Apologetics module 8
According to the four Gospels, who initially found the tomb of Jesus empty?
Several women
Regarding the apostles, Polycarp, writing within 80 years of Jesus' resurrection, said, "For they did not love the present age, but him who died for our benefit and for our sake was raised by God."
died raised
Jesus' disciples believed that he rose from the dead and appeared to them.
disciples rose dead appeared
According to Matthew 28:11-15, what lie did the enemies of Jesus (the Jews) initially spread in order to explain the empty tomb?
the disciple stole his body
According to Romans 10:9-10, what does a person have to do in order to be "saved"?
Confess Jesus as Lord Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead
When Pontius Pilate addressed the crowd in Jerusalem and asked them what he should do with Jesus, what did they say?
Crucify him
According to Acts 9:1-19, where was Saul (Paul) headed when the resurrected Jesus appeared to him? What was he going to do there?
Damascus; arrest Christians
What command did Jesus give his followers prior to his ascension to heaven?
"Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
Match the verses on the left with the correct references on the right. (Reminder: All verses are taken from the ESV; make sure you read each carefully.)
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.'"(Mark 6:3-4) "And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, 'He is out of his mind.'" (Mark 3:21) "After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, 'Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.' For not even his brothers believed in him." (John 7:1-5) "'Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?' And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.'"( Matthew 12:55-57)
What did Jesus say to the disciples when he appeared to them after his resurrection and they thought he was a spirit?
"See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see."
When the crowds demanded that Pontius Pilate crucify Jesus, what did Pilate initially say?
"Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him."
According to Matthew's account of Jesus' crucifixion, what charge was written above Jesus' head while he was hanging on the cross?
"This is Jesus king of the Jews"
What did the Roman centurion (chief officer) say at the moment Jesus died?
"Truly this man was the Son of God"
What did the two angels say to the women when they went to Jesus' empty tomb three days after his crucifixion?
"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
According to Luke's account of Jesus' crucifixion, Jesus made a statement to one of the criminals, who was hanging on the cross beside him, that changed his (the criminal's) eternal destination. What was this statement?
"today you will be with me in paradise"
After his conversion, how long did Saul (Paul) go without his eyesight?
3 days
What percentage of scholars who have studied the life of Jesus believe the empty tomb to be a historical fact.
75%
Who did Jesus send to restore Saul's (Paul's) eyesight?
Ananias
What was the name of the prisoner who was released in place of Jesus
Barrabas
Why is it significant that the enemies of Jesus affirmed the tomb to be empty three days after the crucifixion?
Because potential bias does not exist (when your enemy says something nice about you, it carries more weight).
If Jews and Romans had a low view of women during the first-century, and women typically weren't viewed as credible sources, why would the Gospel writers say that a group of women found the tomb of Jesus empty?
Because women actually found the tomb empty; they are telling the truth
According to Romans 10:9-10, what are the two requirements for salvation?
Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Confess Jesus as Lord.
According to John's account of Jesus' crucifixion, what is the last thing Jesus said before he died?
It is finished
According to Mark's account of Jesus' crucifixion, what did the Roman soldiers do after they crucified Jesus? (Note: This was a fulfillment of the Psalm 22:18 prophecy).
Divided his garments amongst them selves
What does James 2:19 say?
Even the demons believe in God
What if it can be proven that Jesus didn't rise from the dead? (Hint: Choose four answers)
Everything God said and did is a lie christianity is false We shouldn't pay attention to anything Jesus said. Jesus is a fraud.
According to 1 Corinthians 15:14-17, if Christ has not been raised from the dead...
Faith in Jesus is vain preaching about christ is in vain God is misrepresented Christians are still in there sins
What was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified?
Golgotha
What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord? (Hint: Choose four answers)
He has absolute authority over sin and Satan. He has absolute authority over all people. He has absolute authority over life and death. He has absolute authority over all things
How did Paul die?
He was martyred in Rome by being beheaded.
According to Matthew, what lie did the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem fabricate in order to explain the empty tomb of Jesus?
His disciples stole his body during the night
in 250-300 words, answer the following questions: Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? If so, why? If not, why not? Why is the resurrection of Jesus so significant/important?
I certainly believe in the actual, literal, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. My church confessing together The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, which both promote our faith in Christ's resurrection. I believe that it is vital believe in the resurrection because Paul teaches that without it our faith is useless. If Christ was not raised, we would have no hope. Only He has the words of eternal life and proved that His words are true by his own resurrection on the Third Day. The resurrection is very significant because what I just wrote and because it shows the amazing power of God in perform miracles and to make all things new at the book of Revelation talks about. The resurrection proves that Jesus must have died, as we know from the Gospels on the historical cross. The resurrection proves that Jesus in now alive and demonstrates the importance of the ascension of Christ to heaven as well. Nothing is more vital in the Christian faith than the resurrection because it shows power and plan of God for our salvation.
In 250-300 words, answer the following questions: Name two pieces of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus that you find most convincing. Why do you think these two pieces of evidence are more convincing than others? If someone asked you why they should believe in the resurrection, what would you say?
I was very impressed with the idea that the first people to hear about the resurrection were women because a woman's testimony at that time in history was not often believed or held to be creditable in court. This means that this resurrection account is not built on a lie because this embarrassing details would not be included in it. I also am impressed with the fact that no one ever produced the body of Christ. His enemies said the soldiers were sleeping, but how would be know who allegedly stole the body if they were sleeping. The enemies of Christianity would have produced the body if they could have, but obviously they couldn't. These are very impressive to me because I do not know how you can effectively argue against them as they speak for themselves. If someone asked me why I believe in the resurrection, I would give them the answer of hope just like Peter in 1 Peter 3:15 does. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life to give us hope in our own future resurrection (John 6:68). If Jesus was not raised, then we will not be raised, but the fact that Jesus resurrection makes so much sense as a historical event, it gives us hope that He will someday resurrect us as well who believe in His gospel.
Which world religion came up with the theory that Jesus didn't even die on the cross?
Islam
What was James like prior to his conversion (before the resurrection)?
James did not believe that Jesus was the son of God James was a Jew that strickly followed the jewish law
What was James like after his conversion (after the resurrection)?
James suffered and eventually was martyred for his faith in Jesus James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem.
What is the Swoon Theory?
Jesus only appeared to have died on the cross; he regained conciousness while in the tomb and rolled the stone away.
Whose tomb was Jesus buried in?
Joseph of Arimathea
Which one of Jesus' disciples betrayed him with a kiss?
Judas
According to Matthew, who found Jesus' tomb empty three days after his crucifixion?
Mary Magdalen and the other mary
According to Mark, who found the tomb of Jesus empty on the third day after his crucifixion? (choose three people from the list below)
Mary the mother of James Mary Magdalene Salome
According to tradition, the disciples were martyred for their belief in the risen Christ (Note: Martyrdom is not a confirmation of truth , but rather a confirmation of what an individual believed to be true).
Maryred truth believed
According to John, who assisted Joseph of Arimathea with the burial of Jesus?
Nicodemus
Virtually all scholars agree that the disciples made the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. Which three categories is this fact evidenced by?
Oral traditions (creeds) Paul's writings about the disciples Writings from early church leaders
According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, how many people saw the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes?
Over 500
Which one of Jesus' disciples denied him three times prior to his death?
Peter
According to Mark's account of Jesus' crucifixion, Jesus was crucified at Golgotha. What does "Golgotha" mean?
Place of a skull
According to Josephus and Tacitus (1st and 2nd century non-Christian historians), who sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion? (Note: This is in complete agreement with what the Bible says).
Pontius Pilate
What was the name of the governor who sentenced Jesus to crucifixion?
Pontius Pilot
If Jesus really was still in the grave, what could the Jews have done in order to shatter the hoax of Jesus' resurrection? (Note: They couldn't do this because Jesus was alive.)
Produce the body of jesus
According to Clement of Rome, Ignatius, and Polycarp, after the resurrection of Jesus the disciples were willing to suffer and die for spreading the gospel message.
Resurrection Disciples
According to John, after Mary Magdalene found the tomb of Jesus empty three days after his crucifixion, who did she immediately run to tell first?
Simon peter and the disciples whom jesus loved
According to Matthew, who carried Jesus' cross on the way to his crucifixion?
Simon, a man of cyrene
Prior to his conversion, Paul was a participant in the stoning of _______, Christianity's first martyr.
Stephen
What does it mean for a person to "confess Jesus as Lord"?
Submit to his absolute authority
Who came up with the theory that the disciples came by night and stole the body of Jesus from the tomb?
The Jewish chief priests and elders in Jerusalem
Clement of Rome, writing within 70 years of Jesus' resurrection, stated:
The disciples were assured of Jesus' resurrection and went forth preaching this good news with great joy.
What does Matthew 28:11-15 talk about?
The enemies of Jesus decide to tell the lie that the disciples stole his body from his tomb.
What is the Empty Tomb Theory?
The women who discovered the tomb went to the wrong tomb.
After Jesus' resurrection, which disciple made the following statement? "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
Thomas
What does it mean to submit to Jesus as Lord?
To consent to his direction over your life (allow him to determine everything about your life). To conform your life to the teachings of the Bible.
If the tomb wasn't empty, then the lives of the disciples wouldn't have been transformed.
Tomb disciples
Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus and have you confessed him as Lord? This is all it takes to become a Christian. If you have made this decision, please briefly describe the moment you did this. If you haven't made this decision, why not? In other words, what's holding you back? (Your total response should be at least 100 words.) If you have questions about what it means to become a Christian, or if you would like to begin following Jesus today, please contact your teacher; he/she would love to help you with this!
Yes, I do believe in the resurrection of Jesus and I have confessed him as Lord and savior. All of my life I have been a Christian, there has not been a moment in my life where I have not known Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. However, when I first vocally was when I got confirmed. On that day, I read aloud my confirmation verse which is, Romans 5:8," But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Ever since that day in times of hardship, I lead on that verse and it reminds me of the day of my confirmation.
What was James' relationship to Jesus?
brother
f the tomb wasn't empty, then no one would have believed the disciples when they claimed the tomb was . No scholar would deny that shortly after the time of Jesus' alleged resurrection, of people began following the life and teachings of Jesus .
empty thousands Jesus
Which of the Gospels record the claims that the disciples made about Jesus' resurrection?
every answer
What does the Talmud say about Jesus? (Note: This is in complete agreement with what the Bible says).
he was hanged on the eve of passover
According to John, what is the last thing that Jesus said on the cross before he died?
it is finished
What does John 10:17-18 say?
jesus has authority to lay his life down and to take it up again.
If Jesus rose from the dead, then he is Lord, which means he has absolute authority over..
life and death sin and satan all things all people
Prior to his conversion, Paul was a persecutor and murderer of Christians; he was also a Pharisee who tried to destroy the early church
murder pharisee church
The conversion of Saul (Paul) was characterized by two things. What were these two things?
the risen Jesus appeared to him a bright light came down from heaven
In Acts 9:20-22, who did Paul proclaim Jesus to be?
the son of God
According to Matthew's account of Jesus' crucifixion, what were the crimes of the two men who were hanging on crosses beside Jesus?
theft
What if it can be proven that Jesus did rise from the dead? (Hint: Choose four answers)
verything Jesus said and did is validated. We have to pay attention to everything Jesus said. Christianity if true Jesus is lord