Good News from the Stony Creek Church of Christ

Is it reasonable to believe in a Resurrected Jesus?

Go anywhere in the world today and you’ll find people who have heard of Jesus. No matter how devoted the person may be to their particular religion, if they know anything about history, they will have heard about Jesus.

There has never been a man like Jesus of Nazareth. He is the most unique personality of all time. Jesus changed the direction of history. Even the date on your morning newspaper testifies to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth nearly 2,000 years ago. B.C. means “before Christ”; A.D. Anno Domini, “the year of our Lord.” No other person has influenced the history of the world as much as Jesus.

Christians maintain belief in a living Jesus who conquered death and ever lives. Is that a reasonable belief?

Jesus is the Risen, Living Savior

Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on a cross, buried in a borrowed grave, and three days later was raised from the dead; Christianity is unique in this regard. The founder of every other world religion died, was buried, and they stayed buried. Of all the great religious leaders of the world, only the tomb of Jesus was left empty as a result of them coming back to life, never to die again.

Any argument for the validity of Christianity depends on the proof of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. After examining the evidence for the resurrection given by the Gospel writers, the late Simon Greenleaf, an authority on legal issues at Harvard Law School, concluded, “It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact.”

Reasons for belief in the Resurrected Jesus

THE EMPTY GRAVE: The resurrection is the only plausible explanation for His empty grave. A careful reading of the biblical story shows that the grave where they laid the body of Jesus was closely guarded by Roman soldiers and sealed with an enormous boulder. If, as some have claimed, Jesus was not dead, but only weakened, the guards and the stone would have stopped his escape – or any rescue attempt by His followers. Jesus’ enemies would never have taken the body since His body missing from the grave would only serve to encourage belief in His resurrection.

PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS: The resurrection is the only explanation for the appearances of Jesus Christ to His disciples. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared at least ten times to those who had known Him and to as many as 500 people at one time. The Lord proved that these appearances were not hallucinations: He ate and talked with them and they touched Him. (see I John 1:1)

TRANSFORMED LIVES: The resurrection is the only logical explanation for the transformed lives of the disciples. They deserted Him before His resurrection; after His death they were discouraged and fearful. They did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead (Luke 24:1-11). Yet after His resurrection and their experience at Pentecost, these same discouraged, disappointed men and women were transformed by the mighty power of the risen Christ. In His name, they turned the world upside down. Many lost their lives for their faith; others were terribly persecuted. Their courageous behavior does not make sense apart from their conviction that Jesus Christ was truly raised from the dead – a fact worth dying for.

A LIVING LORD: Because of Jesus’ resurrection, His true followers do not merely observe the ethical code of a dead founder, but rather have a vital, personal relationship with the living Lord. Jesus Christ lives today and faithfully blesses and enriches the lives of all those who trust and obey Him. Throughout the centuries, multitudes have acknowledged the worthiness of Jesus Christ, including many who have greatly influenced the world.

Would you like to know more about Jesus Christ and how He can be your living Savior? As bold as it may sound, you can! Jesus is so eager to establish a personal, loving relationship with you that He has already made all the necessary arrangements. We would love to help you know this Jesus and begin a relationship with Him.

Visitors are welcome and valued. We meet at 15530 Herriman Blvd., Noblesville. Our phone number is (317) 219-5852. We meet for Sunday morning Bible Study at 10 a.m. and have classes for all ages. Worship begins at 11 a.m. and we have a Bible Study Wednesdays at 7 p.m. A warm welcome awaits!