Today as I was coming to the end of the book “The Case of Christ” by Lee Strobel I came across some of the strongest evidence of the reality of Christ’s resurrection. Now you have to understand. I have been a born again believer since 1985. I have had my ups and downs as is unfortunately normal for this day and age due to the weak society we live within. To hear this evidence worded in such a manner just deepened my belief and faith in God and His Son Jesus.
In the last chapter of the book Mr. Stobel is talking to Dr. J. P. Moreland. Here Dr. Moreland brings up the change that took place within thousands of Jews within Jerusalem. For thousands of year and to this day there were and is still a Jewish people. All other nations that existed since before Joseph led the Jewish nation into Egypt and their eventual enslavement have ceased to exist in their original form or are no longer even thought of. In that time the Jewish people have continued to exist. Many of those traditions are still in use today save the sacrifice and burnt offers. Yet soon after Christ’s crucifixion thousands of Jews abandoned these tradition. Why? Because many had seen the risen Christ and others were witness to the miracles performed by His disciples as well as seen the fires of Pentecost and heard the disciples talking in many languages which many of the Jew understood having come from far parts of the world upon pilgrimages to Jerusalem. This caused them to turn from their traditions to embrace Christianity.
You have to understand this. The world two thousand years ago was nothing like the world we now live within. Today those in this world are weak minded. Going to this fad or that fad. This bit of happiness over here and then a few days later running to this happiness over there. Face it we as a people are weak compared to those that lived not even a hundred years ago due to Television and other devices of technology. So it is hard for many to understand how people can turn away from their cultural foundations and wholeheartedly change literally overnight and stay that way the rest of their lives even under the threat of a torturous death.
God is real. Jesus is real. An eternal life is real and is for all of us. You, me, the person next to you. It is something that is truly worth dying for.
The disciples had run away from Jesus. They had thought Him killed, gone. Then within days after His death they suddenly were literally willing to die for their belief that Jesus rose from the dead, because He did and they attested to that till their deaths, many of which were horrifying.
Think upon that for a while.