So next week, as we just talked about, and as those of you watching online, know is Easter.

And generally, the way I start every single Easter message, and I do it on purpose, the same way every Easter, because I hope it just becomes part of your thinking, part of your heart and your soul, as a Jesus follower.

And sometimes it's a surprise to people who aren't Christians or who haven't really considered Christianity.

I say, hey, this weekend is Easter and we're celebrating the resurrection of Jesus because that's what Easter is all about. And just so, you know, we believe Jesus rose from the dead, but we don't believe Jesus rose from the dead simply because the Bible tells us so it's so much better than that. we believe because in the first century Matthew told us,

then Mark told us and Luke told us and John told us and Peter told us,

the Apostle Paul, much better than that. We believe because in the first century, Matthew told us, then Mark told us,

and Luke told us, and John told us, and Peter told us, the apostle Paul told us, and James,

the brother of Jesus. In fact, not only does it not depend on the Bible, there would be no Bible

if there had been no resurrection. But again, that begs the question for those of us who hear that

year after year after year.

Okay, Andy, that may be true.

But here's the thing.

If our faith in Jesus and the resurrection depends on those first century documents, the question is, are those documents, are the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are they reliable accounts of actual events?

Can we, is there a reason for us to actually trust what they say about Jesus?

Because if they are reliable, then Jesus rose from the dead,

and if Jesus rose from the dead, game on.

But how do we know?

And here to help us wrestle through that very important question is our friend John

Dixon. Would you please welcome John Dixon this morning?

So I love talking to John. We had a wonderful dinner last night. We were just totally

nerding out on all this stuff.

Right green tomatoes. Right. That's right. Tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes. That's fine. Okay.

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