Participants: Charles Byrd (Host), Stephen Fowler, Andrea Endries, Levi Longoria
Series Code: THL
Program Code: THL000015
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00:03 Dave Wottle was an athlete who astonished many.
00:07 He ran the 1/2 mile or 800 meter race so well 00:10 that he made it to the Olympics. 00:12 The interesting part, however, 00:14 is that Dave Wottle always started in the back of the pack 00:18 but would kick himself into gear 00:20 at the end of the race in order to win. 00:24 People watched him run, with amazement 00:26 because amongst the competition he was running against, 00:29 there was no way to come from behind 00:31 and win every single time. But he did. 00:36 He won race after race until he finally won 00:39 the gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games 00:43 by 3/100 of a second. 00:47 Dave wottle epitomizes why people stay engaged 00:50 during a race or sporting event. 00:53 They want to see the finish. 00:55 They want to see the culmination of the whole thing. 00:58 The end or the finale summarizes and represents 01:01 the entire process of getting there. 01:05 Human interest is based on endings. 01:08 That is to say, we don't read books 01:10 or watch movies or go to sporting events 01:13 without wanting to hear or see the end, the finale. 01:17 And speaking of endings, every single living being 01:21 on this earth has one thing in common. 01:24 They will all eventually die. 01:27 All life at some point comes to an end. 01:31 However, there lived one man 01:32 who claimed to overcome the grave. 01:35 We've talked about how the radical teachings 01:38 of this man caused thunder in his day and ours. 01:43 But is it possible that what happened after his death, 01:46 even more than the miracles and teachings of his whole life, 01:50 is the true cause for the thunders, 01:52 reverberations that have rattled the world for centuries? 02:48 All the major world religions have one thing in common. 02:52 They were all founded or initiated by the teachings 02:55 or inspiration of one main person. 02:59 Some examples include Judaism 03:01 which follows the teachings of Moses. 03:03 Buddhism, which follows 03:05 the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. 03:08 Islam, the teachings of Mohammed. 03:11 And Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth. 03:16 To many, their lives appear somewhat similar. 03:19 But what about their deaths? 03:21 One and only one leader was said to have risen from the dead. 03:26 Jesus of Nazareth has a strikingly different ending 03:30 than all the other religious leaders and all of humanity. 03:35 For He died, was buried and then rose again 03:38 the third day according to the Scriptures. 03:42 Many scoff at such a preposterous claim. 03:45 They can believe that he lived, 03:46 that He was a teacher, maybe even a prophet, 03:49 but to believe that he came back to life 03:51 goes beyond the realm of possibility. 03:55 However, this claim is crucial to the Christian faith. 03:59 Our reporters are standing by at the Garden Tomb 04:02 just outside the old city walls of Jerusalem 04:05 to take a look at the evidence 04:06 that substantiates such a radical claim. 04:11 Thanks, Charles. To begin our investigation, 04:14 we're gonna start with a historical account 04:15 or record of the death of Jesus. 04:17 To review this account, we'll be using the Bible, 04:20 which even if you discounted 04:22 is still classified as a valid historical document. 04:27 It should be noted that the event being discussed 04:29 happened some 2,000 years ago. 04:31 It's rare to find any written history about royalty 04:34 and other famous persons from this time period, 04:36 much less an entire written description 04:38 about a typical crucifixion of a so-called criminal. 04:42 So the fact that there's any historical record 04:44 is fascinating enough in itself. 04:47 The death of Jesus has also been addressed 04:48 in other historical sources 04:50 such as the writings of Cornelius Tacitus, 04:52 the greatest historian of ancient Rome 04:54 and Flavius Josephus, core historian for Emperor Vespasian. 04:59 Wilbur Smith says it best in his book, 05:01 "Therefore Stand," when he writes, 05:03 "Let it simply be said that we know more 05:06 about the details of the hours immediately before 05:09 and the actual death of Jesus 05:11 than we know about the death 05:12 of any other one man in all the ancient world. 05:15 We know more about the burial of the Lord Jesus 05:17 than we know of the burial of any single character 05:19 in all of ancient history. 05:22 There are four Biblical reports on the happenings 05:24 surrounding the death of Jesus. 05:25 And while all are written by different authors 05:27 and bring out different details, 05:29 there are absolutely no contradictions. 05:32 Let's review the four accounts. 05:34 The chief priests and the elders of the people 05:36 brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate 05:38 accusing Him of blasphemy 05:39 and Pilate questioned Him, 05:41 "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" 05:43 And He answered and said unto him, 05:44 "Thou sayest it." 05:46 And the chief priests accused Him of many things 05:48 but He answered nothing. 05:50 And Pilate asked Him again, saying, 05:52 "Answerest Thou nothing? 05:54 Behold how many things they witness against Thee." 05:56 But Jesus answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled. 06:00 And Pilate called the chief priests 06:02 and rulers of the people and told them 06:04 that he examined Jesus but found no fault in Him. 06:07 Since it was the feast where he could release someone, 06:09 Pilate offered to release Barabbas 06:11 who was an evil murderer, or Jesus. 06:14 Pilate told the people that Jesus 06:16 was not worthy of death 06:17 but that he would chastise and release Him instead. 06:20 But the people cried out, all at once saying, 06:23 "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." 06:26 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, 06:28 spake again to them. 06:30 But they cried out saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" 06:35 So Jesus bearing His cross was brought to the place 06:38 of the skull and crucified on the hill between two thieves. 06:42 At 3 p.m., Jesus cried out, 06:44 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" 06:47 And a while later He concluded, 06:49 "It is finished" and died. 06:52 He was taken down from the cross and laid in a grave 06:56 and three days later, He rose from the dead. 07:00 The account is repeated not once, 07:02 twice or even three times, 07:04 but four separate times by four different disciples. 07:07 And yet, it is so straight-forward, 07:09 so clear and so full of detail 07:12 that to question the historical record, 07:14 one would have to put forth a great effort 07:16 to come to a reasonable doubt. 07:19 They sure would, Stephen. 07:20 And today, I'd like to address 07:22 some of those different areas of doubt. 07:24 Some have proposed that maybe Jesus didn't actually die. 07:28 Maybe He just fainted on the cross 07:30 but after three days of recuperation in the tomb, 07:33 was able to revive Himself. 07:35 It's amazing that the gospel authors did not know 07:38 that this would be a doubt many years later. 07:41 And yet, they gave specific details to quiet such questions. 07:45 First, when Jesus was brought before Pilate after His death, 07:49 Pilate marveled that Jesus was already dead. 07:52 And summoning the centurion, 07:54 he asks him if He had been dead for some time. 07:57 So when he found out from the centurion, 07:59 he granted the body to Joseph. 08:02 This verse points out that His death was double checked. 08:06 For Pilate's own respect and reputation, 08:08 he needed to make sure that the criminal 08:10 that he sentenced to death was in fact dead. 08:13 He gave the body to Joseph only after verifying the death. 08:18 Second, when the soldiers came to Jesus 08:20 and they saw that He was already dead, 08:22 they pierced His side with a spear and immediately, 08:25 blood and water came out. 08:28 If the crucifixion hadn't killed Him, 08:30 this thrust of the Roman soldier's spear 08:32 certainly would have done the job. 08:34 Also, Dr. Subodh K. Pandit points out 08:37 that the only way for blood to have the appearance of water 08:40 is for the blood cells to completely settle, 08:43 separating the red corpuscles from the clear serum. 08:46 And this does not happen unless the blood 08:49 is completely motionless for a solid one to two hours. 08:53 Dr. Pandit goes on to explain, 08:55 "The fact that John was no modern day physician 08:58 and so described it in the terms of an ordinary laymen 09:00 layman (water instead of serum) gives great credibility 09:04 to that simple, specific, yet significant observation." 09:09 Another doubt that is often raised due to the fact 09:12 that the body of Jesus was never found, 09:14 is the idea that the body was stolen. 09:17 However, this is easily refuted because there were guards 09:20 on duty night and day to prevent that exact happening. 09:24 In addition, there are details of the scene 09:26 which include a folded handkerchief 09:28 and the linen grave cloths left behind. 09:31 Neatness and the time it would take to undress the body 09:34 do not lend themselves to the scene of a hasty theft. 09:38 Finally, the most important argument 09:40 against the idea of the body being stolen is the motive. 09:44 Even though they were told that Jesus would rise from the dead, 09:47 the disciples did not understand it to be literal and true. 09:52 The Bible makes it clear, the disciples were not 09:54 expecting the resurrection of Jesus when it says, 09:57 "For as yet they did not know the scripture, 10:00 that He must rise again from the dead." 10:03 So if the disciples did not have the courage to claim Jesus 10:06 during His sentencing and crucifixion, 10:09 where did the confidence come from to go against 10:11 Roman authority and trained guards 10:13 to steal the body of Jesus 10:15 when they didn't even understand the necessity 10:18 of the resurrection in the first place? 10:20 Therefore, the Biblical account of Jesus' death 10:23 and resurrection proves itself consistent and accurate. 10:28 That's true, Andrea. 10:29 And while the Bible sets the factual footwork 10:32 for the world's greatest event, 10:34 it's the after effects of that happening 10:36 that truly give it credence. 10:38 Let's take the disciples, for example. 10:40 One day they are fleeing cowards who wouldn't even claim 10:43 to know their beloved teacher and just three days later, 10:47 they were a powerful force willing to face death 10:51 to proclaim the name of Jesus. 10:53 What changed? 10:55 The witnessing of resurrection, perhaps? 10:58 The Book of Acts tells us that the disciples 11:00 and others of that time period 11:02 were witnesses of a resurrected savior. 11:06 Even in today's court system, 11:07 the greatest evidence is that of empirical evidence 11:11 which includes someone's solemn oath of being an eye witness. 11:16 And Peter said, 11:17 "This Jesus hath God raised up, 11:20 whereof we all are witnesses." 11:24 John said, "For we can not 11:25 but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 11:30 And Paul said that Jesus 11:31 "was seen many days of them which came up with Him 11:35 from Galilee to Jerusalem, 11:37 who are His witnesses unto the people." 11:41 If the disciples were so positive of their report 11:44 of what they saw with their own eyes, 11:46 and that they were willing to face death, 11:49 still swearing its truth, 11:51 after the resurrection the eleven disciples gathered 11:54 together to discuss the event and its meaning. 11:57 After they separated, they dispersed into 11:59 different parts of the country to spread the truth 12:02 and the promise of the resurrected Messiah. 12:05 Now, let's just pretend 12:07 that these eleven men made up the story. 12:10 It's an awesome story for mere men, 12:12 but let's just say they did. 12:14 The fact that all of them died swearing the validity 12:18 of a story they made up, is fascinating. 12:22 Furthermore, if they had all died together 12:25 with the encouragement and support of one another, 12:28 I might be persuaded to believe 12:30 that they could peddle the lie to their death. 12:33 But these men did not die together with the fortitude 12:36 of brotherhood to motivate them. 12:38 Each man died alone. 12:41 Each man died with the ability to recant their story 12:45 without any of the other disciples even knowing. 12:48 Each man died swearing that Jesus rose from the grave. 12:53 That's not human nature. 12:55 Sure, put a bunch of people in a room 12:56 and ask them to drink the Kool-Aid 12:58 and peer pressure might kick in. 13:01 but separate each one, interrogate them, 13:04 torture them, ridicule them 13:06 and find not one willing to change 13:09 their faith in the story of a risen Christ? 13:12 Peter was crucified upside down. 13:15 James was stoned to death. 13:17 Matthew was killed by the sword. 13:19 James, the son of Alpheus was crucified. 13:22 James, the son of Zebedee was killed by the sword. 13:25 Thadaeus was shot through with arrows. 13:27 Bartholomew was crucified. 13:29 Philip was crucified. 13:30 Simon, the Zealot was crucified. 13:32 Thomas was killed with a spear and though John survived, 13:35 tradition tells us that he was put into 13:37 a cauldron of boiling oil. 13:39 And that's the eleven and then there's the one 13:41 who replaced Judas Iscariot. 13:43 Matthias was stoned and then beheaded. 13:46 And the apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded. 13:49 Not only did almost all suffer an excruciating death, 13:54 but they died knowing that all they would have 13:57 had to do was simply denounce their claim about 14:00 Jesus' resurrection in order to live. 14:03 Now, don't misunderstand me, 14:05 many people die for the things they fully believe in, 14:08 which in many cases are unfortunately not true. 14:11 Suicide bombers are notorious for this trait. 14:15 However, the disciples were actually witnesses. 14:19 This is different because if they were 14:21 lying about the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, 14:23 if they were lying about what they witnessed, 14:27 they'd be dying for a known lie. 14:31 It's one thing to die for something you believe is true, 14:35 but unfortunately is not. 14:37 It's altogether another to die for something 14:40 that you don't believe and that you know is not true. 14:44 The disciples no doubt knew that Jesus was the Messiah. 14:49 That He died, but then He rose. 14:52 That He conquered the grave. 14:54 And they were willing to go to theirs shouting His victory. 14:59 The disciples did have a marked change 15:02 following the resurrection. 15:04 But another thing to notice is the impact 15:06 the risen Jesus has had on our world today. 15:10 There are respected learning institutions 15:12 which carry His name. 15:14 Entire musical compositions, art pieces and literary volumes 15:18 that were inspired by His life. A multitude of people 15:22 whose personal testimonies have changed lives. 15:25 As well as those who are willing to give up everything 15:28 this world offers to share His story. 15:32 How could someone who was killed 15:34 as a despised criminal by the most contemptible 15:37 form of execution have a following 15:39 that outnumbers any other religion ever formed? 15:44 Furthermore, notice that every single leader 15:46 of a major religion was greatly revered 15:49 at the time of their death. 15:51 The loss of the Hindu masters and sages 15:55 were mourned for generations. 15:57 At the death of Mohammed, 15:58 there was a nationwide grief and intense lamenting. 16:02 But Jesus of Nazareth was crucified by His own people. 16:07 Something huge and beyond human capacity 16:10 such as resurrection must have happened 16:13 between the horrific death and the creation 16:16 of the Christian religion which exists today. 16:19 As I investigate outside literary sources, 16:22 Biblical evidence and historical happenings, 16:25 I find the necessary evidence for a solid foundation 16:29 on which to build a faith in the resurrection. 16:33 Lord Darling, Chief Justice of England said 16:35 it best when he said, 16:37 "On the greatest point we are not merely asked to have faith. 16:42 In its favor as a living truth, 16:44 there exists such overwhelming evidence, 16:47 positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, 16:51 that no intelligent jury in the world could fail 16:55 to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true." 17:01 But what does this mean for our lives? 17:04 Why is a resurrection that occurred 17:06 some 2,000 years ago so pertinent for us today? 17:11 Well, first of all, our God is a God 17:13 that knows the future. 17:14 "Declaring the end from the beginning, 17:16 and from the ancient times 17:17 the things that are not yet done, saying, 17:20 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.'" 17:24 So the first reason it was necessary for Jesus 17:26 to rise from the dead was because it was prophesied. 17:30 In the Old Testament before Christ was even born, 17:32 it details His life, death and resurrection. 17:36 His resurrection is specifically noted in Psalm 16:10." 17:41 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, 17:43 nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." 17:47 And also in Psalm 49:15, 17:50 "God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, 17:52 for He shall receive me." 17:55 Then in the New Testament, 17:56 Jesus himself predicted the future 17:58 when He spoke to His disciples in Matthew 20:19. 18:02 "They shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock 18:05 and to scourge and to crucify Him, 18:07 and the third day, He shall rise again." 18:11 According to Jesus Himself, 18:12 prophecy is not meant for the purpose 18:14 of necessarily predicting the future. 18:16 Instead, it exists so that when prophecies come to fruition, 18:20 we can look back and recognize 18:21 that God does indeed foretell the future. 18:24 They're meant so that we may 18:25 have yet another reason to believe. 18:28 In this case, Christ fulfilled prophecy 18:30 by both dying on the cross 18:32 and rising again on the third day 18:34 according to the scriptures. 18:36 The inspired word of God is truth. 18:39 When God says something it happens. 18:41 I mean, He spoke the world, the sun, the moon, 18:43 and all the animals of this planet 18:45 into existence with His words. 18:48 Likewise, His words told of a time 18:51 when His son would die and rise again. 18:53 So the resurrection was inevitable, 18:56 simply because God spoke it. 18:59 That's true, Stephen, 19:00 but God definitely had a purpose or a reason 19:03 behind the resurrection He spoke of. 19:05 You see, the reason we need a savior in the first place 19:08 is because we are descendants of Adam. 19:12 We are born into the lineage of Adam as man. 19:15 The lineage of Adam is sinful. 19:17 It is not eternal and it is destined to perish. 19:21 The only way to end a lineage 19:23 is to completely kill it off, or to die. 19:26 Therefore, the only way to change lineage is to die 19:30 and then to resurrect into a new lineage. 19:33 While mortal man cannot do this, God can. 19:37 When Christ died as man, He put an end to Adam's lineage. 19:41 When He rose again, He created a new lineage. 19:45 The lineage of Christ is not sinful, 19:47 it is eternal and it is destined for glory. 19:51 Paul explains this phenomenon in 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22. 19:56 "But now is Christ risen from the dead 19:58 and become the first fruits of them that slept. 20:01 For since by man came death, 20:03 by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 20:07 For as in Adam all die, 20:09 even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 20:14 Adam's mistake brought death into this world. 20:17 In other words, sin brought death into the world. 20:21 So if we overcome sin, we overcome death. 20:25 The death alone of Jesus would have succeeded 20:28 in paying the penalty for our sins. 20:30 But if it had ended there, 20:32 we would only have proof that sin does, 20:34 in fact, lead to death. 20:36 We would only have the example of Christ's life. 20:39 And once again we would be sinful men trying to be good. 20:44 The resurrection provided a different option. 20:47 It provided the power to overcome the grave 20:49 and thus to overcome sin. 20:52 A new lineage humanity could share in, 20:56 if they choose to say yes. 20:58 If we choose to live in Him who overcomes the grave, 21:02 we automatically overcome the sin 21:05 that would have put us in the grave. 21:07 Let me expand on this point a little further. 21:10 In Romans 6:23, where it says that 21:12 "the wages of sin is death." 21:15 When Jesus took the burden of sin on His own soldiers, 21:19 He fully represented what the effect of sin is. 21:23 He was addressing the lie which is still spreading today. 21:26 A little sin isn't so bad. 21:29 But that's exactly what Lucifer argued as well. 21:32 When Lucifer first got the bits of rebellion in his heart, 21:35 he did not believe that it would lead to death. 21:38 How could a teeny tiny little bit 21:40 of disobedience lead to death? 21:42 However, Christ came to this world to live out 21:45 the effects of that little disobedience. 21:48 He wanted to prove the unavoidable result of every sin. 21:52 After displaying to the universe 21:54 what the end effect of sin truly is, 21:57 Jesus proved that sin could be overcome. 22:01 Many might argue that He proved sin could be overcome 22:04 before His death because He lived a perfect life, 22:08 a life without sin. 22:09 However, it was not until Sunday morning 22:12 when He overcame the grave that He fully proved 22:15 and demonstrated to the universe 22:17 and to humanity that sin had been overcome. 22:21 In 1 Corinthians 15:26, it says, 22:24 "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 22:28 Jesus destroyed the final enemy. 22:32 Death has been overcome. 22:34 The entire plan of salvation exists for the purpose 22:37 of atonement or being made one with God. 22:41 The death of Christ was payment for our offences. 22:44 And the resurrection was for our justification. 22:48 To be justified means to be proven right or acceptable. 22:52 The resurrection proved that God had accepted 22:55 the payment of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. 22:59 It was everything that He had required. 23:01 Perfect and complete. 23:03 The monumental death on the cross 23:05 paid our past debts and the resurrection provided 23:09 a new life for the future. 23:12 Not only did Jesus fulfill 23:14 the requirements for the plan of salvation, 23:17 but He also proved that He was 23:20 and is who He claimed to be, God. 23:24 And throughout His time here on earth, 23:26 Jesus claimed both by word and deed to be the son of God. 23:30 Now, however, no matter 23:32 how many miracles He performed, 23:34 no matter how insightful He appeared, 23:37 there existed doubt. 23:39 And Paul says that Christ's declaration 23:41 "to be the son of God was given with power, 23:44 according to the spirit of holiness, 23:46 by the resurrection from the dead." 23:50 And notice here that Paul doesn't mention 23:52 any of the other incomprehensible 23:54 and fantastic parts of Christ's life in this statement. 23:58 He says it was the resurrection 24:01 which legitimized Christ's claim to be the son of God. 24:05 Now one might think that a virgin birth, 24:07 a perfect life, healing powers, extraordinary comprehension, 24:12 the ability to walk on water and raising people 24:15 from the dead would provide the validation 24:18 needed to convince the world that He was divine. 24:21 But it was overcoming the grave Himself 24:25 that truly sealed His rank and mission as a deity. 24:30 And throughout history, there have been many 24:32 who claim to do miraculous things 24:34 and today there are entire television shows 24:37 dedicated to people who have the power of healing. 24:40 Also, other religions claim 24:42 their leaders have divine abilities. 24:44 It is said that Siddhartha Gautama Buddha 24:47 walked within the first few hours of birth 24:50 and flowers sprung up on the ground he walked across. 24:53 Islam followers believe the insightful creation 24:56 of the Quran by Mohammed was a miracle. 24:59 In fact, there are still people today 25:01 who claim to be God on earth. 25:05 These various religions talk about miracles 25:07 that have happened in the lives of their founders and leaders, 25:10 but no other religion or person has ever 25:14 claimed to come back from the dead. 25:17 If there was ever any one truly distinguishable 25:20 difference between Jesus and other religious leaders 25:23 and teachers, it is His resurrection. 25:27 One might consider it blasphemy to make the confident 25:29 claims Jesus did about being the son of God. 25:32 The Jewish teachers of His time certainly did. 25:35 However, Jesus made it absolutely clear 25:38 that He was divine. In John 10: 30, He said, 25:42 "I and my Father are one." 25:45 And in John 14: 11, when He said, 25:48 "Believe me that I am in the Father 25:51 and the Father in me," 25:53 Jesus was and is "The way, the truth and the life." 26:00 And not only did He say He was the son of God, 26:02 the "Great I Am," but He proved it. 26:05 The physical act of rising from the dead 26:08 was the pinnacle piece of evidence 26:10 needed to ensure His divine nature. 26:15 Dave Wottle came from behind to win a foot race. 26:19 Jesus came from behind the stone sealed with the Roman seal. 26:24 He came from behind a troop of Roman guards 26:27 charged with keeping His lifeless body 26:30 in a borrowed tomb. 26:32 But that just made more dramatic 26:34 the Sunday morning surprise. 26:36 The angel rolled away the stone and then tore down the wall. 26:41 Jesus did not leave the tomb bowed down as if in defeat, 26:45 He stood tall, victorious 26:48 and proclaimed over the rent sepulcher, 26:51 "I am the resurrection and the life." 26:54 He came forth in majesty and glory worthy of worship. 27:00 Paul understood the significance of the resurrection 27:03 when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 27:07 "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, 27:11 and your faith is also vain." 27:15 The empty tomb is living proof of His divinity. 27:20 The resurrection of Christ is God's 27:22 triumphal proclamation that the forces of evil 27:25 are a defeated foe and all who accept 27:29 the atonement of Christ can be assured 27:31 of their own final victory over sin and death. 27:36 We can trust and base our faith on a God that is risen, 27:41 on the God who overcame the grave. |
Revised 2014-12-17