Revealing the Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus is the one incontrovertible event that defines Christianity and sets it apart from every other religious belief. There is only one empty tomb known to history. Yet it is a contentious issue for nonbelievers who simply cannot wrap their minds around the supernatural nature of the event. When we examine the circumstances that corroborate the biblical narrative, the resurrection proves to be historically trustworthy and warrants our utmost reverence.

Without the resurrection, Christianity doesn’t have any substance.  Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.  But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The attempts by the Pharisees to refute the resurrection actually serve to underscore the veracity of the event. The admission by the Pharisees that the tomb was indeed empty was not only problematic for them but also for the Roman Guard, since their punishment for failing their mission would mean death. Therefore, the Pharisees fabricated a story that the body was stolen and paid the soldiers handsomely to remain quiet (Matthew 28:11-15). The fact that the empty tomb was acknowledged by those who most strongly denied Christ’s predictions is powerful evidence that Jesus had resurrected.

Moreover, the fact that the gospels record women as the first witnesses to the empty tomb and the risen Christ, lends credibility to the truthfulness of the narrative since women’s testimonies were considered worthless in first century Jewish culture. If the disciples were trying to propagate a lie, they certainly wouldn’t include the testimonies of women to substantiate their argument.

EVEN SKEPTICAL MINDS WERE CONVINCED

The accuracy of the accounts is also authenticated by the fact that even skeptical minds were convinced that Jesus was alive. James, the brother of Jesus, who did not believe Jesus’ claims at first (John 7:5), was dramatically changed after witnessing the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7). Additionally, Thomas was transformed from doubting to proclaiming Jesus as God when he felt His wounds and saw them for himself (John 20:28).

Furthermore, Jesus appeared repeatedly among the disciples over the next forty days. Acts 1:3 states, “After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave them many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”

The disciples went from fearful and disorganized after the crucifixion to bold and purposeful in their ministry in very short order, demonstrating that “something” indeed had happened and it had a profound impact upon them individually and as a group.

Their lives were changed to the point that they boldly proclaimed the risen Christ to the very population that sent Jesus to his death. They were convincing enough that the church grew rapidly, even converting 3000 people in one day (Acts 2:41). These new believers were equally vehement that Jesus was alive, and were so committed in their belief of the resurrection that most endured torture and died for their faith. Even when given the opportunity to recant, they held steadfast and submitted to punishment. It is comprehensible that someone would endure torture and execution for something they believe in. It is hard to believe that someone would tolerate it for the sake of a lie.

PROFOUND EVIDENCE

Perhaps the most profound evidence of the authenticity of the resurrection was the dramatic and extreme conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who was zealously persecuting Christians before his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. Paul’s fervent devotion to his religion drove him to be perhaps the most renowned adversary to what he perceived as heretical teachings, making him public enemy number one to followers of “The Way.” He was not a sympathetic eyewitness making his testimony even more incredible.

Paul was well educated, had a thorough knowledge of the scriptures and was a promising young Pharisee (Acts 22:3-5) with everything to gain by persecuting “heresy”. Power, influence, stature and wealth were his if he continued on his path, yet he gave it all up for a life of poverty, persecution, prison and ultimately death after his encounter with Jesus. His transformation from adversary to advocate constitutes the most powerful testimony to the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Skeptics have postulated that’s Paul’s Damascus Road experience was nothing more than a vision, however, he suffered physical blindness indicating his encounter was physical. Acts 9:7 confirms this was not merely in Saul’s mind: “The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.”

From a secular perspective, Paul’s conversion is inexplicable, but his life afterward is a demonstration of the power of God. He is responsible for writing half of the New Testament and igniting the fledgling Christian church. Next to Jesus himself, Paul is the most influential person in Christianity and his credibility is unequivocal verification of the resurrection of Jesus.

It can be demonstrated that Paul was actively preaching the gospel within three to five years of the resurrection making any argument that the gospels were embellished many decades after the fact a moot point. Paul’s letters were circulating within the lifetimes of many eyewitnesses and any falsehoods would have been easily exposed and refuted.

Of the thousands of early Christian writings from the first believers, both biblical and extra biblical, there is not one counter argument or antithesis to the Christian narrative from the first century – not one. The congruity and consistency of the early Christian texts is evident and the short time interval between the resurrection and their circulation establishes a reliability and confidence that they are historically credible.

The gospels record that Jesus did not survive the crucifixion and that His body was prepared for burial and laid in the tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea (see also: Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22). It is medically impossible that Jesus could have somehow survived the horrific beating and crucifixion process, and extremely improbable that He would be perceived as conquering death if He did. His appearances post resurrection would not have been possible if He were recovering from His wounds.

JESUS WAS NOT A VICTIM OF THE CROSS

Jesus was not a victim of the cross. He chose the cross, He willingly laid His life down, only to take it up again (John 10:17-18). And after He rose from the grave, He commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations and to spread the good news of the gospel. Then He added that He would be with them (and us) always (Matthew 28:19-20). Being always with us means being available for consultation; being available for comfort; being available to listen to our prayers; being available as a friend and confidant; being available to have a personal relationship with each of us.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” (John 11:25). We are saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8). To believe (or to have faith) implies deep trust and confidence. To be fully persuaded in the reliability, truth, strength and ability of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a certainty. We do not worship an inanimate god as some religions do or the memory of some fallen hero whose bones have long since turned to dust. Our Lord and Savior is alive and well and He holds the keys to everything including death (Revelation 1:18). We are able to have an intimate relationship with Him through faith (John 17:20-23). This is what makes Christianity unique and establishes the Christian church as the ultimate body of fellowship with God.

The fact that Jesus answers prayers, heals the sick and crippled, breaks addictions and continues to change lives for the better, two thousand years after His resurrection, testifies to the reality that He is indeed alive and active among those who love Him.

There is a plethora of religions in the world but there is only one empty tomb. There has only ever been one resurrection from the dead and Jesus is the one and only conqueror of death. The resurrection is reality and Jesus proclaims in Revelation 1:17-18, “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Amen!!!