Easter 2021
Review internal & external evidence
Reliability and trustworthy ness of the Bible
Today
Close look, fine details
A lot of unbelief is uninformed opinion, or wrongly informed opinions
Finer details
BEGIN FRIDAY
John 19 : ( MEDICAL )
But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced(AU) Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
Matthew 27 ( SAINTS RESURRECTED )
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple(BE) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split(BF) 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city(BG) and appeared to many people.
( HIGH PROFILE ACCESS – people and information )
— all 4 Gospels talk of JOSEPH of Arim.
John 19
38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.(BC) With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away
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Mark 16
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the motherof [a]James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?” 4 And looking up, they *noticed that the stone had been rolled away; [b]for it was extremely large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 But he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here isthe place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
9 [[[c]Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.
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STONE – UP AND AWAY
Mark 16:4 ( NASB )
4 And looking up, they *noticed that the stone had been rolled away; [b]for it was extremely large.
( The use of the perfect middle/passive participle (“had been moved away”) could suggest that the stone had been “thrown” some distance from the tomb, indicating a divine agency. ) https://www.olivetree.com/blog/sealing-tomb-jesus/
WOMEN FIRST GOOD NEWS TELLERS
Luke 24
24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared(B) and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.(C) 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning(D) stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:(E) 7 ‘The Son of Man(F) must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”(G) 8 Then they remembered his words.(H)
Luke 24 – DOUBTED the women…!!!
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them(I) who told this to the apostles.(J) 11 But they did not believe(K) the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
The ROMAN Guards at Tomb – report to chief Priests ( not their boss! )
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards(M) went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away(N) while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor,(O) we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
John 20 ( FOOT RACE & FOLDED LINEN )
So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other (D)disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “(E)They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.” 3 (F)So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; 5 and he (G)stooped to look in, and *saw the (H)linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in. 6 So Simon Peter also *came, following him, and he entered the tomb; and he *looked at the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and (I)the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the (J)linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who (K)had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed. 9 For (L)they did not yet understand the Scripture, (M)that He must rise from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again (N)to their own homes.
Conclusion
So much evidence in these accounts.
Goal today is less about evidence, more about looking close
– get familiar w/ small details
“La Belle Principessa “
– see the fingerprints
– marvel at what we are seeing! God’ s masterpiece.