken Him in the wrappings.  They would not have wasted twenty or thirty minutes unwrapping Him and dragging him out in front of the soldiers charged with guarding the tomb.

Jesus then appeared after death to many people.  It is a fact.  He is risen.  He is risen indeed.

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