Evidence #3 for Resurrection: Radical Change in Judaism

We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
—Galatians 2:15–16

The third piece of evidence for the resurrection is the radical change in Judaism.

Now, think about this: the Jewish religion had been in effect for almost two thousand years when a rabbi named Jesus came along. Jesus came from a lower socioeconomic background in northern Israel in Nazareth. And He went around teaching for three years, teaching that the Jewish religion had it wrong. Jesus taught that salvation is not earned by keeping the law; it’s given by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He went around teaching that for three years. He ran into some problems with the Jews and the Roman officials, which ended with His crucifixion.

Back then there were no television, newspapers, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. But suddenly news of Jesus’ death spreads like wildfire all throughout Israel. And within five weeks of this death, ten thousand Jews willingly gave up their Jewish faith that was rooted in thousands of years of tradition. Overnight they give up their faith and they become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, even in the face of severe persecution for their beliefs. How do you explain that?

How do you explain Jews who radically transformed what their people had believed for thousands of years? One social historian describes the changes as “social earthquakes.” You know what caused the earthquake in Judaism? It was the earthquake that accompanied the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It’s one of the greatest pieces of evidence that Jesus Christ really did rise up from the tomb.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Simple Answers to Sincere Questions,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2011.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.