October 2005 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain’s Corner – October 27, 2005
Rev. Rich Hines
Teach Inmates The Resurrection of Jesus Proves The Supremacy of Christ
This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as
their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain in a jail, prison
or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the
Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a
text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs ().
These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text, or to make
a comment about a biblical text.
Dear Chaplains, I recently received an e-mail from a Muslim man in an Islamic
country. Here’s part of what he wrote –
“I am a born Muslim. I was encircled in Christians during my stay in
I got (became) aware that many Christian cults and false churches are spoiling
(the) Christians’ faith. I need real assistance in a true way that would lead
me to Jesus. I want to evaluate everything on the basis of reason and
research.”
HERE’S PART OF MY ANSWER to this apparently sincere seeker (note his desire for
“solid proofs” and what I consider a supernaturally aided ability to see
through the lies of “Christian cults and false churches”). I WROTE BACK to him:
“The greatest solid ‘proof’ for as you say, the ‘supremacy’ of true
Christianity is the empty tomb of Jesus! It points to the fact that the
God-Man, Jesus, rose physically from the dead.
In the first century, the easiest way to de-bunk the growth of the new faith
would have been to produce His remains. History teaches us that BOTH the
leading religious Jews AND the idol worshiping pantheistic Greeks and Romans
would have wanted nothing more than to do this! BUT THEY COULDN’T produce the
evidence that His resurrection was false!
Beyond that, we have the internal witness of the New Testament. It shows that
Jesus’ followers were at first absolutely TERRIFIED by both Jewish and Roman
authorities. So unbelievers’ explanations that the disciples of Jesus stole His
body and claimed He rose from the dead just don’t hold
up. Scripture also makes it clear that they NEVER EXPECTED HIM TO RISE FROM THE
DEAD – even though before His death, Jesus repeatedly told them He would rise
from the dead.
Furthermore, every one of Jesus’ Apostles except John,
subsequently died a martyrs death. Their deaths, which have been recorded by
extra-biblical historians, were torturous. The Apostle John was banished as an
old man to the
Men would not suffer persecution for their faith like that - without one record
of ever denying the truth of the resurrection of Jesus as a way out - IF THEY
KNEW IT WAS A FRAUD AND NOT A REALITY!
Study again the last chapters of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Study also the next to
the last chapter of John (Chapter 20). Then and only then, read Romans 1:1-4.
Also consider Acts 17:30,31.
Don’t let anyone confuse you by politics or ethnic identity. Faith is not
inbred. A person’s national origin or culture DOES NOT MAKE ANYONE A CHRISTIAN
AS THE BIBLE DEFINES THAT WORD. It’s a matter of personal faith and a personal
relationship with the true God – even Jesus the Christ.”
I closed my reply to him with a few more things and a “Salaam.” It’s great when
THEY ask you a reason for the hope within you, isn’t it?
Whether they ask you or not, I want to remind you to teach inmates that the
resurrection of Jesus proves the supremacy of Christ and of the faith that
follows Him alone!
Consider some of the Scriptures I told the inquiring Muslim to read. Give these
passages to inmates and residents who may like the Muslim, want to “evaluate
everything on the basis of reason and research.”
Romans 1:1-4
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to
the gospel of God
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3 concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David
according to the flesh,
4 and declared (marked out as) the Son of God (God, the Son) WITH POWER
according to the Spirit of holiness, BY THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
Acts 17:30,31
30 Truly, these times of ignorance (in worshiping idols – the context of verses
24,25 and 29) God overlooked, BUT NOW (since the death and resurrection of
Jesus) commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given ASSURANCE of this
to all BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD.
The resurrection of Jesus not only proves He’s God, it also guarantees He will
one day judge all of mankind. This resurrection of Jesus from physical death is
a sure thing. It’s a well-established HISTORICAL FACT.
Note also these words from Acts 1:1-3
1 … Jesus …
2 … He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to
the apostles whom He had chosen,
3 to whom He ALSO PRESENTED HIMSELF ALIVE AFTER HIS SUFFERING (a reference to
His death) BY MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS (positive proofs), BEING SEEN BY THEM
DURING FORTY DAYS …
The Holy Spirit directed historian was given the words “MANY POSITIVE PROOFS,”
or as we might say today: MANY proof positives. “MANY” means a lot, a whole
lot!
Notable historians have said there is more legal evidence and proof that would
stand up in a court of law today for the resurrection of Jesus than there is for
the existence of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln! Tell the inmates that !
But FIRST, emphasize THIS to your inmates – Jesus was really, REALLY DEAD.
This is important because some unbelievers have said Jesus never really died.
They say He only fainted on the cross and was revived by the spices and the
coolness of the tomb. That’s ridiculous.
The Apostle John saw Jesus die. He even saw a Roman soldier make sure He was
dead by driving a spear deep into His chest cavity, piercing the cardiac muscle.
He then saw the result of that piercing – as he later wrote: “immediately blood
and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is
true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.”
(John 19:34,35)
In reference to the “apostles,” Acts 1:3 says, “TO WHOM He presented Himself
alive… by many infallible proofs”. So what are some of the MANY subsequent
PROOFS that Jesus really rose from the dead? I offer 8 proof positives.
1. The apostles touched His resurrected physical flesh. See Luke 24:39
2. The apostles examined the wounds in His hands and feet from the Roman spikes
and the wound in His side from the Roman spear. See Luke 24:40, John 20:25-27
and 1 John 1:1.
3. The apostles saw Him eat physical food after His resurrection. See Luke
24:41-43
These first three things emphasize the apostles came
in contact with the physical body of the resurrected Jesus, rather than some
apparition or spirit. The next proof to consider is:
4. The apostles and some other named witnesses saw Him MORE THAN TEN DIFFERENT
TIMES after His resurrection. The resurrected Jesus was:
Seen by Mary Magdalene – Mark 16:9, John 20:11-18,
Seen by Mary the mother of James and Salome – Mark 16:1 with Matthew 28:5-10,
Seen by Peter – apparently alone 1 Cor. 15:5a, Luke
24:34,
Seen by Cleopas and another disciple on the road to
Emmaus – Luke 24:13-32,
Seen by 10 gathered apostles without Thomas – John 20:19-24,
Seen by 11gathered apostles including Thomas, a week later – Mark 16:14, John
20:26
Seen by 7 apostles by the Sea of Galilee – John 21:1-2,
Seen by 11 apostles on a mountain in Galilee – Matthew 28:16,17 with 1 Cor. 15:6,
Seen by His half-brother, James – 1 Cor. 15:7,
Seen by the 11 apostles on the day of His ascension into heaven – Acts 1:4-11.
IN ADDITION, note that according to Acts 1:3, He presented Himself alive after
His death “DURING FORTY DAYS AND SPEAKING OF THE THINGS PERTAINING TO THE
KINGDOM OF GOD.” This certainly allows for MORE THAN the 10 appearances to the
17 persons I’ve listed.
The number of witnesses who saw Him and the number of instances they saw Him, all add great legal weight to the fact of His
resurrection.
5. Not only did these 11 specially chosen apostles see Him after His
resurrection from the dead, in yet another setting He was ALSO SEEN BY OVER 500
people at the SAME TIME! See 1 Corinthians 15:6.
So if you add up all the people Scripture lists, (17 individuals plus “over
500,” which means at least 501) you have at least 518 historical eyewitnesses
that saw Jesus after He rose from the dead!
This VAST NUMBER of eyewitnesses is also important because unbelievers have
suggested the reports of Jesus being seen alive after His death and burial were
in reality “only illusions.” Some people have had illusions of things that are
not real, BUT IT’S A MEDICAL FACT THAT OVER 500 PEOPLE CAN’T HAVE EXACTLY THE
SAME ILLUSION AT THE SAME TIME!
6. The empirical evidence of a supernatural event in the tomb,
caused an ignorant apostle to believe that Jesus had really risen from the
dead. See John 20:1-9.
In these verses, the Apostle John told of how Mary Magdalene came and told both
Peter and himself that the tomb was empty, and that she thought Jesus’ body had
been moved. Together with Peter, John ran to the tomb. When he arrived he saw
the empty shell of grave cloths that had been bound around Jesus’ body and a
neatly folded head-cloth in a separate place.
Then John went into the tomb and further studied the evidence at the scene.
Realizing this was not the work of grave robbers, he believed that Jesus had
supernaturally risen from the dead, having passed through the body wrappings.
7. The change wrought in out-right enemies of
Christianity.
Have seekers of the truth examine the life of Saul of Tarsus, who eventually
became the Apostle Paul.
As a Pharisee he must have believed one of the cover-up lies sponsored by the
chief Jewish priests and Sanhedrin council members.
According to Matthew 28:11-15, when the guards came and told the religious
authorities about the empty tomb, they were guaranteed protection from military
discipline and also heavily bribed with “a large sum of money,” to spread the
lies that they had fallen asleep on duty, and that during their sleep the
disciples of Jesus had stolen His body.
That and other factors made Saul the leading opponent and persecutor of
Christianity. On five different occasions he later stated his initial
opposition and hatred of the name of Jesus (Acts 22:4; Acts 26:11; 1
Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13 and 1 Timothy 1:13). BUT when Saul saw the
resurrected and glorified Lord Jesus on the road to
In 1 Corinthians 15:8,9 he wrote:
8 Then last of all He WAS SEEN by me also, as by one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the
Some who don’t believe Jesus really rose from the dead like to say the only
witnesses for His resurrection were those who were His followers. Saul
certainly wasn’t a believer, or friendly to Jesus’
cause when he first saw Him on the
8. The survival and spread of Christianity for 20 centuries.
The fact that the apostles constantly continued to boldly proclaim the resurrection
of Jesus, caused many to forsake man-made religion and embrace Jesus as their
Highest Lord. The more the faith was persecuted the more it increased. Again,
men and women don’t lose everything including their lives, for what they know
to be false.
To this very day, the morally revolutionized lives of countless millions of
believers likewise testify to the reality and superiority of Biblical
Christianity. Today, as in the 1st century, people are being persecuted in
increasing numbers, even to death, for leaving the religions of their
forefathers and turning to Christ. If Jesus’ resurrection from the dead were a
lie and a hoax, this wouldn’t be happening.
In conclusion, the reality of Christ’s resurrection not only makes Him superior
to all others, it also creates a real change deep in
the life of the true believer. As the ex-enemy of Jesus said in Philippians
3:10, there’s a “power of His resurrection” that can be “known” and experienced
in this life. It’s the supernatural power over sin. It’s the only power that
can really change a hardened criminal into a truly good person.
So Chaplains, my charge to you this month is to be like the first century
apostles of Jesus. “With great power, “ they
constantly “gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 4:33). You are to do the same thing.
Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains for