Evidence for Christ and His Resurrection

“And if Christ has not been raised,

your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”

1 Corinthians 15:17

Is Christianity a matter of faith or fact? It is both. Christianity is a reasonable faith with many infallible proofs. I have had an intense curiosity about such things since I was young. I believed in my heart that it was true, but I also believed that there was substantial evidence just as the Creation testifies to the evidence of the Creator.

I developed an interest in apologetics and embarked on a journey to satisfy my curious mind from the time I was in Jr. High School and began reading books written by Fritz Ridenour on the topic of why we can believe that the Bible is true. As a Jr. in High School Ieven took on the task of writing a persuasive term paper entitled, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, History or Hearsay”. Some of my resources included Frank Morrison’s “Who Moved the Stone” and Josh McDowell’s “Evidence That Demands a Verdict”. Both of these men began their journeys as atheists and tried to disprove the credibility of the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus. They were not sucessful. Rather, what they did discover was plenty of evidence in historically, forensically, statistically, extra-Biblically, and legally that supports Christianity and a risen Christ. The process for me truly cemented my faith.

Some people say they don’t need the facts, they can “just believe”. God created humans with the ability to think critically. We integrate our beliefs into our lives. Belief is essential. Resting your belief on a solid foundation is fundamental.

Just because you believe a chair is there you do not sit on it. You sit on it, putting all of your weight into it because it is there. If you cannot see it you can still sit in faith, based on testimony and other evidences. That is reasonable. However, your belief can be validated by your own experience, even before you sit. That is also relevant. The knowledge you obtain later will only support your claim to faith, just as reputable archaeology, history, and testimony have never invalidated Christianity, rather confirmed it.

Knowledge without faith gets us nowhere, eternally speaking. Yet, sometimes we are stretched beyond belief. That’s faith. We can trust that our faith is valid and true, even when we do not feel like believing, because the truth stands on it’s own, that’s a reasonable faith worth believing.

Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” This belief demonstrates faith in action. You see, it’s our response to this truth, the evidence, that is the heart of the matter.

I invite you to explore the following links that have excellent articles that provide evidences in support of Christianity: the existence of Christ, his crucifixion, resurrection, and bodily ascension.

On to the evidence >>>

“In examining the evidence of the Christian religion, it is essential to the discovery of truth that we bring to the investigation a mind freed, as far as possible, from existing prejudice, and open to conviction.“

Testimony of the Evangelists by Simon Greenleaf

The Tomb of Jesus:

Empty Tomb FAQS

Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

Jordan & Petra

Ancient tombs in Jerusalem

Garden Tomb

Questions & Answers:

Was Jesus Christ buried in the wrong tomb? Or an unknown tomb?

How do we know Christ’s tomb was empty?

The Resurrection of Jesus – Questions & Answers

Was Jesus’ resurrection physical or just a resurrected spirit?

About the Resurrection:

The Resurection of Christ – the best proved fact in history

Proof of the Resurrection

Resurrection Of Christ – The Direct Evidence

The Historicity of the Empty Tomb of Jesus

Proofs for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

8 Reasons why I believe the resurrection

Biblical Reliability:

Evidence for reliability of the Bible

Are the Biblical Documents Reliable?

Manuscript Evidence for Bible Reliability

Archaelogical Evidence for Reliablilty of the Bible

Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

Why the Bible is the Word of God

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VIDEO: The Hope – answers to your questions

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~ I Serve a Risen Savior ~

I serve a risen Saviour; He is the world today,

I know that he is living, whatever men may say,

I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer;

And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

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“Some religions, both ancient and modern, require no historical basis, for they depend upon ideas rather than events. Christianity is not one of these.”

(A Short Life of Christ by E. F. Harrison, 1968)

~ by Carla Gade on March 10, 2007.