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So often the world looks at faith in Jesus as somehow being checked out intellectually but it’s quite the opposite.
Did you know that there is no historical, theological or scientific evidence against the life, death or resurrection of Jesus? Even non Christian scholars and historians, both of the time of occurrence or since have been able to disprove any of these things. There are theories, opinions and disinformation but no actual proof. Even atheist scholars admit that a man named Jesus lived, was crucified and died. They further have no explanation that dismisses the resurrection. No one can explain how the body of Jesus supposedly was taken by his followers, which is the common theory among non believers.
Consider this, Jesus was buried in a tomb carved into a hillside with a boulder rolled in front of the entrance and sealed. According to scholars most tombs of the type Jesus was laid in would have had at least a 2,000 pound rock that had to be moved in order to open the tomb which was also sealed. The seals of that time was historically made of a soft, moldable substance, probably clay, and in the case of Jesus’ tomb it was imprinted with the Roman imperial seal and attached to the stone with a rope. Breaking the seal was a death sentence if you did not have permission. Also according to historical texts there was a contingent of at least sixteen guards placed at the tomb.
How would it be possible for enough men to sneak past 16 soldiers and move a 2,000 pound boulder in order to steal a body sealed in a tomb? Statistics estimate that it would take a minimum of approximately 20 men to move that kind of weight. How did none of the soldiers witness anything? Further it is documented that the soldiers were paid by the Jewish priests to report that his followers stole the body.
Secondly, when Jesus was laid in the tomb He was wrapped in linen. This wrapping is now known as the Shroud of Turin which was left folded on the stone bench inside the tomb.
Scientists have done many forms of testing on this and have concluded that the only thing that could have burnt the blood stains into the cloth in such a manner.... is light. A light not from outside the cloth, but a blast of radiant light from within. The moment life was brought back into the lifeless body of Jesus Christ the Son of God, light that was from Heaven, a light that's brought forth life, without a doubt...it was a resurrection light. In Genesis we see this type of power infused light when God says, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.“
Genesis 1:3-5 NLT
Finally, there are over 500 eyewitness accounts of Jesus after His resurrection. These were not just conspiracy “sightings”. One of the strongest pieces of evidence, even to this day, is eyewitness testimony. People saw Jesus for forty days after His resurrection. He taught the foundation of redemption to His disciples and on the fortieth day He ascended into heaven.
There is so much more but let me ask this, considering all of this how do we not believe? Society tells us that dismissing all of this evidence and believing that it is false (though no one can prove it is) is considered being intellectually astute. What that really means is that people want to trust in their own theories without really considering the evidence. We are warned about this very perspective.
”Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.“
Proverbs 3:5 NLT
Also consider this, if the Bible isn’t true how is it possible that there is a total of 63,779 cross references. If one man wrote a book that articulate, he would be considered the greatest author the world has ever known. No author has ever existed that could write something, either fictional or fact, that is this complex.
Consider also that the Bible wasn't written by one man. It was written by 40 men, most of whom never met each other. It was written in 3 different languages , on three different continents and over a period of 1,500 years. Without divine inspiration that's absolutely impossible. The Bible isn't just a book. It's 66 books that men wrote under the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit. It's the living Word of God. Considering all of this, how can we not believe?