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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you,
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age"
(Matt. 28:19,20).
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September 13, 2015
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Contents:
1) Another Assault on Christian Faith: The Lost Tomb of Jesus
Asserts That He Wasn't Resurrected (Randy Blackaby)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
Another Assault on Christian Faith:
The Lost Tomb of Jesus Asserts That He Wasn't Resurrected
by Randy Blackaby
Just as Dan Brown's book and movie, The DaVinci Code, lost
steam, Oscar-winning director James Cameron (of Titanic fame)
released his new film, The Lost Tomb of Jesus. The film
alleges the discovery of a tomb containing the remains of Jesus,
Mary Magdalene, and their supposed son, Judah. If true, this would
mean that Jesus didn't die on the cross, wasn't raised in three
days, and didn't ascend back to heaven about 40 days thereafter. So,
again, the public is left to decide which is a hoax--the Bible and
Jesus; or the film, research, and statistics behind it.
The documentary-style film is based on the 1980 discovery of a
Jerusalem tomb that contained ten small caskets (ossuaries) of
bones. According to the film, one bears the name Judah, son of
Jesus. Another bears the name Mariamene, which the researchers and
producers are concluding refers to Mary Magdalene. Others read
Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Matthew, and Jofa.
DNA evidence purportedly shows that the bones of Jesua and Mariamene
were the bones of unrelated people. Since most such tombs are family
sepulchers, the door opens to the assumption that they may have been
married and that Judah may have been their child. The inscriptions
and ossuaries are said to be from the first-century Herodian period.
The names discovered in this tomb are very common for the period,
with the name Mary believed to have been used by 25 percent or more
of women in that day. But the researchers and film producers base
their conclusions on statistics, arguing the odds are 600 to 1 in
favor of the tomb belonging to Jesus' family. The statistical
approach is based on the odds of that many names from the Bible
record being found in one tomb.
The film was released just before Easter, when many around the world
were celebrating Jesus' resurrection.
More of the Same
Efforts to undermine the resurrection's credibility are as old as
the event itself. Opponents of Christianity know the resurrection is
the central fact of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:17). Virtually all
the early gospel sermons recorded in the Book of Acts speak of it,
and the epistles demonstrate that Jesus' victory over death opens
the door for believers to do the same. Christian baptism is
patterned on the resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).
Announcements preceding and following His birth proclaimed Jesus to
be a coming king (Matthew 2:1-2; Luke 1:31-33). He entered Jerusalem
as a triumphal king (Matthew 21) and confessed to Pontius Pilate
that He was king of the Jews (Matthew 27:11; Luke 23:3). If He died,
was buried, and never rose, He would, at best, be a dead king, not
the one the Bible says sits today at God's right hand, ruling and
reigning over His kingdom (Acts 7:55; Ephesians 1:20- 22; Hebrews
2:7-8).
The Bible reports that the chief priests and elders bribed the Roman
guards, who weren't able to keep the sealed tomb secure enough to
prevent the resurrection, to say Jesus' disciples stole His body
(Matthew 28:11-15). However, no one has produced any real evidence
that His body remains on earth.
Evidence for the Resurrection
Evidence for Jesus' resurrection is similar to the evidence that
George Washington lived and was the first president of the United
States. In both cases, we have eye-witness testimony. History books
tell us about George Washington. People who lived contemporary with
him recorded what they saw. We weren't there; yet we believe the
witnesses.
The apostle Paul summarized similar evidence for the resurrection in
1 Corinthians 15:3-8: "For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by
Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five
hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the
present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by
James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me
also, as by one born out of due time."
Did all these witnesses lie? Most of those apostles, and many of the
early Christians, died rather than recant their testimony about
Christ and His resurrection. Are people usually willing to suffer
loss of their property, rights, liberty, and lives to defend a lie?
No; they really believed what they declared, and suffered
persecution rather than give up their own hope of being resurrected.
The empty tomb is another issue. No one, including Jesus' enemies,
denied the empty tomb, the rolled-away stone, or the broken seal.
They sought alternate explanations, but they didn't deny the tomb
was empty. Consider the animosity toward Jesus, the knowledge of His
own resurrection predictions, and the care taken to seal and guard
the tomb. Don't you think Christianity's first-century opponents
would have produced Jesus' body when the disciples began proclaiming
His resurrection--if they could?
Holes in the New Tomb Story
One of the most obvious problems with the latest Jesus-family-tomb
theory is the tombs location in Jerusalem. Although Jesus was born
in Bethlehem, not a great distance from Jerusalem, his home town was
Nazareth, way up north in Galilee. He was called Jesus of Nazareth.
If His family had a family tomb, it would likely have been around
Nazareth, not Jerusalem. The Bible account has Jesus buried in the
borrowed tomb of a rich Jewish ruler named Joseph of Arimathea
(Matthew 27:57- 60; Luke 23:50-53; Luke 15:42-43; John 19:38-42).
Clearly, it wasn't the family tomb of the poor carpenter's son from
Nazareth.
We need to view this new theory and its evidence in juxtaposition to
the evidence present at the time of Jesus' death and resurrection.
Anti-Christian forces in Judaism and the Roman government would have
had as intense an interest in undermining the idea of the
resurrection then as atheistic and secular forces do today. And if
there had been evidence to contradict the resurrection, those
first-century opponents would have produced it. But they couldn't.
The events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection weren't
secret or hidden in the first century. Paul, speaking to King
Agrippa and Governor Festus, said that Jesus' death and resurrection
was "not done in a corner." In other words, the facts were widely
known, not hidden from public view.
And don't forget that the apostle Paul was actually Saul of Tarsus,
who vociferously opposed Jesus, hunted down Christians for trial and
death, and tried to stamp out the new faith which was based on the
resurrection. But when this enemy of Christian faith himself saw the
risen Jesus, he changed and became the great gospel preacher to the
Gentiles.
*****
Brother Blackaby has provided a discussion of another example of the
world's attempt to discredit and disprove the Bible's truth and
accuracy. Satan never tires of inventing schemes to destroy the
faith of God's children. In the past few years, men have
relentlessly produced so-called new discoveries that question the
Bible's truthfulness. Yet, the Bible remains on solid footing as
God's inspired book that continues to change sinners' hearts. Praise
be to God! (Keith M. Greer)
-- Via The Monthly Messenger (from the Knollwood church of Christ,
Beavercreek, Ohio), May 2007
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-2-
News & Notes
It is good to have Doug and Marie Pennock back with us,
after their having been up north for several weeks!
Let those of us who are God's children be remembering the following
in prayer:
Baxter and Mary Cribbs' son in Kentucky is sick with a kidney
stone, but he must remain on antibiotics for several more days to
eliminate an infection before more can be done for the stone.
Rebekah Hampton has been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic
Tachycardia Syndrome.
Misty Thornton had been back in the hospital recently, due to
heart trouble, but is now back home.
Deborah Medlock has been having some trouble with her neck
and shoulder.
Also: Rex Hadley (bypass blockage and possible stone), Dexter
Roberts (cancer in lymph nodes and several places), Steve
Vesta (critically ill), Shirley Davis (healing from a leg
procedure to remove blockages), Pat Joyner (healing from
breast cancer surgery), Eleanor Roberts (Alzheimers'), Henry
Roberts (pain in back and feet), Brittany Royals
(recovering well from surgery for broken hip), Judy Daugherty
(has been making some improvement, but still undergoing therapy
three times a week), Danielle Howard (has trouble at times
with her blood pressure and heart rate), Mary Vandevander
and Sue Wooten (shut-ins), Dolly Moody
(fractured bone), Benny Medlock (mild stroke), Sunny
Nichols (Parkinson Disease), Jean Beach
(gastrointestinal problems), Michelle Rittenhouse (PVCs) Raylee
Metts and Lexi Crawford (cancer), Anthony Monroe, Jr.
(hearing problem), Betty Miles (stroke), Don Hill
(cancer), Buddy Gornto, Colleen Henson, Donell Wells,
and Kelsey Williams
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes
(Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24;
John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts
8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the
remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal.
3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21)
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not, salvation
can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
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(worship)
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evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
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https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
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