Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1914 — The Credibility of Christ's Resurrection [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Credibility of Christ's Resurrection

By REV. WILLIAM EVANS, D.D.

Dnctor o( Obi. Coon. Moody BMe iMitote, Oia«>

TEXT—Acts 1A

Credibility refers to the acceptance of a fact in a madher that de* serves belief; it is belief based up- . on good authority, ; reliable facts, and competent witto teHef inching without respect to the strength or weakness, reliability or unreliability of the authority, facts, or witnesses; it to a

believing too readily, and with no reason for the faith or hope. The resurrection of Christ is a fact proved by competent evidence, and deserving of intelligent acceptance and belief. It is a doctrine buttressed by “many infallible proofs.” The line of proof here suggested is that from the argument of cause and effect. Certain things, conditions, institutions exist in our midst today; they are the effects of causes, or a cause; what is that cause. We may mention: 1. The Empty Tomb. The fact that the tomb was empty to testified to by competent witnesses —both friends and enemies: by the women, the disciples, the angels, and the Roman guards. How shall we account for the absence of the body of Jesus from the tomb? That it had not been stolen by outside parties to evident from the testimony of the soldiers who were bribed to tell that story (Matt. 28:11-15). Such a guard never would have allowed such a thing to take place. Their lives would have been thereby jeopardized. And if they were asleep (v. 13), how could they know what took place? Their testimony under such circumstances would be useless. The condition in which the linen cloths were found lying by those who entered the tomb precludes the possibility of the body being stolen. Had such been the case the cloths would have been taken with the body, and not left in perfect order, thereby showing that the body had gone out of them. Burglars do not leave things in such perfect order. There is no order In haste. Then again, we have the testimony of angels to the fact that Jesus had really risen as foretold (Matt 2816; Mark 16:6). The testimony of angels is surely -trustworthy (Heb. 2:2). 2. The Lord’s Day. The Lord’s Day is not the original Sabbath. Who dared change It? For what reason, and on what ground was

It changed? Ponder the tenacity with which the Jews held on to their Sabbath given in Eden, and buttressed amid the thunders of Sinai. Recall how Jews would sooner die than fight on the Sabbath day (cf. Titus’lnvasion of Jerusalem on the Sabbath). The Jews never celebrated the birthdays of great men; they celebrated events, like the Passover. Yet, in the New Testament times we find Jews changing their time-honored seventh day to the first day of the week, and, contrary to all precedent, calling that day after a man—the Lord’s Day. Here Is an effect, a tremendous effect; what was its cause? We cannot have an effect without a cause. 3. The Christian Church. We know what a grand and noble Institution the Christian church is. What would this world be without it? Its hymns, worship, philanthropy, ministrations of mercy are all known to us. Where did this institution come from? It is an effect, a glorious effect; what Is its cause? When the risen Christ appeared unto the discouraged disciples and revived their faith and hope, they went forth, under the all-conquering faith in a risen and ascended Lord, and preached the story of his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming again. Men believed these teachings; gathered themselves together ta study the Scriptures, to pray, to worship Christ, and to extend his kingdom among men. This is how the chureh came into, existence. 4. The New Testament. If Jesus Christ bad remained bune& in the grave, the story of bls life and death would have remained buried with him. The New Testament Is an effect of Christ’s resurrection. It was the resurrection that-put heart Into the disciples to go forth and tell its story. Skeptics would have us believe that the resurrection of Christ was an afterthought of the disciples to give the story of Christ’s life a thrilling climax; a decorative incident which satisfies the dramatic reeling in man; a brilliant picture at the end. of an heroic life. We reply: There would have been no beautiful story to put a climax to if there bad been no resurrection of the Christ of the story. The resurrection does not grow out of the beautiful story of hla life, but the beautiful story of Christ’s Ufa grow out of the fact of the resurrection. The New Testament is the book of the resurrection of Christ