HOAX OR HISTORY?

                                    

ACTS 17:29-34                                                                   

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE THE EVENT

1. Reported by Matthew - 27:60 Solid Rock Tomb, 27:60 Stone “Door”, 27:62-65 Roman Guard, 27:66 Roman Seal

2. Reported by Mark - 15:42-45 Jesus was Definitely Dead, 16:9-14 Disciples were Frightened

3. Reported by John - 19:38-40 Jewish burial Customs

II. THE FACTS AFTER THE EVENT

1. The Tomb was Empty [Lk. 24:1-3]

2. The Stone was Moved

-Lk. 24:2 apokulio, to roll away

-Mt. 28:2 “rolled back the stone from” apokulio- lithos; a primary particle; "off," i.e. away (from something near),

-Mk. 16:3-4 apokulio ek; a primary preposition denoting origin, from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal

-Jn. 20:1 airo; a primary root; to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; specially, to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor)

3. The Guard was AWOL [Mt. 28:4]

4. The Grave clothes were Folded [Jn. 20:3-9]

5. The Lord was Appearing [Acts 1:1-3, I Cor. 15:1-8]

III. THE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE EVENT

1. The Disciples Stole the Body [Mt. 28:11-15] not so- they fled while he was alive

2. The Unbelieving Jews Stole the Body - no reason to do so, they never produced a body nor did they deny it was missing

3. The Wrong Tomb - inconceivable that the disciples, the woman, the unbelievers, the Roman guard, the owner of the tomb, etc. would do so

4. The Swoon Theory - medically speaking-no! - the change in the disciples-unheard of unless He arose

5. The Resurrection [Jn. 20:24-31] - the only, true option

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: