I'm interested in the percentages that will show from this question. Do you believe that Jesus died and rose from the grave? And do you believe that this story is the origin of the Easter and Good Friday holidays?
199395
Yes, I firmly believe Jesus died and rose from the dead.  I believe also that this is why we celebrate Easter.  The bunny and egg thing just came around to entertain the kiddos.
306652
Jesus died for no one.\nHis was a natural death\nPursuing his mission in search of the lost sheep of the house of Israel\nDo some more research'Visit this website:-\nhttp://tombofjesus.com/home.htm
273067
I believe the 2nd story is correct. Not sure about the follower part, but yes, another man was subsituted. See, Jesus was pulled into the heavens and will return before the Day of Judgement, symbolizing that the Day of Judgement is near. So, yes, God did not kill Jesus.
288589
I thought that Muslims accepted the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. I don't know how that makes sense since they don't believe He was crucified and rose again on the third day, but then, I really don't know that much about Islam.
194083
Easter Facts (my parents & pastor didn't tell me)\n\n1 Neither the Bible nor secular history tells us the time of the Resurrection. (Not even the day of the week.)\n\n2 We have God's Word for what days are Holy (to Him) and we know that the NT does NOT say to celebrate Easter (nor does it tell us God wants us to celebrate Christmas).\n\n3 We know that God has NEVER tolerated paganism mixed-in with His worship - it is an abhorrent abomination to Him.
197307
Are you sure they knew nothing of it?  Also, are you sure that the Pharisees knew that he would rise from the dead?  Otherwise, why would they put guards at the tomb if they thought he would really rise.  I think the Pharisees thought someone would remove him from the tomb.  And I think his disciples didn't really know what "rise" meant.
133873
""Question for those who say `Jesus never existed', or `he is a myth'...? Where did the 100's of Christians in Rome come from (around 64 AD) that were tortured and killed by Nero?""\n\nFirst, plenty of people died for their faith, even if you think their faith was nonsense. Sincerity and willingness to die for what one believes in, does not mean that what one believes in is True.\n\nSecond, there are plenty of people who lived over the last 3,000+ years who definitely existed, but whose faith centered around myth, unless, of course, you think that Zeus and Jupiter, Hercules and Dionysus, among many other mythological gods, and those who followed them, were all real???
537626
That depends on what the next two years brings.  The story isn't played out yet.\n\nYou know.... Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried.  Everyone thought it was over then...... but..... he rose again!\n\nSue
128965
I've been to both. In reality, Jesus, and all others, when they were crucified, by Jewish custom had to be taken down from the cross (dead) before sunset Friday, which is why the Roman soldier put the spear through his side. They usually broke the legs of those crucified on the cross to hasten their death, but since Bible prophecy said that none of Jesus' bones would be broken, they stabbed him instead. So, I think they ought to have Good Friday services just before sunset, but in reality it doesn't really matter. It's the commemoration of the event that matters.
56116
Heron by the Sea, I still stick to my answer below, but I appreciate your information.\n\nSchneb, I appreciate your kind words,   Bill\n\nTime of his death. \n\nThe death of Jesus Christ took place in the spring, on the Passover Day, Nisan (or Abib) 14, according to the Jewish calendar. (Mt 26:2; Joh 13:1-3; Ex 12:1-6; 13:4) That year the Passover occurred on the sixth day of the week (counted by the Jews as from sundown on Thursday to sundown on Friday). This is evident from John 19:31, which shows that the following day was “a great” sabbath. The day after Passover was always a sabbath, no matter on what day of the week it came. (Le 23:5-7) But when this special Sabbath coincided with the regular Sabbath (the seventh day of the week), it became “a great one.” So Jesus’ death took place on Friday, Nisan 14, by about 3:00 p.m.—Lu 23:44-46.
28055
It is a strange thing, actually, and a few scholars are actually pushing for the mythical christ idea. Personally I think it explains the evidence better - think about it, if the events in the gospels did occur as they are portrayed, then it's totally inconcievable to me that *not one* contemporary historian bothered to write down any corroborating account.  Think about it, if dead saints were jumping out of their graves, don't you think one of the 40 contemporary historians would have made mention of it?\n\nI do.\n\nThe thing is, apologists will point to the interpolated accounts of Josephus in order to show that there were contemporary accounts - the problem is that Josephus was born in the year 37.  In other words, he wasn't a contemporary.  The best Christians can do is come up with accounts decades after the fact.  One of the posters here says that we should consider Josephus and Tacitus more then we do - but why? Neither actually has any first hand knowledge of Jesus, both of them are going off of what the Christians at the time were telling them.  In short, they are no more credible then the gospel accounts.\n\nIt's a tangled web we weave when we practice to believe (Dr. Price says this).\n\nCheck out the links below:
164480
For a long time (since at least the middle 1800's) people have subscribed to the 'swoon theory', that Jesus did not actually die but just fainted from lack of blood and recovered later after being taken down.\n\nThere are several problems with that, the most important of which is the fact that it was not just a bunch of townies lynching a guy they didn't like by slow torture, it was an official execution, capital punishment Roman Style. The executioners were paid professionals. The Roman state was pretty brutal, and you can count on it that if an executioner let someone off the cross alive, he'd be up  there himself next. They wouldn't let a condemned man go without checking to make sure he was dead any more than we'd let a guy off the gurney to have his lethal injection flushed from his veins. \n\nBut, some said, they didn't have modern medical knowledge. How could they be sure Jesus was dead? Well, driving a spear into a man's side and watching to see if he twitched is a pretty good indicator. That doesn't take much modern medical knowledge. Even the authorities double checked when Joseph requested the body, because they were surpised that Jesus had died so soon.\n\nBut nobody-- NOBODY-- at that time, suggested that Jesus could possibly have been taken down from the cross still alive. Why? Because they did check, and they were quite certain that Jesus was, in fact, dead! Even when the priests were looking for some excuse for the empty tomb, they tried to say that the dead body had been stolen, but they never suggested that Jesus might not have been killed. Why not? Because they knew better! Half the city must have been there to watch the crucifixion. Nobody would believe it.\n\nBut let's suppose for a moment that Jesus was taken down from the cross alive. Was he given medical treatment? no. Was he given a saline infusion to conbat the effects of dehydration? no. What was he given? He was wrapped in grave cloths-- they made a mummy out of him! \n\nWhat, did people think that Jesus' arteries just slammed shut by themselves...? Or that He wasn't suffering from shock and dehydration? It's absurd to think that a man mortally wounded could have lived from Friday afternoon until sunrise on Sunday without any care at all. That's at least 36 hours of further, uninterrupted bleeding. The shock alone could kill a man.\n\nFinally, the jewish authorities had the strongest motivation to see to it that Jesus stayed dead. If the people went to the wrong tomb, they would have seen to it that everybody learned that a mistake had been made. If there was any doubt that Jesus was really dead, they would have had the body dug up and dragged around town on a donkey-cart so that everybody could SEE that Jesus was dead. Why didn't they do that? Because they didn't HAVE the body. \n\nNo matter how self-deluded people can become, do you think that all eleven apostles bore beatings and torture without giving in without ever questioning that Jesus was alive? Why not? Because they knew he WAS alive. \n\nWhat's so imporant about being alive? It happens to everybody. Well, it wouldn't have had any significance if Jesus hadn't been dead first! A man who crawled out of a tomb bleeding and nearly dead could never have convinced his folowers that he was resurrected. Maybe that God had spared him from death, but Jesus was too honest to take advantage of such a mistaken impression. His whole life and character goes against such basic dishonesty.\n\nThe only conclusion that seems honest to me is that Jesus really did die and rise from the dead-- just as he said he was going to-!- and that means that all the other things he said were true as well. He was and is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the One Who will return to judge the living and the dead.
12579
Yes\n"The frequent NT affirmations that Jesus was 'Raised from the Dead" presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his ressurection. (*1)This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ's decent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead.  But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there. *(2)"*(3)  \n \nThe Italians have much great art on this.  One of the best poetic pieces about decension into hell is Dante's Inferno...but this bit of poetry is equivaliant to the moderen day "The DeVinci Code" novel.  Both are fictional that use bits of truth for entertainment.
460046
Considering that Christmas really has nothing to do with the birth of Christ, or Christianity, why are you ranting. Check out what I'm saying. The Christians just gave it a new name. They adopted the holiday that is originally from Pagans. As far as Santa and the reindeer and the elves and the sleigh rides, I've never taught my children to believe in such lies, because if I lied to them about that, then they may just think that I would lie to them about God. I don't celebrate the holidays because of their origins. Try reading Exodus 32:4-10
234172
If you'r a Christian and a true believer, then what is it thats confusing you. Don't you read the Bible? Where does it say anywhere in the Bible that anyone except Jesus ever came back from the dead to live a new life? No, I do not believe in past lives.
192591
He died on a Wednesday, for He was in the tomb three days and three nights. For Him to have died on a Friday,and to be put in the tomb on Friday just before sunset, He would not have fulfilled the Prophecy concerning His death and resurrection. He would have only been in the tomb, one day and one night.\nThere was the Passover from Tuesday evening until Wednesday evening, which was when Jesus  had the last supper with the Apostles and was afterwards arrested and crucified, and laid in the tomb before sunset. At Sunset wednesday evening was the Sabbath of The Feast of Unleaven Bread, then there is the weekly Sabbath, Sunset Friday to Sunset Saturday. There were two Sabbaths during this time.
234914
God raped Mary?\nThat is an interesting way to interpret the historical event.\n\nRape is a serious charge and will fire up Christians everywhere!\n\nI am a Christian and find your statement painful. I never considered that God did anything wrong, but your opinion will make me think.