I mentioned the other day that I had read a book on creation by John Lennox. I read it because Andy Stanley mentioned it in his sermon series The Bible for Grownups. I recommend the series, the main point of which is that our faith is not in “the Bible” – there was no “the Bible” until the early 300s. Our faith is in Jesus, specifically in his resurrection:

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4.33, ESV)

Andy makes the point that if there were no resurrection, there would be no “the Bible” (specifically, the “New Testament” which was bound with the Hebrew scriptures to make “the Bible”) because no one would have written about Jesus. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, there would have been nothing to write about nor would there be anyone to write it because none of his followers expected a resurrection.

The existence of the New Testament is as simple and compelling proof of the resurrection as there is, I think. Of course, that proof doesn’t work on everyone, and I want to talk about that tomorrow.

In the meantime, Paul’s testimony was clear:

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. (1 Corinthians 15.3 – 8, ESV)