RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, A MYTH OR REALITY? - an article by Pastor Bob Paulson!

Did the Resurrection of Jesus Really Happen? The truth may surprise you, this week as we celebrate Easter! This is the day that our Lord rose from the dead. But did Jesus Christ really die on the cross and then rise from the dead three days later? I mean when you think logically about it, how can it be true? Wasn't their a documentary a couple years ago that said they found the bones of Jesus Christ?

Well let's look at the facts behind this. One of the first theories that came about and it is often used by Muslims is that Jesus did not really die on the cross. Since this is the easiest one to prove, I think I will start here. Now if you are ever in a discussion with a Non Christian I always find it easier to start with the fact that their was a man named Jesus Christ (Again that is translated from the Greek). Historians agree that he was born and he was in fact crucified. So let us look at this theory that Jesus actually survived the crucification and that is the reason all these people saw Jesus walking around after the crucification. We have to remember that the Roman guards who were in charge of the crucifixion knew what they were doing. When someone is crucified, they die from asphyxiation, blood loss, hypovolemic shock, sepsis or even dehydration. Their is only one record of a person surviving crucification. The Emperor Titus had three people taken down off the cross and given medical treatment. Only one of them survived.

So we can take it as a fact that crucification was pretty good at killing people. Now because it was Passover, it was important for the Jews to have this finished by sundown. Again the guards in charge were very familiar and knew how to move things along. In order to stay alive a person being crucified would push up on his feet to breathe. Yes with a huge spike in your feet it was painful. So in order to move it along, the soldiers would simply break the legs on the person. This way they could not push up and they would suffocate quickly. This is exactly what happened to the men being crucified with Jesus. But they did not break Jesus's legs, why? Well the Guards saw that Jesus was not pushing up on his legs to breathe. So instead of exerting energy by picking up the heavy mallet and crushing his legs, they simply stabbed him with a spear.

Now the people who claim he didn't die often cite the fact that the Bible says water and blood came poured out and that dead people do not bleed. Well this is just wrong. Remember, he just died and you can ask any medical doctor that if a person died recently and is stabbed through the heart sac and lungs would blood come out? The answer is yes. Plus you have to remember that Jesus was beaten terribly before being crucified. If you ever watched the movie by Mel Gibson, even though it was not Biblically accurate it showed a pretty accurate portrayal of his scourging and flogging. Our Lord was beaten so badly that he could not even walk to the crucification site! OK lets just say that after Jesus was beaten to near death, had large spikes pounded into his wrist and feet (This alone would kill a person), hung on the cross for hours so weak that he could not even push up on his feet to breathe, then stabbed in the heart and lungs, he was taken down and was alive. What happened next? He was anointed for the burial. Than means between 50 and 100 pound of oils and spices were placed all over his body and he then was wrapped tightly with cloth. Their is no way he could have lived through that! He would have asphyxiated! Remember the only recorded survival of a crucification had immediate medical attention. Jesus was placed in a cold dark tomb and had armed guards on the outside. Their is no way he was alive through this.

Now the second theory is that Jesus did not resurrect at all. This is pretty easy to dismiss as well. Remember it was about 500 years from the time of Malachi to the time of Jesus. Their were prophets all over the place preaching. If Jesus did not come back from the dead, he would have simply been forgotten. But the Bible tells us that over 500 people saw him. That is the reason he was not forgotten. The second thing I bring up is a man named Paul who used to be called Saul. He was a highly educated Jewish scholar who hated and hunted down these Christians. The only way his mind could have possibly been changed is by Jesus Christ himself. And because of his transformation he became the biggest evangelist our world has ever seen. My friends, Jesus is real, he was born as a human, he was tortured and died and yes he absolutely rose again on the third day! Praise the Lord, our Christ has risen and whosoever believeth in Him shall have ever lasting life! May you have a blessed Easter.

Yours In Christ,
Pastor Bob Paulson

Fonder, Christian Living Ministry

7040 W Palmetto Park Rd #4-664

Boca Raton, FL 33433