Incredibly, the resurrection story is credible

by David S. Daniels

 
Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have

Given its vital importance, could you comfortably defend the resurrection of Jesus? Would you be able to provide reasons for believing Jesus rose from the dead? Let’s look at several common lines of evidence for believing in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament Scriptures clearly predicted the death and resurrection. One of my favourite stories about Old Testament predictions of Jesus comes from the conversion story of a secular Jewish man who came to faith in Jesus and currently pastors a Canadian evangelical congregation. After hearing a Christian read a portion of Scripture, he responded by saying, “That is talking about your Jesus.” Imagine his shock when he learned that the text being read was Isaiah 53! It was the crucial event leading to his ultimate salvation.

Jesus really died. It may seem strange to raise this as evidence, but many refute the resurrection by claiming that Jesus never really died. These skeptics contend that Jesus fainted, swooned or passed out on the cross. When he was removed to the coolness of the tomb, he revived and walked out quite alive.

The Scriptures are clear about Jesus truly dying (Mk. 15:37; Lk. 23:46). Dr. Alexander Metherell, a former research scientist at the University of California, after carefully researching the details around Christ’s crucifixion on a Roman cross, concurs with the biblical record. His research concluded that “There was absolutely no doubt that Jesus was dead.” As to any theory that Jesus merely swooned, Metherell says, “...it’s impossible. It’s a fanciful theory without any possible basis in fact” (quoted by Lee Strobel in The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, Zondervan Publishing House, 1998).

The empty tomb—Where is his body? The Scriptures record that Jesus was taken from the cross and buried in a nearby tomb that, at the request of the Jewish religious leaders, was sealed with the official seal of Rome and guarded by Roman soldiers. Despite these extraordinary precautions, three days later the tomb lay open and empty.

Dave Branon quotes Paul Althus in saying that “The resurrection proclamation could not have been maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour, if the emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact” (Did Christ Really Rise from the Dead?, RBC Ministries, 1991, 2002).

To this day, no one has ever produced the body of Jesus.

Jesus appeared to many people in different places. No one actually witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. No person was there when Jesus came to life in that tomb. However, there is plenty of evidence supporting the resurrection, including his many appearances. No fewer than nine post-resurrection appearances of Jesus are recorded in Scripture (Jn. 20:11-18;Mt. 28: 9-10; Lk. 24:13-43; Jn. 20:26-31; 21:1-25; Mt. 28:16-20; Acts 1:9-12). Sometimes it was one person, other times a handful, but on one occasion the Apostle Paul tells of Jesus appearing to a group of more than 500 individuals (1 Co 15:6).

Some detractors argue that the biblical accounts are nothing more than the development of legends. However, Paul reports multiple post-resurrection appearances of Jesus in his letter to the believers in ancient Corinth. Scholars accept that he wrote this letter around 55 A.D., just 20 years or so after the event. Many of those named were still alive at the time he wrote. Furthermore, scholars—both conservative and liberal—acknowledge that what Paul wrote was actually an early Christian creed, a statement of accepted beliefs recited by believers in their corporate worship times (1 Co 15:3-8). This pokes a serious hole in the legend-development theory. Others have explained the appearances away as simply hallucinations. But the sheer number of people reporting appearances, and the numerous times and places where they occurred, drain any credibility from this theory.

The circumstantial evidence is too great to ignore. As Christians we are committed to the truthfulness of Scripture. It is God’s Word; we believe what it says. But not everyone shares our commitment to the veracity of Scripture. So is there anything else to which we can appeal? There are several matters demanding plausible alternative explanations if we are to deny the resurrection of Jesus. Here are just a few.

The radical change in behaviour of the disciples must be explained. On the night of his arrest, the disciples deserted Jesus, afraid and defeated. A few weeks later they are found on the streets of Jerusalem, boldly declaring that Jesus is alive and that salvation can be found only through him. All of them would give their lives in this cause. Would they have done so if they knew it was all a sham?

The conversion of hardened skeptics is significant. How are we to understand the conversion of Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul? This determined Pharisee was intent on destroying the newly forming faith community (Acts 8:1-3; 22:1-21). However, Jesus miraculously confronted him on the road to Damascus, bringing him to faith and repentance. The majority of our New Testament books came from his pen. He is just one of thousands of Jesus’ opposers who became devout Christians.

The worldwide existence of the Christian church cannot be ignored. Less than two months after the crucifixion more than 3,000 Jewish people were baptized, professing faith in the living Christ. At great personal cost, these men and women turned away from centuries of religious tradition and culture to follow Jesus as Messiah and Saviour.

During the early days of this fledgling community of Jesus-followers, the renowned Pharisee, Gamaliel, warned his peers to be careful how they responded to this new movement. Referring to previously failed messianic movements, he said: “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose and activity is of human origin, it will fail.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39). As we say, the rest is history.

The power of a transformed life

As valuable as apologetics is, I believe our best defense for the reality of the resurrection is the testimony of a transformed life. The Bible says “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Just as Jerusalem’s citizens marvelled at the bold witness of the early Christians, our culture also takes note of those who live authentic lives. When our faith truly informs our lives—our marriages, our family relationships, our work ethic, our interests, our goals in life—the surrounding community takes note that something powerful is at work in our lives.

This was surely true in ancient Thessalonica, for Paul wrote to them: “...your faith in God has become known everywhere...we do not need to say anything about it...they tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Th. 1:8-10).

Be informed about the reasons for believing in the resurrection, but also be transformed by that resurrection power residing in you through God’s Holy Spirit.

David S. Daniels, a freelance writer and book reviewer, leads the ministry of The Toronto Jewish Mission.

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The article above was featured in the March 2009 issue of SEVEN magazine.

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Further Reading:

Did the Resurrection Happen...Really?	Evidence for the Historical Jesus	The Unshakable Truth

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