Risen

Epic Biblical stories often become blockbuster movies. Sixty years on from when Charlton Heston starred in the Oscar winning film, 'The Ten Commandments, and a decade after Mel Gibson's, 'The Passion of the Christ', "Risen' concerns the Bible's great drama of Jesus rising from the dead. With great actors and a vivid production we have an unforgettable film about Jesus. Unlike Franco Zeffirelli's 1977 film, 'Jesus of Nazareth', which is loosely based on the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, 'Risen' is an entirely fictional story about Clavius a powerful Roman Military Tribune, who is a non-believer. He and his aide Lucius, are tasked with solving the 'mystery' of what happened to Jesus after the crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumours of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem. Joseph Fiennes, Cliff Curtis and Tom Felton star in the search for the risen Jesus.

The desire to dismiss the Bible record is not new. Barrister Frank Morrison set out to disprove Jesus' resurrection, but ended by writing the book 'Who moved the stone?' which outlines the evidence for Jesus rising from the dead.

The Bible tells us how Jesus lived, suffered on a cross, died, was buried in a tomb, and rose again from the dead. But did He really rise from the dead? If He did, then it makes absolute sense to trust Him and follow Him.

No honest historian would question that Jesus lived and died. But, if He rose from the dead, then He has done what no mere human ever could.

The historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead is overwhelming. Brilliant British historians and lawyers have examined the evidence for the resurrection and are convinced that it is a fact of history. Acting Lord Chief Justice Charles Darling said of Jesus' resurrection, "...there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true." Even Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, 'Ben-Hur: a tale of the Christ', which became a blockbuster film was originally intended to disprove the story of Jesus, but researching the evidence, Jesus' life, death and resurrection so convinced Wallace that he became a Christian and wrote his book.

Christian, Roman and Jewish historians living at the time of Jesus, each wrote about His death and resurrection. From them we learn that Jesus:

• lived a sinless, pure life
• healed the sick
• brought people back to life
• miraculously fed the hungry
• instantly calmed a storm at sea
• cast demons from the demon-possessed
• transformed people's lives
• was beaten and whipped
• was made to carry His cross through the streets of Jerusalem
• was crucified between two thieves
• in His suffering carried upon Himself the sin of the world
• died, and was declared dead by professional executioners
• was buried in an unusual tomb
• three days later bodily rose from the dead
• showed himself alive to over 520 people
• ascended back to heaven from where He came

Jesus is risen! The greatest event in history is that Jesus has conquered the grave and defeated death. The world's best news came from a graveyard!

We can visit the graves and mausoleums of world leaders, but Jesus' tomb is empty!

Jesus rising from the dead means:

• What the Bible prophets and Jesus said was absolutely true. They had predicted that Jesus would come to earth, that He would die paying the penalty for our sin, be buried and then rise from the dead three days later.
• There is life after death ­'Someone' has come back to tell us. Jesus made it clear that there is both heaven for those who have trusted Him for forgiveness, but hell for those who reject God's offer of salvation
• God accepted what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He died taking on Himself the sin of the world, so that we could be forgiven and made right with God. He has risen from the dead. He can make our lives new as He brings us to know God.
• There is hope, even in apparently hopeless situations. Because life does not end in death, we can trust that God will in His time, right the wrongs, bring justice and light where injustice and darkness have previously ruled.

Thomas, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, had not been with the others when the risen Jesus appeared to them the first time. This is what happened next.

So the other disciples told Him, "We have seem the Lord." But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His Hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side'

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Tommas was with them. The doors were locked but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," he said. Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"

"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me".

-John's Gospel 20:24-29