1 Corinthians 15:3-8 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After
that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters
at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have
fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.Can we rely on the claims of the Gospel writers in regards to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
I have read the arguments that there are no documents that were written during the time of Christ that can verify the claims of the the Gospels. However we have a modern understanding of communication and of what establishes a fact as true. At the time the method of communication was oral and facts were established by the number of witnesses which had to be at least two. Almost all the people that followed Jesus transferred information by word of mouth which would have been the fastest and safest way given the occupation of Rome. Even the educated Scribes and Religious Leaders debated and taught the law without writing their own work down. It was not until later that the oral law was put into writing after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. At the time the Religious Leaders would publicly denounce Jesus but they couldn't deny what he was doing. Jesus was overwhelmingly popular with the ordinary folk. It is similar to the social media today which has become the people's power in communicating. Certain countries in the world would like to prevent it but they cannot. Later references in the Talmud to Jesus do not deny his existence only who claimed to be.
However, for me the scriptural writings particularly of John and Peter read as eye witness accounts even if they were written some time after. They have the ring of truth, they do not sound mythical nor the work of madmen. And we have to remember that it was very costly to follow Jesus. For those earliest followers why put your life in the line for a lie?
The big facts about the Resurrection are;
- In the gospels we have the eye witness accounts of 4 followers of Christ which tell us that 11 disciples, several women and family members and more than 500 other witnesses actually saw Jesus Christ alive and well after he had been crucified, died and been buried.
- The empty tomb. No one at that time could deny that Jesus’ body was missing.
- The disciples never backed down from their claim and most died for that.
These eye witness accounts are just as valid as scientific
evidence, and incidentally in all this time no-one has ever proved the
Resurrection story is false.
Nevertheless it is worthwhile to examine the arguments
against the Resurrection. When you hear the arguments that have been put
forward by the sceptics, I am confident you will cast any doubts aside and
believe just as the writers would have hoped.
Let’s have a look at these other explanations of the
Resurrection. As the Police would say, we want to eliminate the wrong suspects
from our enquiries and having eliminated all the other suspects, be left with
the truth. First of all then;
1. Swoon Theory: That Jesus didn’t actually die but somehow revived in the tomb, rolled the stone away, walked out and recovered. To do this Jesus would have had to survive the beating and lashing he received that ripped open his flesh, the nails in his hands and feet, more than 6 hours nailed to the cross, and a spear thrust into his side and up into his heart. Then after 2 nights in the cold tomb and in critical condition with severe loss of blood, roll the very heavy stone away (up to 2 tonne), walk out passed the Roman Guard, and within a few hours appear to the women and disciples fit and well. We can very safely assume the executioners had done their job and that Jesus had died. When Jesus was speared, doctors say that the blood and water coming out was proof of death. John who was at the crucifixion said “I saw all this myself and have given an accurate report so that you also can believe”.
1. Swoon Theory: That Jesus didn’t actually die but somehow revived in the tomb, rolled the stone away, walked out and recovered. To do this Jesus would have had to survive the beating and lashing he received that ripped open his flesh, the nails in his hands and feet, more than 6 hours nailed to the cross, and a spear thrust into his side and up into his heart. Then after 2 nights in the cold tomb and in critical condition with severe loss of blood, roll the very heavy stone away (up to 2 tonne), walk out passed the Roman Guard, and within a few hours appear to the women and disciples fit and well. We can very safely assume the executioners had done their job and that Jesus had died. When Jesus was speared, doctors say that the blood and water coming out was proof of death. John who was at the crucifixion said “I saw all this myself and have given an accurate report so that you also can believe”.
2. Hallucination
Theory– The people that claim they saw Christ after he died were only
hallucinating. This theory is very unlikely for a number of reasons;
So there you have them. Six suspects ruled out because they
don’t stack up under cross examination. Still you have to explain the empty
tomb. So who do you believe? The eye witness accounts or the critics writing
2000 years later? - The number of witnesses – 1 Corinthians 15:5-6 tells us “He was seen by Peter and later by the rest of the “Twelve”. After that he was seen by more than 500 Christian brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. Then James saw him and later all the apostles. Last of all, I saw him too, long after all the others, as though I had been born almost too late for this.”
- The number of sightings – at the tomb, the road to Emmaus, the upper room on 2 occasions, at the lake and on the Mount of Olives
- They were physical encounters not just sightings. Jesus encouraged the disciples to touch him and told Thomas to put his hand in the holes in his hands and side.
- They all testified the same type of story that they had heard him speak, seen him, touched him and eaten with him. With a hallucination you would find that one person’s was quite different from another’s. Hallucinations are very individualistic in that respect
- They weren’t expecting to see a dead man alive again
- His body was resurrected and was somewhat different.
- However their lack of recognition was always temporary and after hearing him speak or eating with him, the bible tells us suddenly they would recognise him. It is not possible that an impostor could have fooled his family not to mention the disciples who’d been living and travelling with him those last 3 years. Also could anyone other than the Son of God ascended into Heaven right before their eyes?
- He walked and talked and ate with them
- He could pass through solid objects like the door not because he was a ghost but as Winkie Pratney said, because he was more solid than the door!
- The tomb was right there at Calvary where the cross had been
- The women and John who were at the crucifixion could see the body being buried a short distance away. One may have been mistaken but not all of them.
- There was a Roman seal on the tomb with guards standing over it and it was easily identifiable
- Most importantly, Jesus’ enemies the Jewish Leaders and the Romans could not produce the body or show the correct tomb.
- The evidence of the linen cloth and swath being left behind neatly folded. People hurrying to steal a body wouldn’t bother to undress it and leave the clothes folded neatly behind. That clearly points to Jesus himself
- The disciples were not willing or able to take on a Roman guard of well-disciplined battle ready soldiers;
- Their hopes and dreams of Jesus being the Messiah had been crushed
- They were grief stricken over the loss of their friend
- They had all run away less than 2 days before and were hiding in the upper room Only the women were brave enough to venture out first thing on Sunday morning
- There was no reason to move him. Jesus had been buried honourably in the best tomb paid for by a rich man
- It didn’t do them any favours to tell people that Jesus was alive – they were persecuted and killed because of it. If they had stolen the body, then nearly all of them died for a lie.
