In this Shawn Ryan Show episode, Lee Strobel and John Burke examine the evidence for Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. They analyze early eyewitness accounts from the Gospels, exploring details corroborated by external sources and medical analysis. Burke and Strobel also discuss Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus' life, the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, and the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection for humanity.
Strobel and Burke highlight the implications of Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, from atonement and reconciliation with God to the promise of eternal life. They explain the centrality of a personal relationship with God as revealed through Jesus for spiritual transformation. The episode presents a Biblical perspective on the historical and theological context surrounding these pivotal Christian events.
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According to Lee Strobel and John Burke, details from the Gospels corroborated by medical analysis provide strong evidence of Jesus' crucifixion. The excruciating flogging, blood loss, and asphyxiation leading to His death align with eyewitness testimony. External sources like Josephus and the Talmud attest to His crucifixion as well.
An early Christian creed outlines reports that Jesus died, was buried, resurrected, and appeared to many, including once-skeptics like the apostle Paul and Jesus' brother James. The disciples' transformed lives and willingness to face persecution suggest genuine belief in witnessing the risen Christ.
Even Jesus' enemies acknowledged the empty tomb, claiming the disciples stole the body – an unlikely scenario given the disciples' suffering for insisting Jesus resurrected.
Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah, Micah, Daniel foretold details about the Messiah's birthplace, ministry, death, and resurrection – details fulfilled remarkably in Jesus' life according to Burke.
The Passover lamb sacrifice symbolized Jesus as the ultimate, sinless sacrifice to atone for sins, replacing the temple system which ceased after its destruction in 70 AD.
Burke argues Jesus fulfilled Old Testament laws and prophecies, not abolishing them. The New Testament presents Jesus as the embodiment of God's redemptive plan begun in the Old Testament.
Burke states Jesus' sacrifice took humanity's punishment, offering forgiveness and eternal life. His prayer for forgiveness highlighted this act of love bridging the gap with God.
The resurrection validated Jesus' claims of divinity according to Strobel. As the "first fruits," Jesus' resurrection body promises eternal life for believers.
Burke emphasizes Christianity centers on cultivating a daily, personal relationship with the loving God revealed through Jesus to experience spiritual transformation.
1-Page Summary
This discussion delves into the historical evidence supporting the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, highlighting eyewitness testimonies, ancient sources, and medical analysis that lend credence to these central events of Christian faith.
Evidence from both biblical texts and external sources combine to provide a compelling case for the historical reality of Jesus' crucifixion.
Lee Strobel discusses the excruciating details of Jesus' crucifixion, supported by medical evidence. He describes how Jesus likely suffered from hematidrosis, which is the phenomenon of sweating blood due to extreme stress. This condition would have made Jesus' skin extremely sensitive to the horrific flogging inflicted by Roman soldiers, using a whip embedded with sheep bone and lead. John Burke adds to this narrative by examining Old Testament prophecy, which he believes foreshadowed the suffering Messiah who would be pierced and whose heart would turn to wax.
Throughout Jesus' grueling ordeal, He experienced hypovolemic shock due to significant blood loss, which is supported by His inability to carry the cross and His intense thirst. Additionally, the act of crucifixion severely compromised His ability to breathe, eventually leading to asphyxiation and heart failure. When a Roman soldier stabbed Jesus in the side, the separate streams of water and blood, as reported in the Gospel of John, indicated a buildup of fluid around His heart and lungs – consistent with a pericardial effusion and confirming He was truly dead.
The historicity of Jesus' crucifixion is further supported by Strobel through first-century reports, written accounts from Jesus' contemporaries, and five external sources including Josephus, Tacitus, the Jewish Talmud, and others. He also references the Journal of the American Medical Association, which concludes Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted.
The authenticity of Jesus' resurrection is bolstered by early reports, transformed lives of followers, and unlikely converts confirming the event.
An early Christian creed, dated within a few months of Jesus' death, outlines that Jesus died for sins, was buried, was raised, and appeared to several eyewitnesses, as noted by historian James D.G. Dunn. Lee Strobel reinforces the significance of these early accounts, as they were circulated during the lifetimes of Jesus' contemporaries who could have refuted them if false.
Apostle Paul and James, the brother of Jesus, once skeptics themselves, underwent dramatic transformations after purportedly witnessing the resurrected Jesus. Paul, who was intent on persecuting Christians, changed course dramatically, becoming an apostle and confirming the eyewitness testimony of disciples like Peter and John.
The disciples' readiness to endure hardship and suffering is evinced through their actions and testimonies, ind ...
Evidence For Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
John Burke brings attention to Old Testament prophecies that point to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He focuses on Isaiah's predictions made 780 years before Jesus' birth and affirmed by the discovery of the complete copy of the book of Isaiah among the Dead Sea Scrolls, which matches the modern-day Bible. Isaiah's prophecies include details like the coming child, referred to as "Mighty God," revealing himself in Galilee's specific region. Genealogies in the Bible confirm the Messiah as coming from the lineage of David.
Micah 5:2 singles out Bethlehem, a minor village, from where a ruler will emerge, connecting Jesus' birthplace with divine origins. Daniel 9's timeline fortells the appearance and death of the Messiah before Jerusalem's destruction, aligning with historic events up to 70 AD. Isaiah 53 predicts the "suffering servant" who would die to atone for humanity's sins. Psalm 22 details the Messiah's suffering in a manner consistent with crucifixion.
Lee Strobel shares the story of a friend convinced of Jesus' messianic identity upon reading Isaiah 53, leading to his conversion. Peter Stoner calculated the statistical probability of one person fulfilling 48 messianic prophecies to emphasize the divine nature of these events.
Burke describes Jesus as the sinless sacrifice in alignment with the Judaic lamb sacrifices for sin atonement. John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the "Lamb of God," tying his ultimate sacrifice back to the Jewish sacrificial system. The Abraham narrative foreshadows the greater sacrifice provided by God, connected to Jesus's crucifixion. Golgotha's proximity to Mount Moriah, where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, symbolizes the continuation of divine provision.
The discussion posits that the promised Messiah had to arrive before the temple's destruction in AD 70, with Jesus' death and resurrection meeting this criterion, making him the final atonement. The cessation of animal sacrifices in the temple after ...
Biblical Prophecies Fulfilled In Jesus
Our sins create a divide between God's holiness and human imperfection. According to Isaiah 53, the suffering servant's wounds provide healing, taking the punishment for humanity's iniquities. John Burke sees Jesus' death as an act of love, dying for our sins and bridging the gap between God and us. This sinless sacrifice satisfies God's penalty for sin, offering forgiveness and eternal life as a gracious gift. The annual temple sacrifices of the Old Testament found their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday during Passover, marking a final act that takes away the sins of the world for all time.
The significance of Jesus’s death is further highlighted by John Burke's comment that God took the bullet for humanity's sins. Jesus’s prayer on the cross, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do," repeated in the Greek imperfect tense, underscores the act of offering forgiveness and atonement. By accepting Jesus’ free gift, individuals can be reconciled with God forever.
The resurrection is a pivotal event that underscores Jesus' divinity and authority over death. Shawn Ryan emphasized that if Jesus claimed to be God, then died and returned to life, it would be compelling evidence of His claim. Lee Strobel is convinced of Jesus' divinity because of the historical evidence of his resurrection. Likewise, Jesus’ appearances to Mary Magdalene and the disciples further validate his identity as the Messiah. John Burke shares stories of modern individuals who had visions of the risen Jesus from various religious backgrounds, claiming encounters with a divine figure they believe to be Jesus, which suggests confirmation of Jesus’s divine nature and his resurrection.
Jesus's post-resurrection appearances, imbued with new abilities, imply his mastery over death. Additionally, Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 15 of Jesus as the "first fruits of the resurrection" presents Jesus as the promise of future resurrection for believers. This transformed, resurrected body, capable of interacting both in heaven and on earth, contrasts with the temporary resuscitated bodies of near-death experiencers.
The personal nature of Christian faith encompasses mor ...
Meaning and Significance of Jesus' Death, Resurrection, Implications For Humanity
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