QUE:Did the resurrection really happen?

                          SECTION 1
 
 In  considering  the  matter of the Resurrection  of  Jesus 
 Christ,  it is important to show that each and every one of 
 the  present "theories" claiming that it did not happen  is 
 delt with,  in turn. Therefore, it is on this basis that we 
 will show by the elimination of any other possibility, that 
 the  Resurrection  not  only occured  but  that  all  known 
 arguments  against it are unfounded and can be rejected  as 
 invalid.
 
 Any   explanation  of  the  resurrection  MUST  take   into
 consideration the following features:
 
 1.  It  must  incorporate all known facts  surrounding  the 
     resurrection event.
 
 2.  We  cannot  "whittle" the evidence into  a  presupposed 
     mold.  We  must  evaluate  the evidence  or  events  in 
     context  and  within reason of logic - or  - "could  it
     have happened that way?"
 
 In this vein,  there are to major considerations - CHRIST'S 
TOMB WAS EITHER (1) OCCUPIED OR IT WAS (2) EMPTY.
 
                I. CHRIST'S TOMB WAS OCCUPIED
 
                       A. Unknown Tomb

      This  theory was based,  primarily,  on the historical 
 documentation  that indicated that crucified  victims  were 
 cast  over  a particular wall in Jerusalem and burned in  a 
 trash pit.  This theory was difficult to refute -other than
 the  Gospels  - until 1968 when the grave  of  a  crucified 
 victim  was  located  in  a family  tomb  just  outside  of 
 Jerusalem (Yohanan ben Ha'galgal). The other major failings 
 of  this is (1) even if the disciples and the women did not 
 know  where the grave,  Joseph of Arimathea  DID;  (2)  the
 Roman  Guard knew where it was and (3) the women sat at the
 entombment and dressing of the body.

                        B. Wrong Tomb

      This theory is a variation on the Unknown tomb  theory
 in  that  the  women  went to the  wrong  tomb.  The  major 
 proponent  of  this  heresy  is  one  Professor  Lake.   He 
 concludes  that the "gardener" told the women,  "He is  not 
here,  but see the place where they laid Him." The complete 
 text  of what was said is recorded in the Gospel as "He  is 
 not here,  for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the 
 place where He was lying.".  Matthew clearly shows in 27:61 
 (Mark  in  15:47  and Luke in 23:55)  that  the  women  had 
 clearly  noted the location of the tomb less than 72  hours 
 before.  The professor notes that this explanation provides 
 a  natural  explanation  for  the rock  not  being  at  the 
 opening.  The  professor picks and chooses his information, 
 but the parts that he ignores clearly refutes his position. 
 An  additional thought is not as clearly refuting  it,  but
 have  you buried a loved one and ever lost the location  of 
 that grave in your mind?

                     C. Legend   Fantasy

      This  theory  fails immediately when  we  read  Paul's
 comments  that there were over 500 eyewitnesses still alive
 to prove the resurrection.  History proves the writings  of
 the  Gospels and the accounts of the resurrection to be  no
 later  than  56 A.D.  The writings were directed to  people
 that could have,  easily,  gone to the grave themselves and
 verified  if  the grave was empty.  The FACT  is  that  the
accounts were NOT written many years later.

               D. Spiritual Resurrection Only

      In Luke 24:39,  Jesus Christ, himself, demolishes this
 theory.  Let's look at that verse. ******** READ ********** 
 Later on,  Jesus even eats some fish. this, again, proves a 
 body.  Matthew tells how they grabbed the feet of Jesus.  I 
 do not believe that you can grab the feet of a spirit! This 
 is a major precept of the Jehovah Witnesses.

                      E. Hallucinations

      DEFINED:  "wandering of the mind, idle talk, etc." but
 the American Psychiatric Association defines it as "a false
 sensory  perception  in the absence of an  actual  external
 stimulus."  ad  elsewhere  it is defined  as  "an  apparent
 perception  of  an external object when no such  object  is
 present".   It   is   also  recognized  by   science   that
 hallucinations  occur only in certain people and are linked 
 to  the person's personal experiences.  The fact that  many 
 diverse  people  saw  Jesus and all  concurred  with  their 
versions  of that sighting negates this theory  completely. 
 An hallucination does not sit down with you,  eat with you, 
 allow certain persons to examine the wounds,  or talk  with 
 certain  individuals of a group.  Hallucinations are highly 
 subjective  and  no  two people have  ever  been  found  to 
 experience the same hallucination - how then can 500 people 
 do so?!  Hallucinations recorded are within a specific time 
 frame  and under favorable conditions - usually the  person 
 having  the  hallucination  had been concentrating  on  the
 object  or desiring the object prior to the  hallucination. 
 These  conditions  are  absent  in  the  resurrection.   No 
 expectancy,  fifteen different appearances,  many different 
 people,   500   at   one  time  to  one  or   two   people. 
 Hallucinations  usually occur with regularity and  this  is 
 not the case here. When the day of Pentecost came, no other 
 reports  or  stories  occured as to having seen  the  risen 
 Lord!
 
 I  wish to point out that NONE of the above  theories  uses 
 the  two "rules" of evidence spoken of at the beginning  of 
 this session.
 
 If  the  tomb  were EMPTY,  then there are  two  additional 
 possibilities.  These are (1) it was by NATURAL causes  and 
(2) it was due to SUPERNATURAL causes.
 

     II. CHRIST'S TOMB WAS EMPTY DUE TO NATURAL REASONS

                   A. Stolen by Disciples

      This  theory is the most common (especially in  Jewish
 communities) possibility expressed.  In fact,  Matthew even
 records this theory,  but did not take time to refute it as
 it  was so false that he didn't feel the need to refute it.
 It is recorded that the Roman guard went to the high priest
 and  were bribed to tell the stolen body story.  This  also
 refute the idea that it was Temple Guards that guarded  the
 tomb  - the high priest would not have needed to bribe  his
 own guards. (Matthew 28:11-15)

      Let's take the matter on logic. If the Roman guard had 
 fallen  asleep  how could they have known that it  was  the 
 disciples  that  took the body.  If you have  ever  watched 
 Perry  Mason,  you  could well imagine an attorney  getting 
 this testimony in court!

      The other factor is to look at the possibility of  the 
ENTIRE   guard unit falling asleep.  This SECURITY UNIT  of 
 the  Roman  army was the most devoted to duty  because  the 
 failure  to be on guard meant certain death if  discovered! 
 This  unit  was highly skilled in fighting and  would  have 
 made mincemeat of the disciples had they attempted to steal
 the  body.  (Also look to Matthew 26:56 where he  describes 
 the  courage  of the disciples "all the disciples left  him 
 and fled"!!

      The two ton boulder is another matter to contend with. 
 The  Greek shows that the stone was not just moved  to  the 
 side  but  actually picked up and moved away from the  tomb 
 area!  I  cannot picture anyone group of men being able  to 
 move such a force without making enough noise to "wake  the 
 dead"! This problem of the stone is really a "roadblock" to 
 any of the theories.

      The  final  feature of this theory is to consider  the
 very character of the disciples. History records that these
 men,  because  of  some unexplained  (secular  world  only) 
 reason,  became  men  of the highest and purest though  and 
 deeds.   Their   moral  character  and  honor  were   NEVER 
 questioned by anyone - even the very people who put them to 
 death.  The very idea that these men could conceive of such 
 a lie in direct conflict with what Jesus had taught and  to 
 continue  the lie EVEN TO THEIR OWN DEATHS is absurd.  This 
one  factor is not recorded any where else in  history.  No 
 other  person  has  had the testimony of men  such  as  the 
 Apostles who never recanted their faith or their  Lord.  If 
 this  had  been a lie,  these "ordinary" men did not  break 
 under  the most severe pressure.  I can only  believe  that 
 ONLY  a  face to face confrontation with the  Living  Jesus 
 could  have  given them the knowledge that a death on  this 
 Planet was only the door to be with the risen Lord!

      Finally,  if  the body had been stolen,  how  can  you 
 explain  the  manifestations  of  Christ to  the  many  eye 
 witnesses - including the 500?
