Jesus has risen from the grave!

The Works of Josephus:

Book 18, chapter 3. (63) Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works-a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; (64) and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 3 From The Works of Josephus, translated by William Whiston Hendrickson Publishers, 1987

Note: John 20:1-31

Key verse: John 20:2 NIV  So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

What did he believe?

Didn’t understand the scriptures

Where is he?

I’ll go get him!

Thomas had to have evidence

Believe and have life in his name

Key: Hope lives because Jesus rose again

Q. What is the hope?

• That through the many miracles (vs. 30), we can be assured that Jesus walked in hope and faith

• That the things written about him are true

• That so many other things reference his miraculous life

• And that through these things we can believe…

  • Jesus is the Christ/Messiah

  • John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

  • The Son of God

    • Divine sonship

    • Matthew 3:17 NIV And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

  • We may have eternal life

    • By believing in what Jesus said and did

  • This life is in his name (the character and nature of who he is and what he did)

    • All that he is and stands for

Note: 1 John 5:12 ERV 2 Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.