Evidence | The Reason for Our Hope
1 Peter 3:15, Luke 1:1-4
v.15: “Always be prepared to give an ANSWER to everyone who asks you to give the REASON for the HOPE that YOU have.”
Why is my HOPE in Jesus?
The GOSPELS
What is the EVIDENCE?
What is the most PROBABLE explanation, not what is a POSSIBLE explanation?
Luke 1:1-3 (pg. 1,587)
v.1: “MANY have undertaken to draw up an ACCOUNT of the THINGS that have been FULFILLED among US. Just as they were handed down to us by those, who from the first, EYE WITNESSES and servants of the word.”
Something extraordinarily GOOD had happened.
v.3: “With this in mind, since I myself have CAREFULLY INVESTIGATED everything from the BEGINNING. I too, decided to write an orderly account for YOU. ”
Are there any other POSSIBLE explanations for why not only Luke, but also Matthew, Mark and John wrote their books?
NONE of these meet the standard of PROBABLE cause.
When you read these four accounts of the life of Jesus, you find exactly what you would expect to find in four DIFFERENT accounts about the SAME person.
Other evidence we should consider:
- These men NEVER became rich for what they wrote.
- These men did NOT die for what they believed.
- These men died for what it is they SAW.
A person may lie in order to SAVE their life, but a person will not lie in order to DIE.
The EVIDENCE tells us, its not a theory that’s alive, it’s JESUS who is alive!