The Resurrection

Best-selling author and speaker and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland, best-selling author and apologist Dylan Burroughs together bringing you the truth for a new generation. This is TMG radio.

The Christian writer Henry Drummond said to have eternal life to have a relationship with the eternal Jesus Christ. Having risen from the dead has proved his victory over death. He is the one who holds the keys to eternal life and he in Jesus gives us eternal life with that days addition of truth for new generation Alex before your along with Dylan Burroughs and before we go any further.

Dylan, let me wish you a happy Easter happy Easter to you as well Alex, it's exciting for me as a follower of Jesus to celebrate this day as the greatest day of our faith better than Christmas better than any other holiday. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The tomb is empty. He is risen, a man he is risen indeed.

You know I love the words of Matthew 28 the angel told the women to Matthew 20 8527 do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here he is risen.

Just as he said, and see the place where he lay there and go quickly and tell his disciples he is risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him now. I have told you were going to unpack on today show the facts of the resurrection of Christ. The empty tomb, and we just welcome you to the program and we do hope that that resurrection experience. Having a relationship with the living Jesus is something that is very real in your life. We hope there's been a time that you've come to Christ in faith and belief in turn from sin to Jesus to be saved and you know Dylan, this is as as we have often talked about and much as been written. This is what makes Christianity different that we have an empty grave, our founder is not buried in a tomb. Somewhere we don't go to a cemetery to communion with our founder, our founders alive is close by is a prayer and for the Christian, every hour of every day is communion with the living Jesus, the one who told us the one who made this promise because I live, you, the believer will eternally live also. That is what makes this different and that's a great great message is not Dylan.

It is then the apostle Paul went on to say that if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith and says that more than that.

We are then found to be false witnesses about God. If that's the case that everything in our Christian faith hinges upon the empty tomb, the resurrection of Jesus Christ and am excited to talk about some of the evidence that we have the supports this aspect of our faith. Dylan, have you been to the holy land.

I have not had that opportunity.

I know you have and that's one place. That, of all places on the planet. Despite the controversy, despite some of the safety issues. People talk about is a place that I would like to go and stand in front of that empty team. Oh my goodness will two years ago we went and we talked about it a couple times on the show and we went with them some of our colleagues from Focus on the Family and I will say this, we have had probably two dozen people over the last year. Email me and ask if we would lead a trip to Israel and the answer is yes, we definitely want to do that we have talked to a couple of tour companies and if if you want to be kept abreast of that. I mean, it's at least going to be a year away.

In fact, it might be the fall of 2019. But if you would like to go to Israel with us just let us know when we're going to when we are ready to rollout that trip. You know, we will publicize it pretty heavily before this year is out, but Dylan all of the sites of the holy land are special in the garden of Gethsemane were Christ agonized in prayer the night before his crucifixion and the Mount of olives in the Temple Mount and all of those things. It's amazing to visit those places.

But when you go to the garden tomb and you you go in there and there is the sign on the wall.

He is not here, not in the grave. He is risen as he said it is that the single most moving experience of my life and you will never be the same. I bought a book when I was over there of Gordon's Calvary Gen. Gordon that had excavated that area and.there's there's a very compelling case that the garden tomb. There is that the empty tomb.

I know that the church of the holy sepulcher, which is very much in the news is also some say they believe that's the place where Christ was crucified. And there's no question about exactly what were the boundaries of the ancient city at that point but but what we know is this.

He is alive. He rose from the dead, and he appeared to his disciples were going to talk about some of the resurrection appearances, but out for a few moments, let's hone in on what the women found that first Easter morning because not Dylan. All four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John written report that that first Easter morning and the women at the tomb, giving conclusive proof of Christ's resurrection and if you look at the four Gospels. It's interesting that in a culture where women were often not considered as equals with men that Jesus first appeared to limit the gospel talk about Mary Magdalene.

In some cases other cases, the time that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. They see in Matthew 28. You also see Mary mention is the mother of James and Siloam and so you see, the women are the first to see Jesus and they are the ones to go and tell the others. So even in that aspect is significant that Jesus first appeared to the women and they were the ones who brought the message to the disciples and then to others, you know, Lee Strobel, who is a friend and he is spoken for so many of our true for new generation conferences and not Strobel was a skeptic for many years, even as an adult, he was an atheist, but with his law degree from Yale University. He took a lot of his legal training to an examination of Christianity, and he came away a fervent believer and for more than 20 years has been a defender of the faith, but Dylan, one of the things that he felt very compelling was the fact that the women are the ones who reported the empty tomb that you know as you said in that day in the first century female testimony was not admissible in a court case and yet the fact that women report that empty tomb and the other disciples.

Peter runs and finds the empty tomb, and then you know news of Christ's resurrection spread this actually it adds credibility to the Gospels because if they were making this up. If if this were just a human contrivance, the idea that the men are away probably hiding out for fear.

The women go to the tomb and find it empty. This unique principle of unexpected testimony adds credibility to the Gospels to come back to talk about crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The appearances and then what that means for us appreciate being with us here are special Easter tradition of truth new generation will be right back cyclic first Peter 315 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have were instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarlane for the life answers teams students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina. The life answers. Teams are made up of students who will inspire and equip your congregation.

These apologetics teams. We train speaking churches to youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times. From a biblical perspective like is there a God is the Bible true. What about gender and moral issues. Call me at 864977 2008 and we will arrange for the life answers team to come to your church and give a presentation that will benefit your people for years to come. 864-977-2000 eight and always be ready for centuries the Bible has inspired humanity and shape the very world we live but how do we know this book is the word of God, not merely the words of man, what we believe about the Bible is based on what we believe about source. The God who speaks explores the evidence of the Bible's inspiration and authority to some of the world's most respected biblical scholars have essentially a geolocation source. True to say that Paul wrote Romans is equally true to say that God's decision. We saw this and that sets the Bible apart from everything else in the ancient world and its religious pantheon of gods and goddesses.

The God who speaks is a feature-length documentary from the American family Association available now with the God who speaks.all the AW toes are great Christian reviewers certainly understand and acknowledge that the resurrection was Maureen's crown on the life of Christ, his ministry, his miracles, his sufferings all crowned with the greatest proof of his deity, the resurrection, welcome back, Alex McFarlane here with Dylan Burroughs, truth for a new generation radio.

I do want to thank everybody who recently came for the truth for new and conference people from 19 states to hear great speakers like Josh McDowell and Todd Starnes and Jay Warner Wallace. We are planning two more for the year 2018. And so if you want to keep up with what were doing truth for a new generation.com and then my own travel schedule, which is getting more more full@mywebsitealexmcfarlane.com but you know Dylan no matter where we go.

The message of the resurrection in Christ who is the hope of all people. Christ is the hope of this nation and let me just say this, it's interesting. Matthew Mark Luke and John. There are 89 chapters in the four Gospels. The first four books of the New Testament are really four biographies of Jesus and only four chapters.

Think about this for chapters describe the first 30 years of Christ's life.

17 chapters describe the last nine or 10 days of his life here on earth.

So think about this. There are four times more gospel chapters about the week of of the trials and crucifixion resurrection then even the.

The first 30 years of of his life and obviously the bulk of the Gospels describe the three year ministry of the Lord here as he proved his deity paid for our sins and rose from the grave.

But it's interesting. 10 chapters a tell of the last day of Jesus's life on earth about the way, let me just throw this out there because I know that we get this question a lot about what day of the week Christ was crucified on was it a Wednesday or Friday. I believe it was a Friday crucifixion because Mark 1542 says it was the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbath being Saturday. It by definition that would've had to of been a Friday and I know Dylan.

We had questions about three days and three nights. You know I Dr. Barry Leventhal from Southern Evangelical seminary. A Jewish man. Dallas seminary educated. I've actually had him lecture before on that the Jewish reckoning of time how they would count part of a day as all of the day and the Friday the Saturday the Sunday morning resurrection in the Jewish mindset would've constituted enough time, I didn't necessarily have to be a literal 72 hours to get how they would've seen three days and three nights, but a Friday crucifixion a Sunday morning empty tomb resurrection. Let's talk for a moment Dylan about those those first moments at the tomb and it's it's not hard to memorize folks. Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 2028, 16, 24, 20 that's how I remember it, but let's talk about five aspects the time of the morning. The people present the stone.

The angel and the angel's message because skeptics sometimes try to imply that there are contradictions in the resurrection accounts of that first Easter morning. I disagree. Dylan well that's true and you look at the four Gospels are not trying to give a robotic transcript of what happened that day there giving a particular point of view from an apostle are those associated with the apostles and for instance the time of the resurrection.

Matthew 28 says it was at dawn on the first day of the week and Matthew says it was early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise. Luke says the same thing in the junk is a little bit different aspect where he says while it was still dark and all. For these cases were talking about a sunrise appearance at the tomb or the empty tomb that they arrived at on Sunday morning right about sunrise.

So it's a difference in description exactly. And by the way, we the chart that we created for. This is in a couple of my books, one of which is 10 answers for skeptics. I interviewed 34 professed atheist and one of the things they said was that the resurrection accounts are quote hopelessly contradictory.

I think you can find that that's not at all a case like you said, the time you early early in the morning before dark. No contradiction who came to that empty tomb.

Matthew 28, says Mary Magdalene and the other Mary Mark says Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. Luke 24 says Mary Magdalene, Joanna Mary, the mother of James and the others. John 20 says Mary Magdalene. Let's look for a minute I Dylan at the Luke 24 out when it says Mary Magdalene, Joanna Mary, the mother of James and the others others implies a plurality notice when like John 20 says Mary Magdalene came to the gym. It doesn't say only Mary Magdalene. So the fact that one gospel writer mentions one person. Mark mentions three people. Matthew only mentions to him.

If that doesn't necessarily imply there couldn't have been other people came to the team either. Does your correct in all four Gospels emphasize Mary Magdalene as either the person or the first person in the list, but what's interesting is that Luke emphasizes three specific people by name and mentions others so he's giving more and more evidence than the others because he is a more detailed writer add in some of the other gospel writers. We know from observation and it's simply strengthens the case, it doesn't mean one's right and the others wrong. One gives more details on the other and that's how we have to look at it in terms of observing the people present the situation. Let's talk about the angel Matthew says the angel of the Lord Mark 16 says the young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side. Luke 24 says two men in gleaming clothes like lightning. John says to angels. Okay, let's talk about the, the, Luke 24 and John 20 which mentions to Angels and Mark 16 which says one but it doesn't say only one does it. I made the mark 16 just mentions one angel, but that does not necessarily exclude the possibility of certain Lainey see this in the Bible in another ancient literature where one report will emphasize one person and another reporter emphasized multitude of people are more than one person in this case. Some of the Gospels emphasize the angel who was there. Others emphasize the two angels will be back in just a moment talk more about this with the search report degeneration rate for new generation is here to equip Christians with the biblical worldview through conferences and camps and speaking about camps. Registration is now underway for the TNG summer youth, apologetics, happening July 22-26 at North Greenville University, South Carolina Alex McFarlane will be there along with Tony being the vice president for student services in Christian worldview. It NGU will engage your on topics like if God is so good why is the world so bad.

Understanding and applying what God's word says about gender and a whole lot more. 15 apologetic and worldview training sessions and all along with a field trip to the Billy Graham Center, and of course outdoor fun and games. And don't forget about food, great food, enough to fill up and keep going. Find out more about the 2018 TNG summer youth apologetics camp when you visit truth for a new generation.com. Our country is falling apart, political unrest, social upheaval, the breakdown of the family. The rise of atheism. The rise of Islam are religious freedoms are under attack. There's gender fluidity gender identity is making a mess of freedom of expression. So we need to put some skin in the game and love this nation. As Christians we are to stand strong.

There has to be some personal investment in the living out in the preservation of stand strong American is that you face help you become a champion champion for Christ in stand strong American Jason Jimenez and I lay out the facts about our nation. The current condition and how you yes you, your family, community can be involved in keeping this great Republic stand on America as a guide for encouraging wherever Christian is saying he will in fact generation radio about some of the things that happen on the morning that she is talked about. Four Gospels in hell he talked slightly differently, but about the same information regarding the angel in the stone and the people present in the time of the actual resurrection, which took place early on Sunday morning. Lastly we want to talk about the Angels messages well because each of the four Gospels mention it, but these slightly different words and Alex. Why is this significant what is the significance perhaps of the slightly different message that we see regarding angels message to Mary Magdalene and the women at the time of the resurrection will you know a lot of people that have had legal training likely Strobel or Jay Warner Wallace, who speaks at the truth for new generation conferences. Wallace was a Los Angeles California homicide detective for 30 years and in his book forensic faith where he talks about he used his legal training in determining does God exist in is Christianity true the. The differing details.

Again, not contradictory details.

I made a contradiction or two opposite statements, both of which can be true at the same time, like if one gospel said Jesus rose from the dead and another gospel said Jesus did not rise from the dead. Those are incompatible. Belief the word out here and award is antinomy an antenna musts situation when you've got claims that might appear incompatible, but upon further examination, you find that they are compatible. People with legal training that have become believers and have looked at the resurrection accounts of said look, these details are complementary but not contradictory. The message of the Angels Matthew 28 Jesus is not here he is risen. Come see the place where he lay by the weather. The first evidential apologetic. Matthew 20 8527, see the place where he like the empty tomb is pointed to as an evidence of his resurrection, Mark 16, which is really almost identical to Matthew 28. Don't be afraid you're looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is risen, he is not here see the place where they laid him. Luke 24. One of the Angels says why are you looking for the living among the dead. That was you not going to find Jesus in this cemetery.

He is risen as he said don't you remember. He said the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful man be crucified and raised again the third day and then in John 21 of the Angels asks woman, why are you crying so when you get the the entire message.

Don't be sad. Don't look for Jesus among the tombstones.

He's risen as he said I mean, Dylan, and I've spent the better part of two decades studying this. There is no contradiction there is there's no necessary contradiction. You know there's a lot of ways that we could hypothetically make it appear contradictory, but the bottom line. That grave was empty as Christ had promised it would be the skeptics. He tried to oppose Christianity and try to point out contradictions in the Scriptures. This is not the area to do so.

There are other areas where it might be more difficult to reconcile Scripture, but this one is pretty clearly when you look at the Angels message you to have four different versions, emphasizing different aspects but they're all emphasizing the empty team. He is not here he is risen now for a moment I want to expand the way that you think about the resurrection of Jesus. If you're not familiar with the New Testament. I would urge you to look at first Corinthians 15 in first Corinthians 15 is a chapter where the apostle Paul talks about all of those who saw the risen Jesus says he appeared over a period of 40 days, but in first Corinthians 15 and mentions he appeared to Cephas who was Peter the apostle and then to the 12 verse six as he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep when he appeared to James, to all the apostles and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Now when you look at this Paul is writing a letter about 20 years after the events and he saying that over 500 people saw Jesus alive again and that most of those people are still alive. This is speaking with credibility and authority that is far beyond what any opponent could have opposed to exactly. I mean we've got Mary Magdalene in the garden. The women returning from the tomb to disciples on the Emmaus Road church history says its clear purpose and his wife. He appears to Peter to the apostles in the upper room to the 11 in the upper room to the apostles by the Sea of Galilee.

That's John 21, one, two, 24, which is really the first men's breakfast in church history in a way but saw the 11 disciples and 500 believers on Mount Tabor.

As you mentioned enforcement means 15 six Jesus appeared to James, his half-brother in Jerusalem and then Luke 24 5353 and then we read also in acts when Jesus appeared on the Mount of olives and ascended to heaven not now think about this till in some of the greatest days in history. Maybe the top five greatest days in world history, the birth of Jesus the crucifixion of Jesus where he said it is finish paid in full, the resurrection of Jesus, then the ascension of Jesus back to heaven. But the greatest day. The number one greatest day in history will have to be the day that Christ returns and remember in the resurrection accounts like Matthew 28 he is risen as he said Dylan just as Jesus promised to rise and he did just as Jesus promised that whoever calls on his name can be saved and and they can.

He is going to come back. Jesus Christ has a 100% track record of keeping his promises destiny.

He certainly does in many of observed the fulfilled prophecies of the first coming of Jesus and have shown that several hundred came true during his first time on the earth and said that that's approximately half of the prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah, which leaves about half of those yet to be fulfilled at the second coming of Jesus Christ. And it's important for us as people now to be ready for that. Personally, but also that we are to be sharing our faith with others that what our conference was about entry for a new generation to save a nation is not a message we keep inside thank you for being with the surgery for new generation radio and celebrating the resurrection with the stick with the care more about truth for a new association with Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries exists to equip Christians with the biblical worldview through conferences and camps for information about upcoming events visit for a new generation.com or give us a call at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries PO Box 485, Pleasant Garden, NC 27313 that's PO Box 485, Pleasant Garden Carolina 71 will give online@alexmcfarland.com generation.com.

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