JUDGE: “Docket number…..’The Resurrection of Jesus Christ vs the AC_U’ will now come to order.” “Plaintiff maintains that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is supported by valid historical evidence and should therefore be taught as a literal fact. Defendant maintains that the Resurrection is not supported by secular historians and is therefore an ancient myth that should not be taught as a historical fact.”
“Attorney for the Plantiff, you may state your case.”
“Thank you your honor.”
“Firstly, the Messiah’s bodily resurrection from the dead was historically predicted approximately 1000 years before the event in question was written to have occurred. I enter into evidence exhibit ‘A’ (Psalms 16:10) For thou wilt not leave my soul in sheol; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy Holy One to see corruption. This scripture teaches that the Christ’s spirit would go into the spiritual realm (sheol) and remain there until just before the time that His dead body would start to decay, whereby it would have been raised, brought back to life in a perfect state, in perfect condition. I now enter into evidence exhibit ‘B’ (Acts 2:22-36) Attorney for the Defense: “Objection, your honor!” “The Plaintiff is introducing as evidence the ‘Pentecost account’ that is not supported by any secular evidence of that time, and so should not be allowed to be entered into as historical evidence .” Plaintiff Attorney: “Your honor, in a secular historical record, we have evidence that implies the Pentecost account. If the court allows, I add exhibit ‘C’ into record. (Cornelius Tacitus ‘Annals’ 15:44) ‘….Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populance. Christus, from whom the name had it’s origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievious superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome….’ Cornelius Tacitus 56 A.D. – 117A.D. This writing reveals that when Christ was crucified His following was stopped. However, the 50 or so days following the crucifixion corresponds to the moment in his Annals concerning the time the followers of Christ were in check.” Judge: “Objection overruled. The court recognizes the Tacitus writings as historically accurate accounts, and very likely points to the day and the time frame of the spread of the Christian following.” Attorney for the Plaintiff: “Thank you your honor. I now enter exhibit 'B'....22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
The next exhibit I enter is the account of the ancient Jewish writer, Flavius Josephus. Attorney for the Defendant: “Objection your honor!” “It is well established in the academic community that the writing of Josephus concerning Jesus being the Messiah, is an ancient Christian interpolation.” Attorney for the Plaintiff: “Your honor, the council for the defense is correct, and why I have deleted all of the interpolations from my Josephus exhibit ‘D’.” Judge: “The court will allow the Josephus writing to be introduced into the court as historical evidence in support of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ only as long as it contains no ancient pro-Christian interpolations.” Attorney for the Plaintiff: “Thank you your honor. I now enter exhibit ‘D’ Josephus (Antiquities 18.3.3)" Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man who was a doer of wonderful works. He drew over to himself both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. When Pilate, at the suggestion of the principled men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. They told that he appeared to them alive again just as the prophets had foretold. This tribe has not become extinct to this day. Josephus 37 A.D. – 100 A.D.

[to be continued]