Emmanuel - Part 1 (December 19, 2007)

For the Christian this name is the focal point of our hope. If Christ never appeared as a man than Christianity is a farce. Paul says that the resurrection is our hope and that is the truth, but we can't get there until we can prove Jesus existed. There must be a life to deliver to death and resurrection. Most people have never spent 15 minutes of their lives researching this matter and yet all are authoritarians on this subject. Look how many blowhards there are on this Blog where it is obvious they are neophytes to spiritual truth much less real history. I want to take you down a little logical trek on this subject if you will indulge me a short moment. First I will tell you that this name is so essential to my strength that I don't think I could have survived this trial without this truth. It is why I want to share it with you in hope some of the strength rubs off. When I think about the circumstance before my eyes it can be overwhelming. Most of you don't understand the pressure I've been under. I have my best friend in peril, my wife and marriage in peril, and my reputation and work effort in peril. Though I could be right I still have a powerful enemy that is greater than I. I must look to the hope of God himself spanning time and the divide of death to reach to me. This miracle in itself breeds an unshakable hope. If that love is real enough for a physical and historical expression then it is something I can trust in. Death is more powerful than Alsup will ever be. Even he is subject to it and dwells in it. I have been loved if there was an incarnation but perhaps not fully until the resurrection. It's like this. There is an eternal job to do and showing up to put your hand to the plough is the beginning but the field must be worked and the harvest delivered to complete the task. It is love to appear but it is love's endures and truthfulness to finish. That is why the resurrection is essential. Let's look at the facts, shall we?

The first factual question of history is did Jesus live at all? This can be proved by non-Christian historians like Josephus, Phileo, and others. Next, was He crucified? Again these historians and Roman records verify this event. Was He considered dead? I intentionally didn't say he died because that question needs further examination. What His reporters in the gospels put down may not be historically accurate so we can not yet give them that sanction. Was He buried in a known accessible tomb? This we know because the Romans and the Jews knew where to find Him as well as the supplier of the tomb knew its location. He was preached - raised-empty tomb-ascension. An unusual story and not an easy fabrication to forward. Did the Jewish Leaders have a motive in this story? They most certainly did, not to have their religious beliefs altered in anyway and to keep their patrons and power intact. The Disciples were persecuted. Foxes book of martyrs and many other sources document this historical fact. The tomb was empty. The Romans soldiers problems and the Jewish Leader problems make it clear by their made up stories that the tomb they had knowledge of placing the body in was now empty. With these facts what options are available to our reason. This is to develop a historical certainty that is the best we have without being a first hand eyewitness.

Options: The Disciples stole the body. This is quite possible if they were attempting to protect a lie and to foster a new religion with themselves in power. Jewish Leaders stole the body. They might want to prevent others like the disciples from making the claim of resurrection so they could preemptively steal the body to make a show of it later, but that never happened. They made up stories that are not consistent with their theft. What benefit was the body to them when they were trying to squelch a spiritual uprising around the sanctity of this body? The Roman leaders stole the body. They likewise had the stories of the soldiers who were put to death as a direct conflict to their plan to steal the body. This man's body, death, and burial were a heated political subject with many conflicting interest. They gained nothing by enhancing the myth of this "Son of God" thing. The women went to the wrong tomb. This is a simple enough idea but one must remember that these women know the supplier of the tomb and would have been involved in the spectacle of His body being placed there. The very fact that they took the Sabbath off to return to prepare the body is evidence they had an idea of where to come back to otherwise they would have not expected to return to perform their task. Hallucinations - dreams. This is not a possibility because it is almost impossible for people to share hallucinations and dreams. Further because of the huge cross section of parties and motives the stories would not coincide on detail. Further the women told others who came to the tomb and found the burial cloth as they had said. The Roman soldiers lost their life over their hallucinations not a standard practice. Jesus revived. This is the hope of the Holy Blood Holy Grail story. He was considered dead by many different soldiers in fact one did not break his legs a very long custom because he was dead already. Everyone was wailing at his death and preparing him with the spices of death. The tomb was sealed and not accessible. Crucifixion was not normally survived. If he was revived their would have been attendance to his wounds and notification to parties either to sequester him away from his enemies or to have him brought again before them. The actions of all show a death, a real death. Disciples lied. This is probably the first real option. An examination of them must be had to see if this option has any merit. Lastly the Disciples told the truth. This also is a real option but their lives must be examined to ferret this out.