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Lie #6: The Bones Of Jesus Have Been Found – Part 1 of 2

Running to Win / Erwin Lutzer
The Truth Network Radio
November 18, 2024 1:00 am

Lie #6: The Bones Of Jesus Have Been Found – Part 1 of 2

Running to Win / Erwin Lutzer

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November 18, 2024 1:00 am

Some have claimed the bones of Jesus have been found. But that is simply bad archaeology and deceit. In this message, Pastor Lutzer considers the reasons why Jesus had to be bodily raised. Despite the skepticism and attempts to disprove its claims, the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything.

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Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Leave it to TV to splash the headline that the bones of Jesus have been found in an old box in Jerusalem. Today, an exposé of some bad archaeology and a look at how the critics of Christianity are marketing their wares in the media. Stay with us.

From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, do those who think they've found the bones of Jesus have a real case to make? You know, Dave, the answer of course is no, they don't have a real case to make. You know, it's been said that data will confess to anything as long as it is tortured long enough. And this certainly is an instance in which evidence is tortured.

It's tortured with the intention of coming out with a certain result. Now, a few years ago, this of course was news, that is to say it was advertised in the news, a TV special was made about it. But at the same time, we have to recognize that there are also other lies about Jesus that people believe. And that's why I've written my book entitled, Don't Be Deceived, Six Lies About Jesus Christ. It's so important that we get it right when it comes to Jesus. There are plenty of Jesuses. At the end of this broadcast, I'm going to be giving you some info as to how this resource can be yours. We think it'll help you in your journey, and it'll also help others as we try to define one more time why Jesus is special.

For now, let us listen. Well, I'm here today to announce to you that the tomb was empty. No bones about it. There's been a lot of hype in the media because a tomb was found in 1980 in a suburb of Jerusalem. A tomb that was looked at by archaeologists who noticed the biblical names, but because of the commonality of the names, paid little attention to it. But now the tomb has been rediscovered, so to speak, and we find that it had 10 ossuaries. By the way, an ossuary is really a limestone bone box. What happened in those days is that if you died, and if you were important enough, and if you had a tomb, your flesh would disintegrate, and then you were reburied, and your bones were put into one of these ossuaries, into one of the tombs for permanent safekeeping, these boxes that held bones. Well, even back in 1980, it was known that there were 10 ossuaries, and some of them had biblical names. The scenario is that when Jesus died on the cross, he was put into the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and then afterwards he would have been reburied in the quote family tomb that we've been hearing about, and that's where his bones were.

So the resurrection on this scenario is a hoax, and Jesus Christ's bones are somewhere in Jerusalem. Now, it is said that of the 10, there were six that had inscriptions, and that's why the tomb has garnered so much attention. The following names, first of all, it has an inscription, Jesus, son of Joseph, and then Mariamne of Marah, supposedly Mary Magdalene, who was the wife of Jesus, according to this scenario. Maria, who is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Matia, Matthew, who doesn't fit, and there is a Matthew, of course, who was a disciple of Jesus, but not a member of the family.

Matia, it says, son of Jesus. He would have been the child that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had. And then Josie, who is listed in the book of Mark as one of Jesus Christ's half brothers.

You know he did have half brothers. And so the question is, what is the possibility of all these names being together and not being the tomb of Jesus with his bones at one time in one of those ossuaries? By the way, in the tomb, there were a number of skeletons, way more than 20 that were found, some of them on shelves and so forth, as those ancient tombs frequently have. Now there is another ossuary that we've heard a lot about. It is the so-called James ossuary, and in the book, The Family Tomb of Jesus, and the Discovery Channel Special, it said that this ossuary should really fit there too. And because James was also a half brother of Jesus, that would really up the ante so far as this being the tomb of Christ. But we can dispense with the James ossuary very quickly when it's pointed out that this ossuary was in existence and known about, it was known about long before 1980 when the so-called family tomb of Jesus was excavated. So it was known about before that time. Furthermore, the dimensions of it do not fit the 10th ossuary that was in the tomb, which was not catalogued because according to those who found it, it had no inscriptions.

It was simply an ordinary one. And because ossuaries are so famous or popular, I should say in Israel, it was simply disregarded and left out in the courtyard of the museum. So actually the 10th ossuary has been accounted for, but it is not the James ossuary. Also you need to know that the person who purchased the James ossuary is actually on trial for forgery because at least part of the inscription was forged. And then also you have the testimony of Eusebius who lived in the fourth century, who said that James actually was buried near the temple mound and for a period of time, Christians visited his tomb. So James does not belong there.

The dimensions do not fit and we are left, however, with the other names. So what are the odds that indeed this is the tomb of Jesus? According to the book that was written, it says there's only one chance in 2.5 million that this could be wrong.

The movie special was a little bit more modest and said one chance in 600 that this isn't the tomb of Jesus. James Cameron, who wrote the introduction to the book, says that the evidence is irrefutable and quote pieced together from physical evidence, which cannot lie. So before I look at this irrefutable evidence, I do want to make a few comments to dispense with some nonsense.

That's what we're going to do for the next few moments. And the nonsense that I would like us to address so that we can lay it all aside is number one, the idea that if the bones of Jesus were discovered, it wouldn't make any difference to Christianity. You heard people say that. Christians supposedly said that. Oh, it wouldn't affect my faith, some people who were interviewed said, because after all, I just believe that Jesus arose spiritually.

So even if they find his bones, I'm okay with it. And this is the faith that I inherited and all go on believing nonsense. There are reasons why Jesus had to be raised physically in order for Christianity to be true.

First of all, he predicted that he would be raised. Secondly, that's the whole point of redemption. I pray God that your whole body, soul and spirit will be preserved blameless until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Jewish notion of resurrection in those days was physical resurrection. The idea that you'd have this spiritual body that would be raised, but your physical body would be still in the tomb is a modern idea.

Nobody would have accepted that. Furthermore, after he was raised, Jesus said to the disciples in Luke chapter 24 verse 39, because they were wondering whether or not he was a ghost. He said, touch me and see me because the spirit doesn't have flesh and bones.

And then he says, do you have something to eat? I'll eat a piece of fish with you to prove that I am fully resurrected. Now you see the body of Jesus was a resurrected body. Its molecular structure was very different from his physical body, but there was continuity.

That's why, as we shall see, there was still a scar in his side from the sword and there were nail prints in his hands. The idea that somehow you could have Christianity without the resurrection of Jesus is false. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says. He says, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain. Your faith is in vain and we are found to be misrepresenting God because we testified that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. And then he goes on to say, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life we only have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Pity the Christian who says that Jesus did not rise physically. He does not understand the gospel and the Christian faith collapses. If the true bones of Jesus were found.

It's like Vance Havner said, if the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a myth, then we are myth-taken, we are myth-tified and we are myth-rable. Alright, let's accept that. Let's lay all the cards on the table. Everything is at stake in this debate.

Here's a parenthesis philosophically. Christianity is the only religion that can be falsified. All other religions are compatible with anything and everything and because Christianity is a historical religion, it really has a tremendous advantage over other options. But we are not putting our head in the sand, copping out and saying, well, he arose spiritually.

Everything is on this table. Secondly, I have to dispense with the foolishness that the Bible should be held to a separate standard when the text is analyzed. James Cameron of Titanic fame who wrote the introduction to the book said this, a compelling case has been made that Jesus never existed at all but was a myth created to fulfill a specific need. And then he says, until now there has been zero physical evidence of his existence. No fingerprints, no bones, no portraits done from life, nothing. Not a shred of parchment written from Jesus own hand.

What do you mean? Let's go over this slowly. Could you imagine what would happen to studies of history if this were the standard that people would use?

What if we were to use this standard for Plato, for Aristotle, for Socrates, or for Julius Caesar or for Pilate? Let's look at it. No fingerprints, no fingerprints. If we came across fingerprints, how in the world would we know that they were the fingerprints of Jesus? Fingerprints only work if you are able to compare. You get booked at the police station and they take your fingerprints and then they go around looking, trying to find them on the smashed window of a car. That's the way fingerprints work. Fingerprints, no bones, no portraits done from life.

Isn't that something? There was no artist who came up with a sketch of Jesus and the sketch existed for 2000 years. And then no shred of parchment written by Jesus own hand. Oh, how terrible. And he goes on to say that the discovery of this tomb should be welcomed by Christians because after all we're doing you a favor because now we know he finally existed.

Thanks very, very much. There is a German scholar by the name of Helga Bauterman, a classical scholar who teaches at Göttingen University in Germany. And this is what she says. I have been shocked for many years concerning the manner in which the New Testament scholars treat their sources. They have managed to question everything to such a degree that both the historical Jesus and the historical Paul are hardly discernible any longer.

If classical scholars were to adopt their methods, they could take their leave immediately. They would not have much to work with. If classical scholars analyze their sources as critically as most New Testament theologians, they would have to close their files on Herodotus and Tacitus. We'd have to close all the files of ancient literature. But when you get to the Bible, it's unique.

I wish I had time to give you examples. There are dozens of them in the book and in the Discovery Channel special. But the whole idea is, oh, yes, yes, you know, the Bible says that he was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. We can accept that because it fits our theory. Well, then what about the evidence for the resurrection?

Oh, we can't accept that. And on and on it goes cherry picking whatever fits whatever you want and leaving the rest. No book in history has been as meanly treated as the Bible. It has been vilified. It has been chopped. It has been cut up in every way imaginable and it has been slandered and its death has been proclaimed. But the corpse never stays put.

It's still there. There's a third myth we have to do away with and that is that the Gnostic gospels should be given preeminence over and above the New Testament gospels. You see, you can't have a theory like this tomb theory. You can't have a book like the Da Vinci Code unless the Gnostic gospels are treated with sacred infallibility. Whatever they say, that's really the truth. Now, these Gnostic gospels that tried to combine Greek philosophy and Christianity are not historical documents.

They have no verification historically. They have no direct tie to the apostles, but they are taken to be the ones that tell you the real hidden truth. And so it is that these theories are based on such things as the Gnostic gospels as we shall see in just a moment. Now there's some of you who are listening and say, Pastor Lutzer, I've never even heard of the Gnostic gospels.

Perhaps you haven't. But if you have a son or daughter who is in university today and they are studying religion, they will be studying the Gnostic gospels. That's why it's so important for us to understand the true basis about what we believe about Jesus. I hope that you have a pen or pencil handy because I've written a book entitled Don't Be Deceived, Six Lies About Jesus Christ. For a gift of any amount, we're making this resource available for you.

And here's what you do. Go to RTWOffer.com. That's RTWOffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337.

If you're like me, sometimes you miss the opportunity to write something down. So I'll give you that info again, RTWOffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Don't be deceived. Six lies about Jesus. It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. The New Testament has 27 books, but some people wonder why there aren't more. Peggy listens to Running to Win on WYFG in Ashland, Virginia.

She has this question. What are your feelings about the gospels according to Mary Magdalene, Thomas and Judas? Why were these books not added to the New Testament?

I'm so glad that you asked that question, Peggy, and I am ready with an answer. You know, during the days when the Da Vinci Code was news, I wrote a book entitled The Da Vinci Deception, and the Da Vinci Code, as you will remember, is basically based on this Gnostic Bible. Now, I have a copy of the Gnostic Bible, and it is just as thick as our regular Bible, and it has all of these Gnostic books. You mentioned only a very few of them. So why is it that these aren't in the Bible? Well, let me give you a couple of reasons. First of all, they are spurious. That is to say, they are false writings.

For a couple of reasons. First of all, when you read them, you notice how different they are from the New Testament. You know, the New Testament has names of places of people in relationship to Jesus. It also has references to the Sea of Galilee and mountains and so forth.

What you will find is that these books refer to no historical events. These books actually were written by Gnostics. Now, that word Gnostic comes from the word knowledge. They believed that they had hidden knowledge, and much of this knowledge was derived from a mystical view of the world. Many of them were followers of Plato.

So what they tried to do is to harmonize the New Testament with Platonic writings, and that's basically what the Gnostic Gospels really are. One thing that we know and every scholar admits, for example, is that their authorship is not genuine. That is to say, nobody believes that Thomas actually wrote the Book of Thomas.

Nobody believes these sorts of references. What scholars generally say is that they attributed their Gospels to somebody who was famous so that people would read them. Of course, when the New Testament says, I, Paul, am writing this, we believe very deeply that it is authentic that Paul wrote these books. You have no such assurance in the Gnostic Gospels.

And the bottom line is this, the late date. You know, the New Testament, by and large, is a reference to eyewitness accounts. You know, John was there when Jesus was crucified and when he was raised and so forth. The Gnostic Gospels occurred about 150 to 200 years after our regular Gospels were written. So as a result, you find a lot of speculation, but you have no historical verification.

Let me put it to you this way. Whose account of, say, George Washington would you want to believe? Somebody who knew George Washington? Who saw him? Who interacted with him? Or somebody who speculated about Washington 150 years after he lived and tried to combine his beliefs with some philosophy that meant something to somebody?

So that's what we are really confronted with. You may be aware of the fact that recently it has been said that Jesus might have been married because there was some kind of a reference to Jesus and Mary Magdalene in a small scrap of manuscript that existed. And that manuscript also goes back to about the third or fourth centuries.

So of course it is spurious. We do not have any assurance that it is based on historical fact. We have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with some rather detailed accounts of Christ. And yet, of course, there's no reference to Jesus marrying anyone.

And most of us would believe that that would have been impossible because of who Jesus was and all of the theological implications. The 27 books that we have in the New Testament, they were accepted by the church over a period of time. And since that time, no book has had a serious claim to the canon. Yes, there have been those who have wanted to add to the New Testament, but when you read the books that they want to add, even when you read them, you don't get the sense of divine inspiration. And furthermore, many of these books contradict the 27 books of the New Testament. So we need to believe that God preserved his word, and most assuredly, the Gnostic gospels are not the word of God.

If you don't believe me, just pick up a Gnostic Bible and begin to read them, and you'll see that they are filled with many foolish ideas, and they simply do not have the earmarks of authenticity. Thank you Peggy for your question. Thank you Dr. Lutzer for helping us understand which books belong in the New Testament. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer, or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

That's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. The truth of the resurrection of Jesus is so transforming that its enemies will do anything to suppress it. Next time on Running to Win, more on an ancient tomb in an ancient city, and on the purported evidence that Jesus never rose from the dead. Thanks for listening, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-11-18 02:32:21 / 2024-11-18 02:40:41 / 8

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