Welcome to Easter at South! We're glad you joined us today! Below you will find some sermon notes and Bible passages, to help you follow along with Pastor Scott's message today on the Easter theme. We hope you will be encouraged by what is taught today, and we hope that you will come back next week.

Evidence (for the Resurrection) - Quality Witness #1

Thomas, once a Doubter

Thomas was unfortunately one of the disciples who was not in the room when the Twelve witnessed Christ with their own eyes. He was, however, told by the disciples who were in the room, “We have seen the Lord.” And to this testimony of the resurrected Christ, we are told that Timothy’s response was, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will NEVER BELIEVE.”

Thankfully, Thomas the DOUBTER experienced a transformation as a result of an encounter with the resurrected Christ - which according to John 20, happened eight days after Jesus appeared to the first groups of disciples. When he appeared again, Thomas was present, and in verse 26, it says that “Jesus turned to Thomas and said, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’” Having had this first-hand encounter with the resurrected Christ, Thomas answered Jesus with the following statement that demonstrated a powerful transformation having taken place in his life, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas was killed for his faith in Christ around 72 AD, reportedly stabbed with a spear while in prayer.

Evidence (for the Resurrection) - Quality Witness #2

Peter, once a Denier

Peter is the one, who on the same night in which Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and put on trial for his life, became a DENIER of Jesus on three different occasions. This spiritual failure by Peter ultimately led him to believe he was no longer usable as a disciple, so he made the choice to go back to what he was doing before he met Jesus - being a fisherman. On one of the occasions that Peter was back fishing, we are told about a transformational encounter that he had with the resurrected Christ in John 21.

Now, because of this encounter with the resurrected Christ, we see Peter transformed from being a fearful denier of Christ to being a bold, Spirit-filled servant for Christ.

Peter eventually traveled to Rome, where he was martyred by crucifixion—requesting to be hung upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.

Evidence (for the Resurrection) - Quality Witness #3

James, once a Skeptic

This guy named James is the "half brother" of Jesus. Described so simply because both were born out of Mary's body. (Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit, and Mary carried Him in her body and gave birth to him. James was conceived in the way all of us are.) James and his brothers thought Jesus was a crazy person.

Seeing Christ raised from the dead convinced James that Jesus was exactly who he had claimed to be. And that conviction transformed James from a skeptic into a passionate leader of the early church, giving some much needed oversight during intense persecution.

According to historians like Josephus, James died for his faith around 62 AD, when Jewish religious leaders took him to the temple in an attempt to force him to renounce his faith in Jesus. When he refused, he was thrown from a height and then stoned to death.

Evidence (for the Resurrection) - Quality Witness #4

Paul, once an Opposer

As a zealous Pharisee, Paul admits that he was an enemy of the church.In Acts 9, we are told about how Paul went so far as capturing and persecuting Christians, even to the point of death.Prior to his encounter with the resurrected Christ, Paul was an OPPOSER.

Still consumed with a desire to persecute Christians, Paul was on the road to Damascus, where he was going to meet with the high priest so that he might get the equivalent of a warrant to look for, arrest, and bring any Christians back to Jerusalem to have them tried, punished, and imprisoned for heresy and blasphemy against Jewish law. While on this road, suddenly Paul was confronted with the blazing glory of Jesus. And out of this blazing glory, Jesus identified himself as the one who Paul was persecuting in order to make him aware of how pointless his efforts were.

Eventually, based on historical accounts, the Apostle Paul’s passionate commitment to Jesus led to his execution by way of decapitation in Rome, around 67 AD, under Emperor Nero.

Which one of these guys do you identify with the most?

Thomas, once a Doubter
Peter, once a Denier
James, once a Skeptic
Paul, once an Opposer