The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the fulcrum of Christianity. It is the one incontrovertible event that defines the Christian faith and sets it apart from every other religious enterprise. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” When we examine the circumstances that corroborate the biblical narrative, the resurrection proves to be historically trustworthy and warrants our utmost reverence.
Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. Matthew 17:22-23 reveals, “When they came together in Galilee, He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.’ And the disciples were filled with grief.” (see also, Mark 8:31, Mark 9:30-32, Mark 10:33-34, Matthew 16:21, Luke 9:21-22, Luke 18:31-33).
In John 2:19-21, the Messiah responds to the request for a sign to prove His authority. “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it again in three days?’ But the temple He has spoken of was His body.”
When Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I AM!” (John 8:58), He might as well have said “I AM who I AM.” This profound declaration is unprecedented proof of His divinity and demonstrates that Jesus unequivocally claimed to be God. But Jesus didn’t stop at mere words, He authenticated His extraordinary proclamation by resurrecting from the dead, just as He said He would.
JESUS DID NOT SURVIVE THE CRUCIFIXION
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.
After the crucifixion, the Pharisees were acutely aware that Jesus’ resurrection would mean that He was indeed who He claimed to be, so they petitioned Pilate to have the tomb guarded by Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:65-66). 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 the 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.
JESUS APPEARED REPEATEDLY
Furthermore, Jesus appeared repeatedly among the disciples over the next forty days and to over five hundred people at one time (Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:5-8). 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.
Moreover, the fact that the gospels record women as the first witnesses to the empty tomb and the risen Christ, lends credibility to the veracity 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.
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).
EXTREME CONVERSION
And the most dramatic and extreme conversion without reservation was that 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.”
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.
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 (refer to Gospel Not Gossip, January 14, 2023 on this site), 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.
SHORT TIME INTERVAL
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.
Additionally, Paul’s references to the resurrection of Jesus are numerous and reflect creeds and hymns (Philippians 2, Colossians 1) that were common and predate his writings. Furthermore, Paul did not hide his early opposition to the resurrection of Jesus, strengthening his credibility, and met with the disciples to ensure consensus in their message (Galatians 2:1) within a few short years of the crucifixion.
Paul’s letters to the churches (written twenty to thirty years after the crucifixion) contain details that indicate Paul had previously preached in their midst and was following up on those visits. It is evident in his writing that some time had passed since he first sojourned with them and that the church was growing and spreading throughout the region. The inception of the Christian movement during the first century is a documented historical development and an undeniable fact.
INDISPUTIBLE EVIDENCE
The Christian church itself is indisputable evidence of the resurrection. Christianity survived its infancy despite intense persecution and extreme odds against it flourishing. But flourish it did, supported by the unwavering faith of believers standing firm until the end in the knowledge that Jesus was alive, even when facing execution. Today Christianity is the world’s largest religion with over 2.4 billion followers.
This explosion can only be explained by the resurrection of Christ. Without it there would be no efficacy to withstand the persecution, opposition and prevailing anti-Christian forces that still plague believers today. Without the resurrection, the church never would have been conceived. Without the living Christ, the church would never have survived.
The fact that early Christians worshipped on Sunday set them apart from Judaism and demonstrates their recognition of the resurrection on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Revelation 1:10). Apart from the resurrection, there was no impetus for Christians to worship on the first day of the week, making Christianity distinctly different from Judaism, which was believed by some to be the inspiration for Christianity.
What sets Christianity apart from every other religion is the ongoing relationship between believers and Jesus Christ. 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!!!
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