YouTube - Fred Hammond - Celebrate (He Lives) - 2004

We sang this song at my church today


YouTube - Fred Hammond - Celebrate (He Lives) - 2004

Islam and Christianity A Common Word: Why Didn't The Disciples of Jesus Know This?

As you probably know, I've been following a blog that compares Islamic and Christian issues from an Islamic standpoint. It has been real interesting. a recent post asks a fair question: Why didn't the disciples know that Jesus was going to be resurrected?  The blogger reposted an article from a skeptic. Two things are postulated. One the article's author repeats that no where does the Old Testament predict a dying and rising messiah. It's alleged that the fact that the disciples did not know expect Jesus to come back at first, although Jesus repeatedly told them, is grounds to throw out the whole story. Let's take both contentions one-at-a-time to see if they hold.

Contention 1: No where in the Old Testament is there  a dying and rising Messiah inferred or referred. I think everyone would have to admit that if i can fine one reference not referred to in the article I've killed the argument. Wait for it.  Isaiah 53 states!

 ¹ Who has believed our message
       and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
 ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
 ³ He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.
 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

 ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all.
 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth.
 ⁸ By oppression ^[a] and judgment he was taken away.
       And who can speak of his descendants?
       For he was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ^[b]
 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
       and with the rich in his death,
       though he had done no violence,
       nor was any deceit in his mouth.
 ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes ^[c] his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
 ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,
       he will see the light of life ^[d] and be satisfied ^[e] ;
       by his knowledge ^[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
       and he will bear their iniquities.
 ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, ^[g]
       and he will divide the spoils with the strong, ^[h]
       because he poured out his life unto death,
       and was numbered with the transgressors.
       For he bore the sin of many,
       and made intercession for the transgressors.

Verse 11 says the Messiah "will see the light of life  and be satisfied;"  Sounds like rising from the dead to me.


Contention 2:  The disciples did not know about the Resurrection therefore the Resurrection did not happen. Just because the disciples did not get it before they saw Jesus after the Resurrection does not invalidate the Bible. How does that follow. admittedly after 2000 years of hindsight it is difficult to understand why they did not see it since Jesus told them in lots of different ways at different times. I mean it wasn't a secret. we can't fault Simon Peter and the boys too much. They had an expectation that failed to materialize so that they thought it was over. The fact that they went about preaching about the resurrection instead of taking up arms against the Romans is proof it happened. If you are going to project your own hopes on a man after  he dies, why would you change those expectations if you are trying to keep his memory alive? Sorry, but it does not make sense,  I mean lots of people understand that Jesus was claiming that He would be resurrected in the same body that he was buried in yet don't believe it. Why should Jesus' followers balk at first too?

Islam and Christianity A Common Word: Why Didn't The Disciples of Jesus Know This?

YouTube - "Holy Animation!"

Here is another interpretation of Jesus' Resurrection.

YouTube - "Holy Animation!"

YouTube - Some Facts about Jesus Christ's Resurrection

Jesus really did rise from the dead, bodily, with all power in His hand!

YouTube - Some Facts about Jesus Christ's Resurrection

YouTube - The Passion of the Christ Last Scene

'Nuff Said!

YouTube - The Passion of the Christ Last Scene

Apologetics 315: Sunday Quote: William Lane Craig on the Resurrection

Brain Auten has posted a great quote from William Lane Craig regarding the Resurrection. I love it.

"These three great facts--the resurrection appearances, the empty tomb, and the origin of the Christian faith--all point unavoidably to one conclusion: The resurrection of Jesus. Today the rational man can hardly be blamed if he believes that on that first Easter morning a divine miracle occurred."

- William Lane Craig, quoted from "Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ".

Check out his post for more great resources for learning about and defending the Resurrection.

Apologetics 315: Sunday Quote: William Lane Craig on the Resurrection

The Genesis Genealogies | Reasons To Believe

I found a great article about genealogies in the Bible. Many of us assume that they are complete  and this has led to many well-meaning people to assume that we can use the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 to calculate the age of the earth. This has led to the criticism that the Bible says the earth is 6000 years old which cannot be corroborated scientifically. This is huge. People use this to reject the Bible - a supposed contradiction with science. There is no contradiction. No where does the Bible say the earth is 6000 years old and in order to calculate the age of the earth you have to assume that the genealogies are complete and several other assumptions. The Bible does not give us enough information to figure out the age of the earth. Bottom line. Therefore to reject the Bible because some Christians think the earth is 2000 years old is stupid., The article explains genealogies in historical and cultural context very well.

The Genesis Genealogies | Reasons To Believe