Christianity is established not as some esoteric idea, but on the basis of an historical event in history. This message was given on March 27, 2016 (Easter Sunday) at New City Church in Calgary by Pastor John Ferguson. For more info, please visit: www.newcitychurch.ca

1. Jesus and the Resurrection
Acts 17:16-34

2. The New Testament revolves
around a series of events said to
have occurred in Palestine
between 5BC and AD30. This
makes Christianity open—some
would say vulnerable.… The
logic is simple: if you claim that
something spectacular took
place in history, intelligent
people are going to ask you
historical questions.

3. On the whole, Christianity has
welcomed this. It is as if the
Christian faith places its head
on the chopping block of
public scrutiny and invites us
all to take a swing.

4. Jesus and the Resurrection
Acts 17:16-34

5. Saul of Tarsus The Apostle Paul

6. 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them
Acts 17:16-34
in Athens, his spirit was provoked within
as he saw that the city was full of idols.

8. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with
the Jews and the devout persons, and in
the market place every day with those
who happened to be there.
Acts 17:16-34

9. wish to say?”
18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic
philosophers also conversed with him.
And some said, “What does this babbler
Acts 17:16-34

10. wish to say?” Others said, “He seems
to be a preacher of foreign divinities”
— because he was preaching Jesus
and the resurrection.
18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic
philosophers also conversed with him.
And some said, “What does this babbler
Acts 17:16-34

11. For I delivered to you as of
first importance what I also
received: that Christ died
for our sins in accordance
with the Scriptures, that he
was buried, that he was
raised on the third day in
accordance with the
Scriptures, and that he
appeared to Cephas, then
to the twelve...
~ The Apostle Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15

12. Then he appeared to more
than five hundred
brothers at one time, most
of whom are still alive,
though some have fallen
asleep. Then he appeared
to James, then to all the
apostles. Last of all, as to
one untimely born, he
appeared also to me.
~ The Apostle Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15

13. For I am the least of
the apostles,
unworthy to be called
an apostle, because I
persecuted the
church of God.
~ The Apostle Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15

14. If Christ has not been
raised, then our
preaching is in vain
and your faith is in
vain…. But in fact,
Christ has been
raised from the dead.
~ The Apostle Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15

15. 19 And they took him and brought him to
the Areopagus, saying, “May we know
what this new teaching is that you are
presenting? 20 For you bring strange
things to our ears. We wish to know
therefore what these things mean.”
Acts 17:16-34

16. 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreign-
ers who lived there would spend their
time in nothing except telling or hearing
something new.
Acts 17:16-34

17. 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the
Areopagus, said, “Men of Athens, I per-
chive that in every way you are very
religious. 23 For as I passed along and
observed the objects of your worship,
I found also an alter with this inscription,
‘To the unknown god.’
Acts 17:16-34

18. 24 What therefore you worship as un-
known, this I proclaim to you. 24 The
God who made the world and everything
in it, being Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in temples made by man,
25 nor is he served by human hands, as
though he needed anything, since…
Acts 17:16-34

19. …he himself gives to all mankind life and
breath and everything. 26 And he made
from one man every nation of mankind to
live on all the face of the earth, having
determined allotted periods and the
boundaries of their dwelling place…,
Acts 17:16-34

20. 27 …that they should seek God, and per-
haps feel their way toward him and find
him…
Acts 17:16-34

21. …yet actually he is not far from each of
us, 28 for “In him we live and move and
have our being’; even as some of your
own poets have said, “For we are indeed
his offspring.”
Acts 17:16-34

22. 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought
not to think that the divine being is like
gold or silver or stone, an image formed
by the art and the imagination of man.
Acts 17:16-34

23. 30 The times of ignorance God overlook-
ed, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent…
Acts 17:16-34

24. repentance

25. “Then he opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures,
and said to them, ‘Thus it is
written, that the Christ should
suffer and on the third day rise
from the dead, and that
repentance and forgiveness of
sins should be proclaimed in
his name to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem. You
are witnesses of these things.”
~ Jesus of Nazareth in
The Gospel of Luke 24:45ff

26. world in righteousness by a man whom
he has appointed; and of this he has
given assurance to all by raising him
from the dead.”
30 …now he commands all people
everywhere to repent, 31 because he has
fixed a day on which he will judge the
Acts 17:16-34

27. 32 Now when they heard of the resurrec-
tion of the dead, some mocked. But
others said, “We will hear you again
about this.” 33 So Paul went out from
their midst. 34 But some men joined him
and believed, among whom were Diony-
sins the Areopagite, and a woman named
Damaris and others with them.
Acts 17:16-34

28. 1 “This is silly.”
So, where are you?

29. “He who used to
persecute us is now
preaching the faith he
once tried to destroy.”
~ The Apostle Paul
quoting the early Christians
in Galatians 1:23

30. 1 “This is silly.”
2 “I’m curious. I want to hear more.”
So, where are you?

31. “If Christ is risen,
nothing else matters.
And if Christ is not –
nothing else matters.”
~ Jaroslav Pelikan
Yale University

32. 1 “This is silly.”
2 “I’m curious. I want to hear more.”
So, where are you?
3 “I’m ready to repent & believe.”

33. If you confess with your
mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.
~ The Apostle Paul in
in Romans 10:9

34. 1 “This is silly.”
2 “I’m curious. I want to hear more.”
So, where are you?
3 “I’m ready to repent & believe.”
4 “I’m believing it. ”

35. The resurrection of Jesus
from the dead is
Christianity’s most
dangerous idea.

36. flickr images courtesy of:
other images:
“Saint Paul Preaching on Mars Hill” http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/annodomini/theme_03/eng/theme3-1-zoom.html
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2002-09.html