How to Hear from God

 Have you ever felt like God has been silent in your life? Have you ever felt spiritually dry and that God is far away? What do you do?

1.) Listen

1 Samuel 3 gives us an example of listening to God. Samuel was a young boy living in the temple and he heard someone call his name. He runs to Eli and Eli told him that he had not called for him. After a couple more times. Eli says to Samuel to the voice "Speak, LORD, for your servant hears." Presumably Samuel got still and quiet and listened. How often do you sit in silent and listen? 

a.) Take some time 

Psalm 42:1-2a  (ESV) "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God,"

We desire that connection with God. Lord I want to hear from you. We should desire a connection with God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV) "pray without ceasing,"

Pray, read the scriptures....pray through the scriptures.

b.) Get rid of distractions 

Matthew 6:6 (ESV) "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

When it comes to God we must ACTIVELY listen. Be alone with God and hear from Him. If God spoke to you would you even hear Him? Is your life so loud that you cannot hear from God?

2.) Go where God speaks 

a.) Bible 

The authors of the books of the Bible were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

God has spoken and it is recorded in the Bible you just have to read it. Pray while reading through the scriptures. The more that you read it you will learn from it. We need to allow the scriptures to sink into our hearts and let them change how we think. We need to STUDY the scriptures to hear from God. Write what you learn down that you can apply to your life.

b.) Go to Church 

Sing the songs, think about them and praise God. God can use preachers and Sunday school teachers to us. 

Psalm 122:1 (ESV) "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'"

Are you excited to go to church? Why would you not want to go gather with other believers. 

c.) Seek close fellowship with other believers 

Pray together, share and encourage one another. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that we are the body of Christ. Independent members of Christ. Surround yourself with the body. Let them minister to you, let them be apart of your life.

3.) Unclog your heart 

Sin is the plaque that clogs our spiritual heart. It makes us weak and ineffective and hinders our prayers and our walk. It hinders our fellowship with other believers.

Isaiah 59:1-2 (ESV) "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear."

Psalm 66:18 (ESV) "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."

Sin can harm our walk with the Lord. It can hinder our relationship with Him and hear from Him. We can cherish iniquity. An iniquity is more of an habitual act of rebellion, deep seated, premeditated, unrepentant. Iniquity can mess with us all. It can harm our relationship with God. An example of iniquity is what David did with Bathsheba and Uriah. That event set off a chain reaction in David's life that caused a lot of problems for him. 

a.) Confess to God 

Psalm 32:1-5 (ESV) "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin."

We cannot be comfortable with our sin in our lives. We cannot be pleased with it in our lives. We must confess to God.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When you confess to God, your are aligning your mind and your heart and your will to that of God's. You are saying to God that I know that these things are not right and I am aligning myself with You. I need help with that. God promises to forgive and to heal. We also should confess to each other so that you can have someone hold you accountable. Also if you have wronged someone we need to confess to them and ask forgiveness. 

James 5:16 (ESV) "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

When you confess it is like you are accepting a plea deal. Taking the power of the enemy away from him. He cannot use it against you because you have already confessed it. We need accountability in our lives. 

b.) Repent 

You cannot just say you are sorry, you have to be repentant. You have to change your heart.

Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV) "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."

Jesus is showing us that sin is spiritually deadly. He is talking about the seriousness of sin. Whatever is causing you to stumble, remove it from your life. When we clean out our heart it becomes more sensitive to the things of God.

 If someone confesses to you their sin, then you need to look at your own heart and make sure that you are forgiving people. Unforgiveness can be a sin. Unforgiveness can clog up your heart. You should not hold on to a grudge. Nothing will tear apart a family more than unforgiveness. We have to learn to forgive one another. It sometimes can overflow into the church. 

4.) Be faithful in the little things

The parable of the talents... the servant that had been given 5 talents doubled it, the one that had 2 talents doubled it, and the one that had 1 talent buried it. When the master came back he rewarded the first two and took away from the third. When God gives you something to do, do it. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is difficult.

Matthew 25:23 (ESV) "His master said do him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"

Why should God give you more direction, why should God give you more closeness, when you won't take the step with the little things. Most of us know of something that God is calling you to do or repent of but you are refusing to do it. Why should God give us something else when we are not faithful with the little things. Most of us know what we should do and don't do it.

Your feelings can lead you astray. That church camp feeling. You come home and then you think "God left", but God never left. You stopped reading your bible, you stopped praying, you stopped praising God for hours a day.

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) "The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."

If we are being faithful and honoring God, then He is directing us and handling things behind the scenes.

Closing Scripture:

Psalm 32: 8-11 (ESV) "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. May are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"

  

Post Resurrection Appearances of Jesus

 40 days of post resurrection appearances of Jesus, 11 were recorded in scripture but there were probably many more that were not recorded.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (ESV) "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me."

Acts 1:3 (ESV) "He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God."

This idea of many more appearances can be compared to Jesus preformed many more miracles than were recorded in scripture.

John 20:30-31 (ESV) "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Just because we only have 11 recorded post resurrection appearances doesn't mean there weren't many more. The disciples didn't always pay attention or understand all that Jesus was saying during His 3 year ministry, but they were definitely listening during the 40 days of appearances.

I. What Post Resurrection Appearances did for the Disciples

1. Post Resurrection Appearances PROVED Jesus was alive!

Jesus was not resuscitated, but resurrected AND glorified. This is different from Lazarus. Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, but Lazarus eventually died again. He was not glorified.    Jesus' glorified body was no longer subject to pain, no longer subject to aging, disease or even death. It is the same body ( he had the scars from the crucifixion) but it is much more improved. His body is in a glorified state, not subject to the weakness and death that we are subject to. It is important to know that it is the same body that He died in. He ate with them and they touched him. He was not a spirit appearing before them. He had flesh and bone...a real body, a new and improved body, not just material but also spiritual.

2. Post Resurrection Appearances PROVED Jesus to be who He claimed to be!

Romans 1:1-4 (ESV) "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,"

Jesus was declared by God to be the Son of God, to be the Messiah, to be who He claimed to be by the resurrection. Jesus didn't raise Himself from the dead, God did. Jesus had God's approval and backing. You can trust Jesus Christ, because He has God's approval and backing.

3. Post Resurrection Appearances PROVED Jesus has power over death.

Matthew 28:18 (ESV) "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'"

The disciples have seen many incredible things the past 3 years. Now Jesus comes back to life after being in the grave, and not alive like Lazarus is alive to die again, but  He is alive in a glorified state. He makes it clear to them before ascending into heaven that ALL authority, everything is subject to Him. He is Lord over everything, not just blindness, not just water, all authority. He is victorious over death, He has authority even over death.

Revelation 1:17-18 (ESV) "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'"

At this day and time Hades was the holding place for the dead. Jesus has the keys. Death has no authority of Jesus, Hell has no authority over Jesus, the grave has no authority over Him. Death does not have the final word....Jesus does! He is Lord over death.

4. Post Resurrection Appearances show the reliability of Scripture.

We have so much scripture that prophesied about the Messiah. Isaiah 53 is a prime example of this. This is the "suffering servant" passage. Jews for hundreds of years argued who is the "suffering servant"? Is it Isaiah, is he talking about himself? After Jesus died and was resurrected it became clear that Isaiah was talking about Jesus. He suffered for our sins. This is just one of many many passages that we can see prophesies that were fulfilled in Jesus. The point of that is that you can trust scripture. Jesus showed that scripture is reliable and you can trust it. 

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"

What if Jesus had died on the cross for our sins, but never appeared after His resurrection? The Jesus movement would have died with Jesus. The disciples would not have been able to carry it on. What good is a dead Messiah? But because He showed Himself for 40 days the disciples became bold and grew the movement and the Church is still growing today. 

II. What do the Post Resurrection Appearances do for us? 

1. Followers of Jesus can expect VICTORY over death.

We have no power over death. Death will claim you unless the Lord returns. Christians have no power over death. Jesus has power over death. He is willing to exercise His power over death on your behalf, if you choose Him as your Savior and Lord.

John 11:23-26 (ESV) "Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'"

This is not a doctrine taught by any denomination, any church, these are Jesus' words Himself. John 14:6. Jesus set down the terms of exclusiveness. If you trust in Him, He is willing to exercise His power over death on your behalf.

1 Corinthians 15:20-26 (ESV) "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

Jesus is the beginning of the harvest! Jesus is willing to share His power over death with you if you believe in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:54-56 (ESV) "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O death, where is you sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law."

Revelation 20:13-14 (ESV) "And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

If you are a follower of Christ then you should not fear death, maybe the process of dying, but not the state of death.

Recommend the book "Imagine Heaven" by John Burke

2. Followers of Jesus can expect a glorified body

1 Corinthians 15:42-49 (ESV)  "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven."

We can expect a glorified body, if you are a follower of Christ.

Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV) "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

The promise is that you will have a body like Jesus if you believe in Him. (at the general Resurrection)

1 John 3:2 (ESV) "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."

We don't become like God, but we will have similarities. We don't understand how that happens after 2000 years in the grave.

3. Followers of Jesus can expect an eternal inheritance

Not sure what that will exactly look like.

Romans 8:15-17 (ESV) "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

We will be joint heirs with Christ. There is something for us in Heaven. No one can steal your inheritance.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,"

Revelation 21:4 (ESV) "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

No tears, no death, no mourning, no pain, eternal life...eternal bliss and many other things that we don't know.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

Paul is making it clear that the Holy Spirit that you receive at salvation is a deposit guaranteeing your inheritance. We compare it to earnest money put down on a piece of property. It is a promise that we will get our inheritance.

John 14:1-3 (ESV) "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

This is part of the inheritance.

4. Followers of Jesus can expect a life changing experience 

Once the disciples saw the risen Lord they were no longer afraid. Before Jesus' death/resurrection they were followers...after they were leaders. After He appeared they became bold leaders. Before they were influenced by everything....after they were influencers, the built the Church. You are not (probably) going to experience a post resurrection appearance of Christ, but you will experience a post resurrection experience of Christ. If the Holy Spirit moves you, if the Holy Spirit convicts you, if the Holy Spirit impresses you, if the Holy Spirit leads you, that is an experience. It is not an appearance like the disciples had, but an experience and you submit to it, it is going to change your life.

5. Followers of Jesus can expect Biblical Hope

Biblical hope = expectation/confidence/ anticipation/comfort. 

Christ's death and resurrecting does not (yet) remove sin and suffering from this life (from this world) but....

     A. It gives us Hope of a better world to come

    B. We have Hope of restitutions for sufferings and losses that we have experienced here.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV) "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are seen  are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Challenge:

1. Put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ

2. Learn the Scriptures. Study the Scriptures. The more you learn, the stronger your faith will be.

3. Follow Christ's teachings and prompting.

A summary of Paul concerning our resurrection...1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 

The point is...hang in there, don't give up, you will be rewarded.

Closing Scripture:

Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

  

Resurrection Sunday: The Evidence and Our Heart

 I. It's OK to have doubts 

You are in good company! John the Baptist had doubts too. John leapt in his mother's womb in the "presence" of Jesus (when he was in Mary's womb). He baptized Jesus and saw the dove descend on Jesus and heard God say "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17b And still he wondered, he still had doubts. While he was in prison he doubted and he sent messengers to ask Jesus if he was the one.

Matthew 11:3 (ESV) "and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"

It is easy to doubt in different times in our lives. We can grow from our doubts. God can handle our tough questions and our doubts.

II. God blesses the genuine seekers

Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

Proverbs 8:17 (ESV) "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me."

Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

If you want to find God...SEEK Him! If you truly want to know God, he will make himself known to you. Even people who are trying to disprove God find him while they are studying.

Lee Stroble, a journalist and lawyer and an atheist. His wife got saved and he wanted to prove her wrong and then ended up giving his life to Christ. He has written several books, the most popular being "The Case for Christ".

Jay Warner Wallace a L.A. County homicide detective and an outspoken atheist who was determined to use his detective skills to show that Jesus was a myth and a hoax. He ended up becoming a Christian and wrote "Cold Case Christianity". 

Josh McDowell an atheist who wanted to become a lawyer and before going to law school he wrote a paper to disprove Christianity. He became convinced of the evidence and accepted Christ. He became a world renowned apologist and wrote "Evidence Demands a Verdict"

Gilbert West (1700's) from Oxford, set out to disprove the resurrection and ended up becoming a Christian and then wrote several apologetics texts.

Simon Greenleaf he played a pivotal roll in Harvard Law School. He wrote that the evidence of the resurrection would hold up in a court of law. 

If you are seeking God...keep seeking, if you are a skeptic, pray, ask God to reveal himself to you. Open the word, read a Psalm a day, a Proverb a day. 

John 18:37 (ESV) "Then Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world-to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'"

For those who love the truth hear him.

III. Jesus offers proof 

A. To John the Baptist

Matthew 11:2-6 (ESV) "Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?' And Jesus answered them, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them, And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.'"

Jesus didn't just say yes, He offered him proof.

Isaiah 29:18-19 (ESV) "In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel."

Isaiah 35:5-6 (ESV) "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;"

It was prophesied that he would restore sight to the blind. Many people performed miracles in the bible, in both Old and New Testament scripture, but no one but Jesus restored sight to the blind.

B. To the Disciples 

Acts 1:3 (ESV) "He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God."

The disciples were convinced that Jesus was raised from the dead.

C. To Thomas 

John 20:27-28 (ESV) "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'"

D. To the multitudes

John 5:36 (ESV) "But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father who has sent me."

John 10:25 (ESV) "Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,"

John 21:25 (ESV) "Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

Jesus provided all kinds of miraculous things to prove who he was to the multitudes.

E. Even to the wicked (scribes and pharisees)

Matthew 9:1-6 (ESV) "And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.' And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, 'This man is blaspheming.' But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'-he then said to the paralytic-'Rise, pick up your bed and go home.'"

The Pharisees were always trying to trap him. Everyone knew that only God could forgive sins. They could see what he was doing.

F. And also to you

Everyone of us have had things happen in your life that are miraculous. God has given us a lot of evidence.

IV. Can't Deny Historic Jesus 

There absolutely was a man named Jesus of Nazareth who walked the earth, had a large following, who was crucified and whose body went missing. His disciples were positive that he rose from the dead. We have so many lines of evidence that Jesus existed... the 4 gospels, the books written by Paul, Peter James, Jude and John. Writings of early church fathers... Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp. Not only were they willing to write about the life of Christ but they were willing to die for defending that.

Non Christians that wrote about the man named Jesus, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger testified that Jesus' followers worshiped Jesus as God. Mara Gar-Serapion, Tacitus mention Jesus and his followers in their writings. Thallus, most of his writings went missing, but we know that he existed because others have quoted him including Julius Africanus who was a Christian. Thallus was trying to explain away the darkness and earthquakes that happened at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus. It seems that he assumes that everyone around at this time knew that this happened. Thallus, who was not a Christian, was trying to explain away these things that happened. He was trying to say that the darkness was because of a "total solar eclipse". Julius Africanus said it was impossible to be caused by a "total solar eclipse" because the Passover was always during a full moon and you cannot have a solar eclipse during a full moon.

Josephus, a Jewish person who became a Roman historian, wrote in 90 AD "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. 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."

We have an embarrassment of riches in evidence. So much archeological evidence. They have found the "bone box" that has an inscription on it that says "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus". The Shroud of Turin is evidence. A man named, Dionysius the Areopagite, who is mentioned in Acts 17:34, as Paul was preaching on Mars Hill. This man was studying in Egypt at the time of Jesus' crucifixion, according to him that at the time of the crucifixion a supernatural darkness fell over the land even in Egypt. He took note of it, it really bothered him. Later on he was serving in the high court in Athens as Paul was preaching. All of a sudden he connected the dots and became a Christian. He became a Bishop and eventually gave his life in defense of Christ. 

If Jesus didn't exist nobody existed....or as C.S. Lewis said it he was either a Liar, Lunatic or Lord, you have to choose.

V. Why should you believe in the Resurrection 

A. Believe Women 

Everyone of the Gospel accounts says that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection were women. At this time women were not seen as credible, but they ALL say the same thing so the only reason they all included it in the Gospel writings is that it must be true.

B. No body

There was no body.  All you had to do to squash this movement was to produce a body. The Pharisees tried to start a rumor that the disciples stole the body. These Galilean teenagers were going to overpower the guard (Roman or Temple). They would have had to unwrap the body, and take of the face cloth and fold gently and lay to the side. 

C. The Changed Lives

These people that encountered the resurrected Jesus; their lives were changed.

Peter was afraid, he denied Christ 3 times. At Pentecost he receives the Holy Spirit and boldly proclaims Jesus Christ. People were amazed at how his fe was changed.

Paul was a persecutor of the church who has encounter with the risen Christ and becomes the worlds greatest missionary.

James, the brother of Jesus, did not trust his brother's claims. John 7:5 says that Jesus' brother's did not believe him. Then after the Resurrection, James encountered Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7) James became a leader in Jerusalem and he was stoned to death in 62 AD according to Josephus.

D. The Disciples signed their testimony in blood. 

The disciples proclaimed forever the message of Jesus and all except for John gave their lives for Jesus. Peter was crucified upside down, they all suffered horrible deaths, beheaded, hung, flayed, speared, stoned, sawed in 2. They tried to kill John. He was boiled in oil, exiled and then wrote Revelation. They all remained faithful.

VI. Why do some reject the risen Jesus?

Maybe for some it is ignorance. Maybe they haven't put much thought in it. But for most people it is rebellion. 

We love our Sin 

If Jesus is in fact the Son of God and raised from the dead you have to take the things that he said and taught seriously. If you do that then you will have to turn away from some things in your life.

John 3:19-20 (ESV) "And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."

The reason most people reject Jesus is because the love their sin. They hate the light because it exposes their sin and darkness. The Pharisees and Sanhedrin witnessed everything. They had all kinds of evidence. It couldn't have been an intellectual thing. They saw everything, they interviewed those that saw the miracles or were those who were healed. They were a witness to the crucifixion and the earthquake, the darkness, the testimony of the guards that said his body was gone. They had all of the evidence and still did not believe. Why? The loved their sin, they loved their authority and the things of this world more than God.

What about you? There are things that we refuse to give to God. I encourage you to seek after Jesus. 

John 11 Martha's conversation with Jesus about the resurrection 

John 11:25-27 (ESV) "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'"