EA Essential - engaging young people with biblical truth

Response

The resurrection of Jesus is a pivotal point of Christianity. If he didn’t rise from the dead then we need to rethink a great deal of what Christianity teaches. However, if he did rise from the dead, we really do need to take him, and what he said, seriously. Over the past 2000 years there have been many attempts to disprove the resurrection – many theories suggesting that is was all a hoax. In this response we will briefly explore some of the common objections and look at the evidence supporting the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The tomb where Jesus was laid after his death was, a few days later, found to be empty (Luke 24:1-3). Jesus followers believe that this is because Jesus rose from the dead. However, there are some other theories:-

Theory 1: The disciples stole the body.
This was a possibility that the Jewish authorities had considered so they had Roman soldiers guard the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66) making it virtually impossible for the disciples (or anyone else) to steal Jesus’ body. However, perhaps the most compelling evidence against this theory is the fact that most of the disciples were killed because they went around telling people the good news of Jesus. Surely, they wouldn’t have been prepared to die if they knew what they were saying was a lie?

Theory 2: The Jewish or Roman authorities removed the body
The claims of Jesus’ resurrection made by the disciples caused the Jewish and Roman authorities a lot of problems - as did the rapid spread of Christianity. They would have loved to be able to prove beyond any doubt that Jesus was still dead. Therefore, if they had removed the body (why they would have done in the first place is another good question) don’t you think they would have shown it to the early Christians to ‘shut them up’?

Theory 3: Jesus never actually died
Another theory is that Jesus never actually died; instead, it is suggested that he just ‘passed-out’ on the cross and then ‘came-round’ in the tomb. There are several problems with this theory. Firstly, he was crucified by the Romans and they knew how to kill people! The soldiers in charge of Jesus’ execution were probably surprised as Jesus appears to have died relatively quickly. Therefore they thrust a spear into his side, to check that he was dead (John 19:33,34). Blood and water came out – providing medical proof that he was dead. If you are still not convinced, there are a few more problems with this theory. In the tomb he would have had to wriggle out of his grave clothes (John 19:14), then move the massive stone securing the entrance (Matthew 27:66) and overcome the Romans soldiers guarding it (Matthew 28:4). All extremely difficult things to do when you have endured a Roman flogging and crucifixion a few days earlier!

The empty tomb provides considerable evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. However, there is not only evidence provided by the absence of his dead body, there is also evidence in the appearance of his risen body.

Evidence 1: Hundreds of people saw him alive.
After Jesus’ resurrection he was seen by many people: Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18), the disciples (John 20:19-14), the two people walking on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and hundreds of others (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). This is far too many people to put the resurrection down to hallucinations.

But was it really him? Could it have been someone pretending to be Jesus? It does appear that Jesus’ resurrection body was different. When he appeared to Mary Magdalene she mistook Jesus for the gardener (John 20:10-18) and when he walked along the road to Emmaus with two of his followers (Luke 24:13-35) they didn’t initially recognise him. However, everyone eventually seemed convinced that it was Jesus. The scars left by the nails and the spears provided an obvious clue. (John 20:24-28)

Evidence 2: Transformed Lives.
The transformation of people’s lives is another convincing piece of evidence. Peter went from someone too scared to admit being a friend of Jesus (Mark 14:66-72) to the spokesmen and leader of the early church (Acts 2:14). It wasn’t just Peter who was transformed, after Jesus’ death all the disciples were scared (John 20:19), but after they had seen the risen Jesus they went on to tell many people about him – most of them were arrested, tortured and killed because of what they were saying. In Acts 9 we read of how Saul, a man who hated Christians and did all he could to kill them, encountered Jesus and had his life transformed. His name was changed to Paul and he became the most famous missionary ever. And it doesn’t stop there. Jesus is still transforming people’s lives today. Could a dead man do that?

 

Further Reading

Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Zondervan, 1998)

Frank Morison, Who Moved the Stone? (Authentic Media, 2006 - first published 1975)

FAQ Disclaimer:

FAQ responses are designed to promote clear biblical thinking about subjects that are often difficult and confusing. The responses are all considered to be compatible with the Evangelical Alliance’s basis of faith but beyond that should not be assumed to represent the Evangelical Alliance’s ‘official standpoint’ on any particular doctrine or issue.