How can we know Jesus rose again?

It’s the week before Christmas, and people may be thinking What’s Christmas all about anyway? To help answer this on a very logical level is popular Christian apologist Sean McDowell. Sean helps show us how we can believe in the historical Jesus – that He really lived, died, and rose again. He also encourages us to remember to evangelize during this season.

Episode Links

seanmcdowell.org (Sean’s site where you can access free resources and purchase books)

More Than a Carpenter (Intro book to the historical Jesus)

The Jesus Legend (Scholarly book on the historical Jesus)

ALSO, check out the number of New Testament manuscripts against other ancient texts (Jake and I talk about this at the end of the episode).

Read It

*Below is an edited transcription of the audio conversation.

Well I’m on the phone today with a man by the name of Sean McDowell. Sean is a gifted Christian leader and speaker, and is quite well known for speaking on apologetics. Anyways, great to have you on the show today Sean!

Thanks for having me Isaac.

I saw on your site that in 2014 you earned a PhD in Apologetics and Worldview Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. How was that journey?

Well, it was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done because I did it in my thirties with young kids and a full-time job. It was early mornings and late nights. So, it was tough, but it was certainly rewarding, and I learned a lot that helped me in my life and ministry.

That’s great, I’ve heard good things coming out of that seminary. And although you’ve never actually seen me, I actually have seen you in person at the Apologetics Canada conference a couple years ago. You were one of the featured speakers and I really loved your presentation You sort of put on the act as an atheist and had people ask you questions. I don’t know if you remember, but it was great. It was a lot of fun.

I remember that well, yeah, that is my favourite presentation to do. It kind of stirs people up.

What I think is the funniest thing though, is that after you finished the atheist act, said to everyone, “I know I sounded believable, but I was just kind of making things up as well.”

Yeah, some things I do make up. I mean, part of the spiel is to just get people thinking. “Okay, do I really know what I believe and why?” When I manipulate the conversation and take it off track, people again kind of go “Woah, I really got to think through how I have conversations, and whether I’m ready or not to defend my faith.”

That’s great. Anyways, today, to our listeners, I want to talk with Sean or rather hear from him quickly about the historical Jesus. And I know this is a huge topic, so we’re just going to try and condense it down to a 25-minute conversation. The fact is, Jesus was a literal human being who really died and really rose again. But, before we jump in, could you, in a few sentences, let us know who you are?

Yeah sure. I live in Southern California. I teach full-time at Biola University in a graduate apologetics program. I also teach high school part-time. I did that ten years full-time, high-school at a Christian school. And I just stayed there because my kids are there, and I just love hanging out with high school students. I teach a couple classes on worldview, Bible and theology. And then I get a little chance to speak and write and do cool podcasts like this.