Easter 2026

“Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt”

Welcome to Pine Grove Community Church and this service on Resurrection Sunday!

Today, we celebrate our risen Lord with sunrise services, pancake breakfasts, abbreviated sermons and easter egg hunts.

• No wonder non-Christians are confused!

Some sermon someday we may peel back the layers of that quagmire to reveal the intricacies of that dilemma. Kind of like trying to explain Cadbury eggs…

• I love them, but they do not make any sense at all…

Today however I want to tackle another topic, regardless of what you call today, or how you celebrate it, I want us to focus on the Fact of the Resurrection of Jesus. 

Let me ask you something- How sure are you of pretty much any major historical event?

• The Xia Dynasty emerging China
• Augustus becoming the first emperor of Rome
• Cyrus the Great founding the Persian Empire
• The Black Plague sweeping across Europe
• Columbus arriving in the Americas
• The Fall of the Aztec Empire to Corteś

Let’s bring it closer to home – How sure are you about-

• The signing of the Declaration of Independence
• General Washington crossing the Delaware
• Paul Revere’s midnight ride
• The assignation of President Lincoln
• The Wright brother’s first flight
• The moon landing!

Let me ask you – Are ANY of these major historical events challenged as to their authenticity? (other than the moon landing, that was totally faked)

The answer of course is NO. 

But why not? Do you realize how very little evidence there is for many of these events?

Fragments of ancient documents, historical accounts handed down through the generations, cultural and archeological support, and that is about it. 

Yet none of them are challenged as being absolute fact. 

BUT when we come to the Resurrection of Jesus – suddenly all the rules the change!

“No proof!” the world cries. 

Where with almost every other historical event the standard for truth is reasonable proof – suddenly for Jesus to have risen from the dead, there must be proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Why? Because those who are of the world – do not want the resurrection of Jesus to be true.

Because if the Resurrection of Jesus is true – then everything He taught, and everything about Him is true.  

• So, they inject Bias. Prejudice. 
• Drawing a conclusion prior to even considering the merits of the question.

So, this morning, I would like for us to take a look at this historical event that the world is so eager to deny. 

As with any historical event we start with the written record regarding that event. 

Historical events leading up to the Resurrection

Jesus of Nazareth appeared on the historical stage as a prophet, and teacher in Judea around 27-29AD.

• This is supported by Luke 3:1 where it is recorded that Jesus began His ministry fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar and matching that to the annuals of Rome written by the Roman historian Tacitus in the First Century. 

For the next three years and half years, Jesus of Nazareth travelled the regions of Judea, Galilee and Samaria. 

• This is supported by the synoptical biblical accounts which report Jesus travelled to Jerusalem three times for the annual Passover feast.  
  • (John 2:13, 6:4, and 11:55-57)

Jesus of Nazareth made the following principal claims during His ministry-

Claims Regarding His identity –

He declared a unique relationship of Oneness with God in Divinity and Authority. 

John 10:29-30 My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are One.”

The Sacred Writings of the Old Testament established that God alone was able to forgive sin, because the offense of sin was against Him, therefore, only He could forgive it. 

And yet, in Mark 2:3-11 Jesus declared to a paralyzed man after seeing the man’s faith in Him-“Son, your sins are forgiven.” – to which the Jewish religious leaders watching immediately responded, “He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”    

Claims Regarding His Mission as the Messiah-

Jesus publicly declared Himself to be the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah to seek and save the lost. 

Luke 19:9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 24:44 “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

He even prophesied about His own demise to fulfill that role- John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Claims Regarding His Unique Role in Salvation

Jesus claimed that He is the exclusive source of eternal life and the only means of reconciling humanity with God

Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.

Claims Regarding His Role as Judge

There is an accountability before God for our deeds in the flesh. The wage of sin is death – Yet Jesus, the one died that we might live – will be the judge of the living and the dead. 

John 5:21-23 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Claims Regarding His Identity as the Christ and coming King

Mark 14:61-62 But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again, the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

The religious leaders of God’s people Israel refused to accept these claims. 

Even though Jesus authenticated them by powerful teaching that could not be refuted from the Word of God and by the fulfilling of the prophecies and performing of repeated miracles, signs and wonders consistent with the works of the Christ as foretold in the scriptures. 

Matthew 26:3-4 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

The religious leaders made it to sound like Jesus was a blasphemer against the Word of God.  

John 10:33 “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

But if Jesus was telling the truth – then His words were not blasphemy against God – they were the words OF GOD.

In John 5:39, Jesus declared ““You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”

If guilty, under the Jewish Law, Jesus should have been arrested, tried, and executed by stoning. 

But the Jewish leaders knew they had no case, and Jesus had the support of the people – so instead – they colluded, conspired, and plotted.

Rome held political power over all Judea - If found guilty of breaking Roman Law – Jesus could be executed by Rome. 

And so, to Rome the religious leaders made their appeals – 

Rome had no concerns for the accusations that Jesus had violated Jewish customs or law. 

Pontius Pilate declared to them-

In John 18 we read Pilates’ response “Take him yourselves and judge him by your laws”  

In Luke 23:22 Pilate declares “"What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death.”

The one accusation they did make against Jesus was that of sedition – Where Jesus claimed to be “King of the Jews.” 

Under Roman law – there was one king in the land – Caesar – and sedition was punishable by death, even death by crucifixion. 

Two of the saddest exchanges of recorded history are found in the final trial of Jesus of Nazareth – 

Between Pilate and Jesus

John 18:33-38 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”  Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” 

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”

Between Pilate and the Jewish Leaders

John 19:15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Pilate found no guilt in Jesus of Nazareth. He was no threat to Rome and innocent of wrongdoing.  – But to appease the Jewish leaders, Pilate sacrificed an innocent man to the cross. 

The sign above His head– in three languages – Latin, Hebrew and Greek “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”

Ironically, the Jewish leaders complained-

John 19:21-22 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

• And what he had written – was the truth.

He is- Jesus of Nazareth – the man who declared that He was the Son of God – the Christ – The Messiah/Deliverer/Savior,

The Good Shepherd, who would lay down His life, so that those who followed Him in faith would have their sins forgiven before God and pass from the judgement of death to eternal life.  

Upon his death, the historical record reports there was an earthquake, the day grew dark as night, and the veil in the temple that stood before the Holy of Holies was torn in half from top to bottom. 

Following His death, His body was hastily wrapped with burial cloths, because it was late in the day and the Sabbath was approaching and was placed in a tomb. 

A circular stone slap was rolled to close-up the tomb. And the world waited.  

It is interesting that nobody questions the factuality of Jesus of Nazareth. 

• That He lived and died is never debated. 

Even the Muslim Quran acknowledges Him as a messenger and miracle worker sent by God. Although that teaching declares that on the cross Jesus only “appeared to die” and was then caught up to heaven. 

• That Jesus died should not be questioned – Rome sentenced him to die, and the roman soldiers were very good at their jobs. 

Which brings us to the Resurrection. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TOMB?

As with any event in history – let’s begin by reading the historical account.

Matthew 28:1-7

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. ² And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. ³ And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men. ⁵ And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. ⁷ And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

John 20:3-8

³ So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; ⁵ and he stooped to look in, and *saw the linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in. ⁶ So Simon Peter also *came, following him, and he entered the tomb; 

and he *looked at the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed.

The Reality of the Resurrection

There are really only two options here.

1) The body of Jesus of Nazareth was stolen

2) The body of Jesus of Nazareth had risen, as He said He would.

Let’s consider the stolen theory-

The religious leaders had been concerned that might happen. Jesus had said He would rise again. Surely His followers might seek to steal the body to purpurate the lie. 

In response, the Jewish leaders placed an official seal on the tomb and posted guards to protect it. 

Yet, three days later, the guards stood before the Jewish leaders reporting what had happened and that the body of Jesus of Nazareth was gone. 

• Rather than believe – they conspired again.

Matthew 28:12-15  And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, ¹³ and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews and is to this day.

And that story DOES persist, but there are some serious problems.

• If the body had been stolen, What about the guards?
  • If they reported they had been overpowered by bandits, that would have been fine.

• But to report a wild story about angels and falling asleep? For that story they could have been severely punished or even executed. 

• As evidenced by the fact that they were willing to accept a bribe to tell the lie of sleeping on the job and take the protection of the Jewish leaders. 

• Why leave behind the wrappings? After three days, the decomposition of the body should have been quite notable as it was with Lazarus. 
  • Lazarus, who had reportedly come out of the tomb with his wrappings on him, and needed help being unwrapped. 

• Yet, the wrappings on Jesus body were found, not wadded up on the floor, but lying in place with the face covering neatly folded.  

• Who benefits? The disciples didn't gain wealth or power by preaching the Resurrection. They gained beatings, exile, and execution. 
  • People may die for a lie they believe is true, but no one dies for a lie they know is a lie.
  • The wrong witnesses – If the body of Jesus had been stolen and the story is a lie – then women as the first witnesses would have had LITTLE WEIGHT in the cultural setting. 
    • In the 1st century, a woman’s testimony was not legally valid in a Jewish court. 
    • If the disciples were inventing a story, they would have made Peter or John the first to see Him. The fact that Mary Magdalene is the first witness is a "mark of authenticity."

• The Result of the Resurrection Story- (Cultural shift as proof) Something happened on that Sunday that turned a group of fearful men hiding in an upper room into the bold lions we saw in the Book of Acts.

Friends, when John looked into that tomb and saw it empty, he believed.

  NOT seeing Jesus became the confirmation in trusting WHO Jesus said that He was!

Add to this – Following the reported resurrection – 

Jesus of Nazareth appeared to all of His disciples and over 500 other people. 

• An account that was written of in a time it which if it were not true, could have been disputed. – But no record of that is found. 

SPEAKING OF WHICH – 

Although the standard for accepting other ancient historical events as factual is accepted on one account – the fact of the resurrection has been historically denied. 

EVEN THOUGH- there collaborating accounts OUTSIDE of scripture!

1. Flavius Josephus (c. AD 37–100)

In his work Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus mentions Jesus twice.

• The Testimonium Flavianum (18:63): Josephus states that Pilate condemned Jesus to the cross and that his followers reported he appeared to them alive on the third day.
• Later, Josephus refers to the execution of James, identifying him as the "brother of Jesus, who was called Christ." 

2. Cornelius Tacitus (c. AD 56–120)

Tacitus is considered one of Rome’s greatest historians. In his Annals (15.44), he discusses Nero’s persecution of Christians after the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64.

• The Reference: He explicitly states that the "founder of the name" (Christus) "suffered the extreme penalty (crucifixion) during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus."
• The Resurrection Link: He notes that the "mischievous superstition" (referring to the resurrection belief) was checked for a moment but then "broke out again" not just in Judea, but in Rome. 

3. Pliny the Younger (c. AD 61–113)

As a Roman governor in Bithynia, Pliny wrote to Emperor Trajan (Letters 10.96) asking how to handle Christians.

• The Practice: He describes Christian’s meeting on a "fixed day" before dawn and singing hymns to "Christ as to a God."
• The Significance: This confirms that very early on, Christians were not just following a dead teacher, but were worshipping a living Divine figure—a practice that makes no sense unless they were convinced of the Resurrection.

4. Thallus and Phlegon (1st & 2nd Century)

• Thallus (c. AD 52): His original works are lost, but the 3rd-century historian Julius Africanus quotes him as Thallus attempted to explain away the darkness at the crucifixion as an "eclipse of the sun."
• Phlegon (2nd Century): mentions that during the reign of Tiberius, there was a massive earthquake and a darkness so great that "the stars were seen in the heavens" at the sixth hour.

That Jesus of Nazareth was a factual historical person who lived, taught, and died is not debated. 

And as I stated earlier, the only question comes regarding His resurrection, and on that there are really only two options:

1) The body of Jesus of Nazareth was stolen

2) The body of Jesus of Nazareth had risen, as He said He would.

I hope that you have seen this morning that there is at least enough, if not far more than in the case of other accepted historical events – to conclude that the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is factual. 

I would go so far as to say that the evidence shows proof beyond a reasonable doubt. 

And that leaves us with only one other possibility – Jesus of Nazareth rose on the third day, as He said He would. HE IS RISEN!

And as this is proven true – then EVERYTHING Jesus said about Himself is true

Claims Regarding His identity – He declared a unique relationship of Oneness with God in Divinity and Authority.

Claims Regarding His Mission as the Messiah- Jesus publicly declared Himself to be the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah to seek and save the lost. 

Claims Regarding His Unique Role in Salvation- Jesus claimed that He is the exclusive source of eternal life and the only means of reconciling humanity with God.

Claims Regarding His Role as Judge- There is an accountability before God for our deeds in the flesh. The wage of sin is death – Yet Jesus, the one died that we might live – will be the judge of the living and the dead. 

Claims Regarding His Identity as the Christ and coming King- They asked Him, and Jesus replied- “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

The Fact - that the Resurrection of Jesus is a Fact – changes everything.

Man’s guilt before God is a fact -as we have all failed to honor Him rightly in our hearts.

Hell is a Fact – As is the fact that God will judge mankind according to His righteousness – and condemn those who have denied Jesus to Hell for eternity.

Salvation is Fact - If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

To anyone hearing this message who has never really considered these things, or who grew up believing the lie because that is what they had been taught-

• Now you know the truth. Just as those living in those days knew the truth. 

The next decision is yours. 

Will you continue to deny it? - Or accept it for the truth that it is?

If you choose to deny it - remember this – Not believing the truth, does not make the truth untrue.

• You will still be burned by the fire you deny is hot. 

If you accept it – 

Then you have just opened the door to salvation. 

And I encourage you with all my heart to step through that door – we have so much more to show you from the Word of God!