Easter

TNG Radio, where today's culture and timeless truths come together. It's reasoned, relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries.

Welcome to Truth For A New Generation Radio. And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. Easter is what makes the Christian faith different than any other religion, any other philosophy, any other worldview or faith system. If you read the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you look at the message at that empty tomb the first Easter morning. Christ is alive. He is risen. He is not dead. He's alive forevermore.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to a very special edition of the program as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in this program, we're going to look at the resurrection biblically, historically, culturally, and of course, I hope personally. The fact that Jesus, after having died on the cross on that Good Friday, and yes, I believe Christ was crucified on a Friday, He rose from the dead.

When they went to the tomb to see the body, the angel said, He is not here. He is risen. Now in just a moment, we'll get to the four gospels and the resurrection accounts, but I want to share from John 19 a word that I had not seen before, and I've been reading the Bible every day for 35 years, and I came across a word that I had never seen before. And remember Palm Sunday a week ago, Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem. He went from Bethany, which means house of suffering, to Bethphage, which means house of unripe figs. On the one and a half to two mile journey toward the Mount of Olives, toward Jerusalem, He saw Jerusalem from a distance and He wept. And He also cursed a fig tree. There was no fruit and He said there will never be fruit on this fig tree again. Now there's a church built at the place where Jesus saw Jerusalem out in the distance.

It's called the Dominus Flevit. In other words, the place where the Lord wept. And He saw Jerusalem, and it's amazing a statement of Christ's deity. He said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who stone the prophets and kill those who I sent to you.

Can you imagine that? Jesus saying to the Jewish people, you know, those prophets that you venerate, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, they work for me. I sent you those prophets.

But indeed He did. He is not only fully human, but fully God. And so He's going to Jerusalem. He's qualified to die for our sins. He's presented Himself as the Messiah. He's fulfilled all of the prophecies, all the criteria for Messiahship.

And yet He was rejected. And in John chapter 19, Jesus is beaten and mocked and scourged by the soldiers. And Pilate three times says, I find no fault in Him. Let me read a little bit from John chapter 19. And these are among the trials that led to Jesus's crucifixion.

But Jesus appears before the crowds wearing a crown of thorns and a purple robe. And Pilate says, behold the man. And the chief priest and the others said, crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate said to them, you take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered, we have a law and according to our law, He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God. This is John 19-7.

Sometimes nowadays I'll dialogue with people and they'll say, well, Jesus never claimed to be God. But I ask, then why was He executed? What was Jesus's message and why was He executed? Because if His message was Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, you know, love your neighbor, be good, stay out of trouble, that might get you a pat on the back, but that doesn't get you executed. Notice in John 19-7, they said, we want Him to die because He made Himself to be the Son of God.

Now, claiming to be the Son of God is not blasphemy if that's who you are, the Son of God. In fact, as Josh McDowell said, Jesus was history's greatest truth teller. So Pilate heard the saying, and he was troubled, he was terrified in fact, because he realized that he had a problem on his hands. He was classically on the horns of a dilemma. If he consented to the execution of Jesus, Pilate knew that he was complicit with the death of a righteous man. And yet if he pushed back and used his Roman authority to stop this caricature of justice, then he would have trouble because later on, and this is so sad, when he said, Behold your king, verse 15 of John 19, and the Jewish leaders cried out, We have no king but Caesar.

I know the heart of the Father had to be heavy that day, that He sent the best, His Son, the second member of the Trinity. And they said, If you don't crucify Him, verse 12 of John 19, you are no friend of Caesar. And so Pilate knew that he had a problem. If he crucified Jesus, then he was guilty in the death of a righteous man.

But if he didn't, the Jewish people would appeal to Rome, and he would be in trouble. So he sits there, and he was afraid, and he said to Jesus, Where are you from? Jesus didn't answer.

And he said, Do you know I'm speaking to you? I have the power to crucify you or release you? Jesus answered in John 19, 11.

You have no power at all, except it's allowed to you from above. Therefore, the ones who delivered me to you have the greater sin. And Pilate sought to release him.

And again, he comes out there and says, I find no fault in him. And so, as you know, he washed his hands of this. But the word that is so interesting and I had never seen it before this week is the word gabatha, G-A-B-B-A-T-H-A. This is in John 19, 13. Pilate brings Jesus out and sits Him in the judgment seat in a place called the pavement. But in Hebrew, it's a word that's Aramaic and Hebrew, gabatha.

Now, that reminded me of the word Golgotha. Now, Jesus is set up in this elevated seat, the judgment seat. It's really like the defense stand, the docket in a courtroom. The accused is put up on the witness stand, high to be interrogated, to be cross-examined. And this is essentially where Jesus was, the gabatha. But they would say crucify Him, and He would be taken from the gabatha to Golgotha, the place of the skull. When we come back, I'm going to give you some information about Golgotha, the crucifixion of Christ, and an amazing statement from over 1800 years ago that relates to His death, burial, and yes, resurrection, and your resurrection as well. Stay tuned. We're back right after this.

DNG Radio. The Apostle Peter wrote 1 Peter to remind us that Christians have true and lasting hope in their Savior, Jesus Christ. Because Jesus conquered death in an incorruptible, glorified body, we can be sure that our salvation has permanence as we walk through everyday life. The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove presents Jesus Christ, Hope That Lives, Hope That Lasts for Every Believer, a special three-day seminar with Alex McFarland. Alex will dig into 1 Peter to help you gain truths to live by and assurance to keep going. Come to The Cove near Asheville, North Carolina, July 8th through 10th, for three days of in-depth Bible study, fellowship, and refreshing. Jesus Christ, Hope That Lives, Hope That Lasts for Every Believer, a study of 1 Peter with Alex McFarland. Find out more and register at thecove.org. Have you ever wanted to raise your hand during a sermon?

Well, here's your chance. Hi, Alex McFarland here from the nationally syndicated radio program, Exploring the Word. For more than 10 years, my cohost Bert Harper and I have taught Scripture and answered hundreds of Bible questions. We've compiled a brand new book of the top 100 Bible questions from listeners of all ages, from questions about supposed Bible contradictions to apologetics facts that prove the truths of Scripture. This new book features practical content that will make the Bible come alive for you.

Can we really be sure that God exists? Are there contradictions in the Bible? I need a book that will help me understand the Bible better.

There's so much good content in this book. 100 Bible questions and answers published by Broad Street Publishers and available at your local bookstores and also through resources.afa.net. For apologetics resources, books by Alex McFarland, and to find out where Alex is speaking, visit alexmcfarland.com. And Jesus, bearing his cross, went out to a place called the place of a skull, which in Hebrew, Golgotha. John 19, 17. Welcome back.

Alex McFarland here. Happy Easter weekend to you as we celebrate the Lord's resurrection. And this is the most important event in world history, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

But this is not just an amorphous, stand-alone fact in a vacuum. This relates to each and every one of us. It was a purposeful death, a prophesied death, and if you'll put your faith in Jesus, a personal reality that when Christ paid the sins of the world, that includes you, your sin, my sin. We needed forgiveness. There's no way we could have achieved that or earned it or bought it. But if you will put your faith in Jesus, whatever you have done, He'll heal.

Whatever's been done to you, He can forgive. And Christ arose. On this program and in my books and in my travels, I've quoted literally hundreds of scholars over the years, living and dead, brilliant minds from history and all of the branches of the sciences, and so many disciplines, scholars, writers, researchers, attorneys, detectives even, and just general seekers who wonder, is this real? Well, yes it is.

It is real. But Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, the place of the skull, and He was buried very near the place of His crucifixion. You know, I've been to Gordon's Calvary in Jerusalem and very often people scoff and they'll say, well, we know that's not where it happened. Well, I bought the book there.

They sell of General Gordon's maps and calculations. It's very compelling. And that hillside, even those centuries of weather and even vandalism on the part of Muslims, has defaced it. You can still see this mountain that looks like a skull. But do you know, it was said that that was where Adam's skull was buried.

Golgotha. And the word for Golgotha is very close to our word for cranium, the top of the bone of the human skull. But that place where Jesus was crucified, this place of death, and on the other hand, the sinless Son of God was laid the sin of humanity. And He was buried in a tomb chiseled out of the rock, a grave in which no one had ever lain before. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy Jewish believer, gave up his bought tomb for Christ. But yet it is said that somewhere in that mountain was buried the skull of Adam. Now, whether or not that's true, I don't think we can know that.

But the point is this. Isn't this amazing that on that very hill was dead and buried? The one the Bible calls the second Adam. Now you may not have ever realized this, but you are under one of the two Adams. If you're just born, you're living your life, you might be spiritual. You might have tried to be a good person.

You might see yourself as very moral. But if you don't have Jesus Christ in your life, you're under your Father, the Father of the human race, Adam. But the Bible says in Adam all die.

Why? Because we have the guilt of Adam and Eve that's over our own heads. You see, we needed a Savior for two reasons really. Not only because we've all done sinful things. I've sinned. I'm a forgiven sinner. But everybody sins. But even beyond our sinful deeds, we inherit the guilt of Adam and Eve.

We're part of a sinful family. We needed a Messiah, a forgiver, and Jesus is that one. In fact, if you call on the name of Christ even right this minute, He will forgive you. But isn't it amazing that the first Adam, our predecessor, it is said that his skull was buried somewhere on that mountain.

But then there's the one the Bible calls the second Adam, Jesus Christ. And if you are under Jesus, you're forgiven. You admit your sin.

You put your trust. And you call on His name and He has promised to hear you. And you say, Lord, I am sorry for my sins.

Please forgive me. Well, you've stepped out of the rain and you're under a different umbrella now. You're under the banner of Jesus. The second Adam. The first Adam failed.

Jesus is victorious. The first Adam is a man who imparts guilt. The second Adam, Jesus, imparts forgiveness and righteousness. The legacy of the first Adam is suffering and death. The legacy and the present reality of the second Adam is liberation, forgiveness, restoration, security, redemption, and a home in heaven.

That's why it's so joyful. Those scriptures, Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. The biblical nature of the resurrection. Now, what you get if you read these, Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. All of these are even numbers, divisible by four. It's interesting.

So you can easily remember these. Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. You've got the time at dawn. The people present. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James. And the Bible says the other women. So you've got a group of at least five people that go to this empty tomb. Then you've got the stone rolled away.

The stone, very large stone, moved. That's Mark 16, 4. Then you've got two angels. I want to give the angels message because Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you get these core elements. Do not be afraid. We know you're seeking Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He is risen as He said. And in fact, I love what Luke 24 says.

Remember He told you. This is Luke 24, 5-7. Remember how He told you when He was still with you in Galilee that He would be delivered into the hands of sinful men.

Be crucified, but on the third day rise from the dead. And I love John 20 verse 13 asks the question, why are you crying? Today, why are you sad? Why are you depressed?

Why do you feel like life just isn't going anywhere, has no purpose? No, Jesus is alive. He rose from the dead. We have life through faith in Him and as messed up as the world might appear to be, He's going to make it right. He's coming back and He's coming back soon. And we who know Him want to help others know Him as well.

Well, stay tuned. Truth for a New Generation is going to return after this brief break and we'll talk more about this glorious, indescribably wonderful reality that Jesus is alive. We'll hear from evangelist and apologist, Dr. Alex McFarland, as well as conference speakers, pro-family activists and radio hosts, Will and Miki Addison from American Family Radio as they share with your kids ways to effectively engage and transform the culture. Campers will also enjoy swimming, canoeing, fishing, soccer, volleyball, archery, and a whole lot more. A great summer camp of fun and faith building, the TNG Unashamed Biblical World View Camp, July 17th through 27th at the Refuge Camp in Aiton, North Carolina.

To learn more and to register, visit alexmcfarland.com. Are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country, but you don't know what to do about it? That's why Truth and Liberty Coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country and impact the world. Here's how we do it. We educate through broadcasts, conferences, and our website with resources that inform, equip, and motivate. We unify by collaborating with like-minded organizations like the Family Research Council, the Family Policy Alliance, and My Faith Votes. We mobilize by providing practical tools you can use to impact your local community.

As Christians, we are called to make disciples of nations. Together we can change the course of our country for good. Join Truth and Liberty to connect with believers and organizations who not only want to see a change in our nation, but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast and subscribe for relevant updates on our website, truthandliberty.net. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way.

You're listening to Truth for a new generation radio. Happy Easter. Welcome back. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. I want to give you some more thoughts about the biblical, historical, cultural, and yes, personal nature of Christ's resurrection. I do want to remind everybody we've got some exciting things coming up. My schedule, in fact, I ask everybody to pray for me. By the time you hear this program, I will be on the road in Tennessee and Illinois speaking. I'll be at a university speaking East Tennessee State. I'll be in Illinois preaching and teaching biblical worldview and going to Colorado to film more courses and biblical worldview training with Karras Bible College.

But a couple of things to be mindful of, if you would please. July 8-10, I will be at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove in Western North Carolina teaching 1 Peter. We'll talk about apologetics and how you can be used by God to defend the Christian faith. We'll pray together. We're going to spend a fair amount of time in prayer together with people from all over the Western Hemisphere, North America. We'll eat great food and we'll enjoy the Cove. Be there.

You've got time to register. The summer will be here before you know it. July 8-10. But also, our very special summer camp.

Now this is for middle schoolers and high schoolers, July 17-22. The theme this year is unashamed building your biblical worldview. And my goodness, with so much going on, so much conspiring for the hearts and minds of people, we have got to raise up a generation that knows not only the Christian faith and loving Jesus and defending what we believe, but also America. My goodness, we have got to raise a generation that care about this country and that's what we're working to do with Alex McFarland Ministries, Truth for a New Generation, events, publishing, broadcasting. This summer camp is just one of the dozens of things we do all year long to try to impact lives for the gospel. So thanks for caring. Thanks for praying for me and our staff and for all the people that attend the events that we do.

Stay tuned and we're going to continue to keep you informed about what we can do together to know what we believe and why. Well, this broadcast is about the resurrection of Christ. And the resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.

I mean, it really is. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 3-8, Paul says of the resurrection that it was of first or most primary importance. Now why? Because if Christ has not been risen, Paul says this in 14-19 of 1 Corinthians 15. If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith, says Paul. More than that, we are found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. Now here's what we have if Christ has not been raised. Paul lists what I call six sad conclusions if Jesus had not been risen. For one thing, our preaching is worthless.

That's 14 and 17. Our faith in Jesus is worthless, verse 14. We Christians, if Christ is not risen, are liars. Our sins were not forgiven and we are still guilty, verse 17. Our loved ones who we thought were saved were not, verse 18. And we have no hope for an afterlife and in this life we are most miserable, verse 19. All of that if Christ is not risen. But I love verse 20 of 1 Corinthians 15. Paul says this, but Christ is risen.

Indeed. Christ is indeed raised from the dead. Now in the ancient world, a court case, a legal decision could be decided by one eyewitness.

And in the life of Jesus, the words of Christ, the miracles, and yes, the accusations, the crucifixion, resurrection. Look, this is not hearsay or mythology. This comes to us from eyewitnesses. Think about the sightings, the eyewitness nature of this.

Okay, a dozen. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. That's John 20. Jesus appeared to a group of women, Matthew 28. Jesus appeared to Peter. The risen Jesus appeared to two disciples.

That's Luke 24. Jesus appeared to ten apostles, Luke 24, 33 through 49. He appeared to Thomas and, quote, the other apostles. Now already we've got dozens of eyewitness sightings of the risen Jesus. John 21, he appeared to seven other apostles. He appeared Matthew 28 to all of the apostles. Now 1 Corinthians 15 verse 6 says he appeared to 500 people at once. And what's amazing is, do you know that in Matthew 27, 51 through 54, it talks about after his resurrection, many of the saints which slept arose. Do you know that is corroborated in ancient Christian literature that says for 40 days after the resurrection, there were hundreds of ancient believers that rose from the dead. Now I realize that's early church history and not the Bible scripture, but folks, often I've quoted the Jewish, Greek and Roman sources that reference the life of Christ. And after his crucifixion by Pilate, which is referenced in secular history, it says a mischievous superstition has arisen. Notice they don't say it never happened, it was legend, but they talk about the fact that Christians believe this pernicious superstition.

Well, it was only mischievous and problematic for the Romans and the Jews that wanted to squelch this explosively growing movement called Christianity. But in Acts 1, 4 through 9, Jesus appeared to all the apostles. We talked about the fact that he appeared to 500 people at once. He appeared in 1 Corinthians 15, 7, the reference to James and to Paul. Paul says that, you know, he appeared to me as one born out of due time, born late.

Now folks, we need to be excited about this. We need to carry about us an enthusiasm and a commitment and a joy because the living God lives within us. Jesus is alive. The Bible tells us about this. The testimony of the apostles conveys this. The historical record corroborates this.

The artists, the poets, the composers, the painters have been inspired by this. And you and I, if we put our faith in Jesus, can be transformed by this. Jesus is alive. If we trust in Him, we will be too. May the name of the Lord be praised.

The tomb was left empty so that our lives could be made full. Come to Jesus today. Go with Jesus. Go for Jesus. May God bless you in all things and use you greatly. Thank you.