In the past, the Discovery and National Geographic Channels have been notorious for giving expression to the skeptical vox populi with their screening of documentaries that question Scripture's reliability and infallibility in its account of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This post regards some popular myths and facts concerning Jesus' death and resurrection.First, the myths:
Detractors of the historicity of the death and resurrection of Jesus theorise that Jesus did not die on the cross but merely swooned. Other theories posit that someone else died in His place. Hence, Jesus was not raised from the dead since He did not die. Still others theorise that, Jesus did die, but remained dead and did not arise again. Instead some time in the night, His disciples stole away His body.
Now the facts:
1. There were extra-Biblical and Biblical witnesses
One of the basic principles of historical research is that if an enemy or hostile witness affirms an historical claim, then this is an indication of the historicity of that claim. Since this (i.e., that Jesus died on the cross and rose again in three days) is what secular anti-Christian writers record that early Christians believed and since it corresponds to New Testament teaching about Christ this is then, manifestly, the content of apostolic faith.
Thousands of early Christians, including the apostles who testified as witnesses of the resurrected Christ, died for their belief in the resurrection of Christ. This of course rules out the myth and conspiracy theories of the resurrection, because the apostles would never have died for a lie that they themselves had concocted.
2. Jesus' tomb was empty
Paul Althaus of the University of Erlangen, Germany, states:
"The resurrection 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 for all concerned.”
What is the evidence for the empty tomb? All knew where the tomb of Christ was (just a short walk outside the walls of Jerusalem): the Jews, the Romans, the disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. They all knew. The Roman guard was to protect the tomb with their lives; therefore the body was not "stolen." If the disciples had stolen the body they would have known that the resurrection was a fraud and would never have been willing to die for what they knew was a lie.
If the tomb was not empty either the Jewish officials or the Romans would have produced the body of Jesus to silence forever the preaching of the resurrection. Historian Ron Sider concluded that:
"If the Christians and their Jewish opponents both agreed that the tomb was empty, we have little choice but to accept the empty tomb as historical fact."
3. There was a conspiracy to cover up the resurrection
The cover-up of the resurrection begins with the bribery of the guards. In Matthew 28: 12-15, we read:
The cover-up of the resurrection begins with the bribery of the guards. In Matthew 28: 12-15, we read:
“And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, 'Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him [away] while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.' So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”
The implications of the cover-up are:
a. This cover-up attempt shows the depravity of the elders or priests; they know the truth of the resurrection, yet they reject it.
b. The cover-up also shows the priests' stupidity: 1) If the guards or soldiers were asleep, how would they know that it was the disciples that stole the body of Jesus away? 2) If a Roman guard were to fall asleep on duty, it was punishable by instant crucifixion. 3) The stone over the entrance took six men to put in place and was sealed. It would be impossible for the disciples to sneak past a regiment of guards and move it back, remove over 120 lbs. of embalmed wrappings and leave with the body undetected.
a. This cover-up attempt shows the depravity of the elders or priests; they know the truth of the resurrection, yet they reject it.
b. The cover-up also shows the priests' stupidity: 1) If the guards or soldiers were asleep, how would they know that it was the disciples that stole the body of Jesus away? 2) If a Roman guard were to fall asleep on duty, it was punishable by instant crucifixion. 3) The stone over the entrance took six men to put in place and was sealed. It would be impossible for the disciples to sneak past a regiment of guards and move it back, remove over 120 lbs. of embalmed wrappings and leave with the body undetected.
In conclusion, the attempts to discredit the truth of the resurrection all fall short, including speculations such as the swoon theory, the stolen-body theory, and the hallucination theory (see here) that simply do not match the Biblical evidence.
Since the evidence for Jesus' death and resurrection is not only compelling, but also convincing, then Jesus Christ is who He claimed – the Son of God and God in the flesh. This same Jesus is also the One who created the universe and all the creatures in it (John 1). He is therefore the same God who has authored all life including yours and mine. This same Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who gave us the Ten Commandments that extolled the sanctity of life and taught us that we should not kill or commit murder (Deuteronomy 4), who taught that homosexuality was an abomination (Leviticus 18, 20), and who commanded us not to take the name of the Lord God in vain but to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls and minds (Deuteronomy 11, Matthew 22).
So what are you – professing atheist, skeptic and agnostic – going to do about this Jesus, whose resurrection proves He is the Son of God?
And what about you, self-professing Christian? What are you going to say to Jesus Christ on the day He judges the motives and legacies of Mr. Obama and Reverend Moon, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey, Simone de Beauvoir and Charles Darwin, and Mother Theresa, Noam Chomsky, Arthur C. Clarke, et. al.? Are you going to tell Him that He, too, is unenlightened? Homophobic and bigoted? A racist? Or how about backward and unevolved? Pixillated and out of touch with reality, perhaps?
Will you be one of the many who will enter by the wide gate that leads to condemnation and destruction? Or will you be counted among those who will choose to enter the narrow gate that leads to life?
Call on the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins while you are able and He will let you into His kingdom.
