Good Morning!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AT THE BRIDGE COMMUNITY CHURCH DECATUR CAMPUS THIS MORNING!

Opening Song:

That's Who I Praise

Worship Together:

Praise the Lord

Only the Blood

Homecoming

Closing Song:

Sunday is Coming

CHRISTIANITY ON TRIALTHE AUDACITY OFTHE RESURRECTION

Speaker: Eric Lehman

Palm Sunday

12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” John 12:12-13 ESV 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” John 12:17-19 ESV

The central point of much of New Testament preaching on the gospel dealt with the resurrection of Jesus

Five Reasons Why I Believe the Resurrection of Jesus is a Historical Fact

  • Evidence of Jesus’ Death by Crucifixion 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.[a] And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. Mark 15:44-45 ESV
  • Empty tomb 1When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. Mark 16:1-4 ESV 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Mark 16:5-7 ESV 11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So 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. Matthew 28:11-15 NIV
  • Early confessions 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 1 Cor 15:3-5 ESV
  • Eyewitness accounts 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me 1 Cor 15:5-8 ESV
  • Experience of changed lives
    • Authenticates Jesus’ Identity and Claims
    • Guarantees Our Resurrection and Future Hope
    • Requires Our Worship and Surrender
    9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Rev 7:9-10

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