John 2:19-20, "Jesus replied, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' ‘What!' They exclaimed. ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?' But when Jesus said, ‘this temple,' He meant His own body."
Romans 1:4, "Jesus was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord."
Alexander Fleming returned home from a vacation to discover a fungus-covered petri dish. Noticing that the fungus was attacking the bacteria in the dish, his interest was piqued. Over time, his finding provided empirical evidence that this fungus, penicillin, was effective in treating bacterial infections. It wasn't an overnight process - it took vast amounts of time and patient observation of specific patterns - but his discovery changed the world and saved the lives of countless people.
Empirical evidence is just that - watching for patterns over time that can be proven true. So, flashback 2,000 years...
According to eyewitnesses, a man named Jesus displayed power over death. Three days after His death and burial, He appeared to many of His followers - alive and in the flesh. Then, 500 people saw Him on a single occasion, and people started talking.
Was His resurrection simply a local legend, or is it based upon verifiable, empirical evidence?
Because His followers claimed that he had returned bodily, all their critics had to do was produce His dead body. In an instant, the legend would have been squashed. But Jesus' tomb was empty! His disciples began declaring this core message of Jesus' resurrection from the dead in the very city where He died. Not a smart move if the information was false. They could've easily been proven wrong, dead wrong! But Jesus had risen. It was indisputable. And the Jewish and Roman authorities never produced evidence to the contrary.
Far greater than the discovery of penicillin, Jesus was who He said He was, the Messiah, the risen Lord and Savior to all who believe. He changed the world - and continues to save the lives of people today. #UltimateEmpiricalEvidence!
The Bible declares that whoever believes that Jesus was raised from the dead and confesses Him as Lord will be saved. Have you proclaimed Jesus as Lord over your life? If not, today can be your day!
Dear God, I believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and I confess Him as Lord over my life. I am committed to serving my risen Savior! In His name, Amen!