by Wayne Wells<\/p>\n
The resurrection of Jesus was either the greatest hoax of history or the greatest event ever.\u00a0 How can we, living nearly two thousand years later, ever really know whether such an event took place?\u00a0 The importance of finding the answer can be found in 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul said the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian religion.\u00a0 If there was no resurrection, the Christian religion is false and an empty deception.\u00a0 However, if the resurrection did occur, then Jesus is who He claimed to be, the only source of eternal life, and everyone must obey Him in order to receive that life.<\/p>\n
If the cross was the last thing we knew about Jesus we would judge Him to be a failure.\u00a0 The Jews would have been right in putting Him to death for blasphemy according to their law because He claimed to be equal with God.\u00a0 If His claims were not true, He would be either a liar or insane.\u00a0 On the other hand, if Jesus rose from the dead, this would be the greatest proof that He is truly Lord of all (Romans 1:4).\u00a0 We must still face the same problem the Jews had in the first century.\u00a0 Is the resurrection a hoax?\u00a0 Are Jesus and the apostles all liars or crazy men?\u00a0 Or did Jesus rise from the dead and make a way for all of mankind to live forever?\u00a0 There is no middle ground with Jesus. We must decide if He is Lord, a liar, or a lunatic.<\/p>\n
Most religions are based on a system of thought someone developed to begin his own brand of morality. Christianity is different in that it is based on a historical event.\u00a0 If this historical foundation can be removed, then the complete system will immediately collapse.\u00a0 No other religion places its truthfulness on the fact that its founder died and then rose again, having completely conquered death as He promised He would.\u00a0 The Jews, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintos or any other religious group can make this claim. Only Christians teach this.\u00a0 One question that must be faced is “Is this claim true?”.\u00a0\u00a0 This paper is designed to look at the evidence available to determine whether the resurrection of Jesus ever took place.\u00a0 It needs to be examined just as any other historical event should be to determine the accuracy of the story that has been handed down through the years.\u00a0 This is not to try to justify nor defend the many perversions and abuses that men have brought about in the name of the Christian religion, but to look at the claim that Jesus has conquered death and only through Him we, too, might live forever.\u00a0 If this claim is false, any honest person would want to immediately reject it.\u00a0 If this claim is true, then every honest person would be willing to do whatever it takes to receive the eternal life that is promised.<\/p>\n
Some of the facts that must be considered are: Jesus of Nazareth, a religious teacher among the Jews, claimed to be the Messiah that was prophesied of in the Jewish scriptures hundreds of years earlier.\u00a0 He was arrested, condemned as a criminal, and crucified.\u00a0 Three days after His death some women went to the tomb but found his body was gone.\u00a0 Later, some of his followers began teaching publicly that He had risen from the dead and appeared to them several times before ascending to heaven.\u00a0\u00a0 From this small beginning, the Christian religion spread quickly throughout the known world, going against some of the bitterest persecution known in history.\u00a0 The theme of their teaching was that Jesus was alive after being killed.\u00a0 The apostle Paul was willing to risk everything for the historical accuracy of the resurrection. In I Corinthians 15:13-19, he wrote that if the resurrection did not take place:<\/p>\n
Was this claim true?\u00a0 Did this man really conquer death in the days of the Roman Empire?\u00a0 This controversy still continues even in our time.<\/p>\n
One good place to begin our search is with the men who started the teaching.\u00a0 Were they telling the truth or were they lying?\u00a0 If they were lying there are two possibilities: either they knew they were lying or they were sincerely deceived.\u00a0 Whether they were deceived or not, we need to first see if they themselves believed what they were teaching.\u00a0 Peter claimed:<\/p>\n
“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty<\/em>”\u00a0 (II Peter 1:16).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
If these men were liars, they would not be the first deceivers in religion neither would they be the last.\u00a0 If they were deceivers, what could be their motive?\u00a0 Some claim that they wanted to honor their master by teaching that he rose from the dead, but why would they honor a man who taught honesty, at any price, with a lie?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Deceivers today have motives that haven’t changed since the first century. Past and present history is full of examples of religious teachers who have gotten rich off those that listened to them.\u00a0 Peter warned of false teachers who:\u00a0 “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you<\/em>” (II Peter 2:2).<\/p>\n
Power and fame are other motives. Anytime special attention is given to different positions in life there will be those who will do anything to get that attention.\u00a0 They will say anything or do anything they must to get the attention and power they desire.\u00a0 One example in III John is Diotrephes, a wicked man who loved to have first place in the church and would reject anyone who stood in his way (III John 9-11).<\/p>\n
Money and Power, Still the Two Great Motivators Today<\/h2>\n
Money and power are probably the two greatest motives behind religious deceivers today.\u00a0 As we look at the early Christians, can this be said about them?\u00a0 What they taught made them enemies of many of those in positions of power. The Jewish leaders hated them, the Roman authorities thought they were a menace to the Empire, and many of the educated philosophers thought of them as foolish, yet they never compromised their teachings to make friends.\u00a0 What they taught put them at odds with every class of people that might be able to give them special favor in the world. They were hated, persecuted, run out of town, and even killed, yet they never tried to change their story that Jesus rose from the dead and that all mankind must bow before Him, and that only through Him can eternal life be found.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If it was fame or power they were after, why didn’t they try to be friends with the rich, the politicians, and the leaders of the other religions as many do today?\u00a0 Was it the money they were after?\u00a0 In Acts 3:1-10 there is the record of Peter and John going to the Temple in Jerusalem.\u00a0 When a beggar asked them for money, Peter answered: “I do not possess silver and\u00a0 gold but what I do have, I give to you…<\/em>” (Acts 3:6).<\/p>\n
By many religious teachers’ standards today, Peter would be a failure because of his lack of diamonds, gold, fancy suits, and fat billfold. These teachers would claim this was proof that God had not blessed Peter and so God must not be working through him.\u00a0 How many times have you seen or heard of someone pointing to wealth, large buildings, and other physical possessions as proof of God being with someone?\u00a0 This is not to minimize the fact that God does bless His people, but when we examine claims made in religion we are told to be “as wise as serpents”.\u00a0\u00a0 According to history, these early Christians never did accumulate fortunes because of their religion. Instead, many of them lost everything they had.\u00a0 Just what did these early Christians receive for their teaching of the resurrection? Thomas was killed by an arrow.\u00a0 Simon, brother to Jude, was crucified.\u00a0 Mark was burned to death. Bartholomew was beaten and crucified.\u00a0 Andrew was crucified.\u00a0 Matthew was killed by a spear.\u00a0 Philip was crucified and stoned to death.\u00a0 James (not the James that was beheaded in Acts 12) was thrown from a wall, stoned, and finally killed when someone bashed his head in with a club. Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded.\u00a0\u00a0 (from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs)\u00a0 Many more could be added but we can see that these suffered to an extent we can hardly even imagine.\u00a0 What would cause so many to face death as these did and never waver?\u00a0 The only explanation can be their sincere belief in the words they dedicated their lives to teaching everywhere, i.e. they saw Jesus alive after He was dead, and through Him, they too could live again after death.\u00a0 Men will teach a lie, but they will not willingly die for what they know is a lie.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The lives and deaths of these men cannot prove the resurrection alone, but it demonstrates they believed, with all their heart, that they saw Jesus alive after death.\u00a0\u00a0 Mark 14:50 tells us “they all left him and fled.<\/em>”\u00a0 Peter, out of fear, denied three times that he even knew Jesus.\u00a0 John 20:19 shows that after the crucifixion the disciples were hiding because of fear.\u00a0 Yet just a short time later they were willing to face ridicule, imprisonment, torture, and death because they refused to stop teaching that Jesus rose from the dead. \u00a0How can this drastic change in their lives be explained?\u00a0 If it was not the resurrection, what was it? To deny the resurrection, one would have to find a reason for the joy of the early Christians in face of intense suffering, seeing their families killed, their property destroyed or stolen, being cast into prison and put to death.\u00a0 What gave them the courage to stand with such fearlessness and boldness that even many of their enemies began to admire them?\u00a0 To deny the resurrection, you would have to explain how the greatest system of morality, the highest ethics known to man, and the story of the only perfect person to live could be based on such deception.\u00a0 How could the apostles accomplish what they did, teaching all men to be honest and all liars will be lost in hell and at the same time basing their whole teaching on a lie?\u00a0\u00a0 When a historical event is studied, in attempting to find out what really happened, eyewitness testimony is always considered to be of the greatest value.\u00a0 We need to be fair and consistent when we study the resurrection and apply the same tests in the same manner we would for any other historical event. If we are going to be consistent and fair, we must seriously consider the fact that there is no other event in history causing so many men to willingly give their lives to teach others.\u00a0 These men saw something that they wanted everyone else to know about.\u00a0 The reason they gave themselves is:<\/p>\n
“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also,\u00a0 that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with\u00a0 His Son Jesus Christ<\/em>” (I John 1:3).<\/p>\n
The Historical Events<\/h2>\n
The previous arguments alone do not prove that the resurrection actually took place, but we can, at least, know the sincerity of the ones teaching it.\u00a0 If we take a close look at their lives, we can see, beyond any reasonable doubt, they had absolute confidence their teaching was the truth.\u00a0 Men do not willingly die for a known lie.\u00a0 It goes contrary to human nature.\u00a0 The willingness to die for a belief, when one is deceived, is possible; but no one dies for a known lie.\u00a0 In this article, the physical conditions of the death and burial of Jesus will be examined.<\/p>\n
The Facts of History<\/h2>\n
During the reign of Tiberius Caesar, in the region of Judea, a Jew, named Jesus, was arrested by His own people and accused of treason against Rome. After being tried by the Jewish and Roman legal systems, including the governor, Pilate, Jesus was sentenced to die by crucifixion.\u00a0\u00a0 During the 1800s it was popular for many “scholars” to deny the existence of the men who played an active part in Jesus’ death sentence, intending to cast as much doubt on the Bible as possible.\u00a0 Even though there were literary references to Pilate, for example, his existence was questioned, anyway, because there was no archeological evidence to confirm him.\u00a0 Philo, a Jewish philosopher of the first century, wrote about Pilate.\u00a0 He claimed Pilate was responsible “for countless atrocities and numerous executions without any previous trial”.\u00a0 In 1961, an inscription was found in Caesarea, the Roman capital of Palestine, dating to the days of Jesus.\u00a0 It read “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, has presented the Tiberium to the Caesareans”.\u00a0 Since this discovery, Pilate’s existence is no longer in doubt. If the “scholars” that are still attacking the Bible would just keep themselves informed of the continuous archeological findings, their objections would quickly disappear.\u00a0\u00a0 Let us consider the events of and following the execution of Jesus which changed the course of mankind’s history.\u00a0 The effect was so great, all of history is now dated around this time period as B.C. and A.D.<\/p>\n
Some Facts About the Death of Jesus<\/h2>\n
Some facts need to be considered as we examine the death of Jesus.\u00a0 The first one is that Jesus was dead.\u00a0 This may seem simple enough, but it is important.\u00a0 There cannot be a resurrection without first having a death.\u00a0 Because of this, some of the arguments used to deny the resurrection deny that He died on the cross.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As we examine the account of His arrest we can see that He was arrested at night.\u00a0 During the night there was no time for any rest. After He was delivered to be crucified, He was first scourged according to the custom of the day. According to witnesses of other Roman scourgings, they were so severe that, at times, the intestines were exposed.\u00a0 At the very least, His back would be completely torn apart.\u00a0 The Jews had a limit of forty lashes that could be given to a man, but the Romans had no limit. They could whip a man until He died if they wanted to.\u00a0 When the emotional excitement of the events of His arrest and the hatred the Romans had for the Jews are considered, it is highly probable that Jesus was scourged worse than usual.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After the scourging, the soldiers brought Him before the entire cohort (600 men) where they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him (Matthew 27:26-31).\u00a0 By putting the records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John together, we can see that the soldiers blindfolded Him, beat Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, and beat it into His scalp, which would produce more bleeding.\u00a0 When they were through, they took the robe off Him, which would reopen the wounds He had received from the scourging and cause more bleeding.\u00a0 This could be compared to taking a bandage off a fresh wound soon after the blood had begun to clot.\u00a0 From the combination of exhaustion, scourging, loss of blood, and beating, it is easy to understand why He collapsed when He tried to carry His cross to the execution sight.\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus was nailed to the cross with spikes through His hands and feet. It used to be popular among skeptics to deny the fact that people were actually nailed to crosses.\u00a0 It was argued that instead of nailing people to crosses, they were tied by ropes, therefore the accounts given in the Gospel records must be wrong.\u00a0 This thought lasted until June 1968. Just north of Jerusalem, the body of a crucified man was found, dating back to the same time period as Jesus.\u00a0 A large seven-inch spike was still in his feet, proving that people were actually nailed to crosses. After Jesus and the two thieves crucified with Him hung on their crosses for six hours, the Roman soldiers were told to break the legs of all three to hasten their deaths.\u00a0 While on the cross, a man’s body weight was supported by his outstretched arms.\u00a0 The only way he could breathe would be to push up with his legs so his lungs could fill with air.\u00a0 Once his legs were broken, death quickly followed from suffocation. It is interesting that the body that was found in 1968 had both legs broken just below the knees. Carrying out their order, the soldiers inspected their prisoners and broke the thieves’ legs.\u00a0 Seeing Jesus was already dead, they did not break His legs, but, rather, thrust a spear into His side.\u00a0 This wound produced blood and water which indicates the spear pierced the pericardial sac, a thin membrane surrounding the heart.\u00a0 If Jesus had not died by this time, the spear piercing His heart would have finished Him off. Even if there was the slight possibility of Him surviving all of this, surely those that pulled Him off the cross would have noticed any life left in Him. Had He survived to this point, He would not have been able to breathe once He was prepared for burial. His body was wrapped (including His face) like a mummy with spices and strips of linen cloth.\u00a0 He was left in a tomb with no food, water, or medical treatment.\u00a0 Surviving all of this would take a miracle as great as the resurrection.<\/p>\n
The Tomb<\/h3>\n
Next, Jesus was buried in a tomb cut out of rock.\u00a0 This is important because there would be only one entrance.\u00a0 There would be no back door to sneak in or out of (Matthew 27:60).\u00a0 It was also a new tomb that had never been used.\u00a0 Therefore, there was no chance of getting bodies mixed up.<\/p>\n
The Stone<\/h3>\n
A large stone was rolled against the entrance of the tomb.\u00a0 No one knows exactly how large the stone was, but, since it was intended to prevent possible theft, it would probably be larger than usual.\u00a0 The Codex Bezae, an early Greek manuscript dating back to 450 A.D. and housed in England’s Cambridge Library, contains an interesting phrase in parenthesis in the text of Mark 16:4. It states the rock was so large that 20 men could not move it.\u00a0 The importance of this is realized when the rules for copying manuscripts during this time are understood.\u00a0 It was the practice that if a copier was adding his own thoughts or interpretation, he would include it in the margin and not in the text.\u00a0 The fact that this phrase was included in the text instead of out in the margin would indicate the phrase was in an earlier text closer to the time of Jesus.\u00a0 The phrase could have been inserted by an eyewitness that was so impressed by the size of the stone that he wanted everyone to understand just how big it was.<\/p>\n
The Guard<\/h3>\n
After the burial, the Jewish leaders asked Pilate for permission to place a guard unit at the tomb because they remembered that Jesus claimed He would rise from the dead after three days (Matthew 27:63).\u00a0 Some say this guard unit was the Temple police.\u00a0 If it was, it would have consisted of 10 men of strict discipline.\u00a0 If one was found sleeping while on guard duty, he was beaten and then burned to death.\u00a0 They were not even allowed to sit or lean against anything while on duty. If they were Temple police, the Jews would not have had to ask Pilate first and would not have had to bribe their own men concerning the missing body of Jesus. This indicates the guard was probably Roman. A normal Roman guard unit would have 16 men.\u00a0 Four would stay awake while the other 12 slept.\u00a0 Every four hours another four would get up and the others could sleep. They would alternate in this manner around the clock.\u00a0 Consequently, there was always an alert guard and refreshed reinforcements.\u00a0 These men were from one of the most disciplined military forces known in history. They, just like the Temple police, would face death if they were negligent in their duties.<\/p>\n
The Seal<\/h3>\n
Matthew records that a seal was put on the stone (27:66).\u00a0 The seal would probably be a cord that was stretched across the stone and attached at the ends with wax.\u00a0 This would be a public testimony that the Roman authorities believed the body of Jesus was actually in the tomb and if any dared break it, they would be in violation of Roman law.<\/p>\n
The Disciples Fled<\/h3>\n
Mark 14:50 says: “And they all left Him and fled”.\u00a0 At the arrest of Jesus, none of the disciples were brave enough to stand by His side.\u00a0 When it came down to taking a stand, they were all looking out for themselves.\u00a0 Peter followed at a distance, but when asked by a young girl if he had been with Jesus, he denied it three times, the last time by cursing.\u00a0 John 20:19 tells us that three days after Jesus’ death, the disciples were still hiding behind closed doors in fear.<\/p>\n
This Was an Unlikely Beginning for a New Religion<\/h3>\n
This setting seems to be an unlikely place to start a new religion that no amount of enemies or persecution could stop.\u00a0 The leader of this new movement was dead.\u00a0 His enemies had been so successful in persuading the general population to turn against this teacher that they shouted for His death. The government had authorized His death, putting all those who wanted to follow Him in danger also. His body was buried in a tomb behind a huge rock and sealed by the authority of Rome.\u00a0 There was a well-armed guard standing outside the tomb, needlessly, since the few friends of Jesus left in the city were running scared.\u00a0 What happened during those few days?\u00a0\u00a0 What explanation can account for the transformed lives of the disciples?\u00a0 What can account for the fact that out of this setting a new religion rose so quickly that it spread over the known world in one generation?\u00a0 Whatever we accept to explain all of the events, it must be remembered that the explanation needs to fit the facts and not just fit our wishful thinking.\u00a0 This is all that is expected from the study of any historical event.<\/p>\n
The Empty Tomb<\/h3>\n
The empty tomb is an essential element in the evidence of the resurrection.\u00a0 To suggest that it was not empty would be absurd in light of the historical events.\u00a0 Soon after Jesus’ death, the disciples began to fill Jerusalem with the teaching that Jesus rose from the dead.\u00a0 The Jewish leaders were willing to do anything to stop this teaching.\u00a0 If the tomb had not been empty, all they would have had to do was to go there, remove the body of Jesus, and publicly display it.\u00a0 If this had been done, Christianity would not have lasted another day.\u00a0 The apostles did not go to a distant land to begin teaching about the resurrection.\u00a0 All of history shows that Christianity began in Jerusalem where all the events surrounding the death of Jesus took place and where it would be the easiest to investigate the claims being made.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It is recorded that in a short time, 5,000 men believed this teaching along with a great number of priests.\u00a0 Of all the writings from ancient times concerning the controversy of whether Jesus rose or not, none of them ever tried to claim that the tomb was not empty. Matthew 28:11-15 records the fact of the Jewish authorities claiming that the disciples had stolen the body, a claim still being made by some.\u00a0 One thing this proves is even the enemies admitted that the tomb was empty and all they could do was try to explain it away.\u00a0 In any trial, when your enemies agree with you on a particular fact, you have a stronger case for its truthfulness.\u00a0 One of the many areas that make Christianity unique from all other religions in the world is that it is the only religion basing its claims on the historical fact that three days after the death of its founder, His tomb was empty.\u00a0 No matter what we end up believing concerning the resurrection of Jesus, one thing must be admitted: a short time after His death, His tomb was empty.\u00a0 If it had not been empty, there never would have been a Christian religion, to begin with.<\/p>\n
Christianity, A Unique Religion<\/h2>\n
Of all the religions in the world, there is only one that points to an empty tomb of its founder as a historical fact.\u00a0 The Jews have never claimed Abraham was raised from the dead. Mohammed died June 6, 632 A.D. at the age of 61.\u00a0 His tomb in Medina is still visited by thousands every year.\u00a0 When Buddha died there was no claim made for him to have been raised from the dead.\u00a0 There is no claim of a bodily resurrection of Lao-tzu, the founder of the Tao religion, or of Confucius, the founder of Confucianism.\u00a0 Neither the Shinto, Hindu, nor Zoroastrian religions can point to the empty tomb of a historical founder.\u00a0 The closest claim similar to Christianity’s claim, to this writer’s knowledge, is the one made by those of the Bahai faith.\u00a0 There is a story that their founder, Baha’ Ullah, faced a firing squad in the 1800s.\u00a0 After the smoke from all the guns cleared, his body was missing.\u00a0 He was later found in his room working on some writings he had not yet finished.\u00a0 After he finished his writings, he was placed before another firing squad and was shot again.\u00a0 After the second firing squad, there was no more talk of him living again. Of all the religious teachers that have come and gone, why is it that it was only a Jew from the poor region of Galilee who had disciples going throughout the world teaching that they had seen Him after being dead for three days? What caused the disciples of Jesus to be willing to give up everything, including, their own lives, in their effort to tell the world that Jesus rose from the dead?\u00a0 If it was not the resurrection, then some explanation will have to answer for the events.\u00a0 Besides the empty tomb, these facts must be considered.<\/p>\n
Who Broke The Seal?<\/h2>\n
Who would dare to break the Roman seal on the tomb?\u00a0 According to Josh Mcdowell in his book The Resurrection Factor, the penalty for breaking a Roman seal was automatic crucifixion upside down.\u00a0 There would have to be some strong motivation to cause a person to risk this, but who would have dared it?\u00a0 Would the disciples?\u00a0 They were hiding for their lives.\u00a0 They already showed their lack of courage by running when Jesus was arrested.\u00a0 Three times, Peter denied he even knew Jesus.\u00a0 The records indicate that they were not expecting a resurrection.\u00a0 All their hopes had been shattered by the death of their leader.\u00a0 How would this group of scared men that earlier indicated they had only two swords among them (Luke 22:38), rise up and face the Roman guard in order to get into the tomb?\u00a0 Would the Jews break the seal?\u00a0 Why, when they are the ones that had it put there?\u00a0 Would the Romans break the seal? Again, what motive would there be?\u00a0 The guards’ lives depended on how well they did their job in keeping anyone from breaking the seal.\u00a0 What could cause them to want to break it themselves?\u00a0 Who broke the seal?<\/p>\n
Who Moved The Stone?<\/h2>\n
The same questions concerning the seal can also be applied to the stone.\u00a0 In each of the written records a different aspect of the stone’s position is mentioned.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In Matthew 27:60 we are told a large stone was rolled against the tomb.\u00a0 The Greek word used here is “kulio<\/em>“, which simply means ‘to roll’. In Mark 16:4 we are told that the stone was rolled away from the tomb.\u00a0 Here “ana” which means up or upward is added to kulio<\/em> to make the word “anakulio<\/em>” – to roll something up an incline.\u00a0 This would indicate that there was a slope going down to the entrance of the tomb and that the stone was rolled up the slope.\u00a0 Luke 24:2 uses the word “apokulio<\/em>“.\u00a0 “Apo” means a ‘separation from’ which added with kulio<\/em> would indicate that the stone was rolled completely away from the tomb.\u00a0\u00a0 John 20:1 gives an indication of just how far the stone was rolled away.\u00a0 Here the word “airo<\/em>” is used.\u00a0 This word is defined as “to pick something up and carry it away.”\u00a0 When all of the information is put together we need to see who would have rolled this large stone a long distance up a hill from the tomb? The Jews passed the story around that the disciples stole the body while the guards slept.\u00a0 How did the guard know who did it if they were sleeping?\u00a0 If the disciples did try to steal the body, they would have tried to sneak in and move the stone just enough to get in and out with the body.\u00a0 Why would they roll the stone that according to some calculations would weigh 1-1\/2 to 2 tons and risk waking the guards?\u00a0 The guards would have to be some deep sleepers to not be awakened by this.\u00a0 If the disciples did not move the stone, then who did?\u00a0 The Jews?\u00a0 If so, for what reason? Remember, they wanted the body to stay buried.\u00a0 What about the Romans?\u00a0 What motive would they have in moving a stone they were guarding so that no one else would move it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Frank Morrison clearly saw the problem with the position of the stone.\u00a0 At one time in his life, he set out with the goal to write a book proving that the resurrection was false and to show what ‘really’ happened during the last week of the life of Jesus.\u00a0 After ten years of studying, instead of writing what he had originally planned, he wrote a book called Who Moved the Stone? —<\/em>\u00a0a book devoted to defending the resurrection of Jesus.<\/p>\n
Who Left the Grave Clothes?<\/h2>\n
John 20:3-9 records that the grave clothes that Jesus was wrapped in were left in the tomb.\u00a0 The text indicates that they were laying folded where the body was instead of being scattered about in the tomb.\u00a0 When Peter and John entered the tomb they saw the grave clothes still there, but now they were empty.\u00a0 This sight affected them so much that it was sufficient to cause John to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.\u00a0\u00a0 If someone had come to steal the body, why would they take the time to unwrap it first?\u00a0 Any grave robber would have wanted to get in and out as fast as possible and even if they unwrapped the body first, why would they take the time to neatly roll them up before leaving?\u00a0 Who would have done this? The disciples?\u00a0 They were too scared.\u00a0 Was it the Romans or the Jews?\u00a0 What motive would they have?\u00a0 Who left the grave clothes?<\/p>\n
What Happened to the Roman Guards?<\/h2>\n
What caused the Roman guards to flee?\u00a0 This must be explained because of the exceptional discipline of the Roman army at this time.\u00a0 There were at least 18 offenses that carried the death penalty for the Roman soldier.\u00a0 One of them was falling asleep while on watch.\u00a0 If it was not known which of the guards was negligent in his duties, lots were drawn and one was picked at random to be killed for the guard unit’s failure.\u00a0 One way they were killed was to be stripped of their clothes and burned to death.\u00a0 Would you fall asleep if you knew this could happen to you?\u00a0 Why did these guards go to the Jewish authorities?\u00a0 What could motivate them to leave their post?\u00a0 There would have to be a reason for the Jews to bribe the guards.\u00a0 If there was any way it could be shown that they had been negligent in their duties, instead of being bribed, they would have been punished.\u00a0 Yet, there is no indication in all of history that these guards were ever punished.\u00a0 Who caused the guards to flee?\u00a0 The disciples?\u00a0 Remember, they couldn’t be found, they were hiding out of fear.\u00a0 The Jews?\u00a0 They are the ones that had them put there, to begin with.\u00a0 What happened to the Roman guards?<\/p>\n
Eyewitness Testimony<\/h2>\n
Anytime the accuracy of an event is in question, the most valuable evidence is eyewitness testimony.\u00a0 When history is studied, anytime documents are available from those that claim to have seen the events, they are considered to be the most reliable evidence unless there is strong evidence to suggest otherwise.\u00a0 What about the eyewitness testimony of the resurrection?\u00a0 How are we going to take this?\u00a0 One of the reasons Paul wrote to the church at Corinth was that some among them were denying the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12).\u00a0 In this letter, written 33 years after the event, he claims that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time and that most of them were still alive.\u00a0 How could Paul get away with this claim if it was not true?\u00a0 The world was full of people anxious to show that Paul was a false teacher at this time.\u00a0 Why didn’t anyone challenge this statement?\u00a0\u00a0 Were all of the witnesses lying?\u00a0 How could all of these people withstand so much persecution while teaching the greatest code of morality and ethics ever known and basing it all on a lie?\u00a0 What changed this defeated band of cowards into such a fearless group that even their enemies accused them of “turning the world upside down<\/em>” with their teaching?\u00a0 If we will just listen to their own words we can find out. They were anxious for the whole world to know what changed them and their story was always consistent.\u00a0 It was “we saw Him alive after being dead<\/em>“.\u00a0\u00a0 What changed Saul of Tarsus into the apostle Paul?\u00a0 Saul was doing his best to destroy the church, causing both men and women to be put to death for their beliefs.\u00a0 He didn’t believe in the resurrection, yet he suddenly changed his beliefs and became one of the greatest teachers Christianity has ever seen.\u00a0 In 58 A.D. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem by the Jews because they considered him to be a traitor to the Jewish faith.\u00a0 In his defense, he reminds them of his past that they themselves knew, and then tells them the reason for his change in Acts 22:4-8:<\/p>\n
“And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify… as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noon time, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me… and He said to me,\u00a0 ‘I am Jesus, the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’<\/em>“<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What caused such a drastic change in this man’s life if it was not what he said himself, that he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus?\u00a0 How could Paul point to the drastic change in his life if it wasn’t true?\u00a0 He is claiming that even the rulers knew about it and if it wasn’t so, he would quickly be exposed as a liar.\u00a0 This is the man that wrote more of the epistles in the New Testament than anyone else.\u00a0 Could he write about the greatest ethical teaching known to man while knowing the whole time it was based on a lie?\u00a0 This runs contrary to human nature.\u00a0\u00a0 What caused the change in James, the brother of Jesus?\u00a0 Mark 3:21 and John 7:5 shows that the family of Jesus did not believe in Him yet James became a leader in the early church.\u00a0 What caused such a change in his life?\u00a0 What would it take for you to worship your brother as the creator of the universe?\u00a0 The answer can be found in\u00a0 1 Corinthians 15:7: “then He appeared to James<\/em>“…\u00a0 The disciples were not gullible men. After Thomas missed Jesus’ first appearance to the apostles, the others tried to tell him that Jesus was alive.\u00a0 His answer was:<\/p>\n
“Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe<\/em>” (John 20:25).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Later, when Thomas saw Jesus, he, a Jew that had been taught all his life that there was only one God, cried out: “My Lord and my God!<\/em>” What would cause Thomas, a man not easily convinced, to spend the rest of his life teaching that he saw Jesus raised from the dead?\u00a0 He was so convinced that he willingly faced death before he would change his story. If the resurrection did not happen, what changed the lives of these men?<\/p>\n
Appeal Was Made to the Listeners’ Knowledge<\/h2>\n
When the apostles began teaching the resurrection, they didn’t run to some far-off land to begin teaching.\u00a0 They started in Jerusalem where the hearers would be the most acquainted with the facts.\u00a0 When they taught, they said, “You know it yourselves<\/em>“!\u00a0 Christianity would never have grown so quickly if it did not stick to the facts. There were many hostile enemies willing to do anything to destroy this new teaching.\u00a0 Think carefully about the words of the apostles.\u00a0 On the day of Pentecost Peter said in Acts 2:22:<\/p>\n
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.<\/em>“<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Peter would not have lasted a minute if they didn’t know these things as he said they did.\u00a0 Instead of rejecting Peter, literally, thousands obeyed the words that he spoke.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When Peter taught the first Gentiles he said in Acts 10:37-38:<\/p>\n
“You yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea,… You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit…<\/em>“<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem by the Jews, even the Roman rulers understood the problem the Jews had with Paul.\u00a0 In explaining the charges made against Paul to King Agrippa, Festus, the governor, said:<\/p>\n
“but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive<\/em>” (Acts 25:19).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
When Paul spoke before King Agrippa concerning how he once persecuted the church but had seen Jesus while traveling to Damascus, Festus accused him of being insane.\u00a0 Paul’s answer in Acts 26:25-26 was:<\/p>\n
“I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.\u00a0 For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.<\/em>“<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
How could Paul make this statement before government officials of Rome unless it was true?\u00a0 Instead of rebuking Paul for stretching the truth, King Agrippa said:<\/p>\n
“In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian<\/em>” (Acts 26:28 ).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
When the claim of the resurrection is examined, the events of the first century must be explained.\u00a0 If Jesus did not rise from the dead, why were the early Christians willing to die teaching it?\u00a0 Who broke the seal?\u00a0 Who moved the stone?\u00a0 Who left the grave clothes?\u00a0 Who frightened the guards?\u00a0 What caused the apostles to change from being scared men running for their lives to bold and fearless preachers that no amount of torture and death could stop?\u00a0 Are the greatest ethical teachings known to man based on a lie?\u00a0 In the next article, the efforts of men to explain away the resurrection will be examined.<\/p>\n
Arguments Against the Resurrection<\/h2>\n
Even with this evidence and others that have not yet been mentioned, there are many who do not believe the resurrection ever happened.\u00a0 The ones who do not believe have their arguments for not accepting it just as those who believe have their arguments for believing.\u00a0 Now, the arguments against the resurrection will be examined to see how reasonable they are.\u00a0 As with any historical problem, we cannot go into the past and repeat the event, but we can examine the evidence we have to see if it is more reasonable to believe or not to believe.\u00a0 Anytime the truth of a matter is sought, one should not be afraid of examining all aspects of a problem, no matter what the controversy is about.\u00a0 It is only when we refuse to look at evidence that we have no hope for ever improving our understanding. There is a principle found in John 3:20-21 that is applicable here.\u00a0 It says: “For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.\u00a0 But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.<\/em>”\u00a0 The principle is that those who do wrong try to hide what they are doing and those who are doing right don’t care if the whole world sees what they are doing because they have nothing of which to be ashamed.\u00a0 No matter what subject we study, whether the evolution vs. creation question, the inspiration, and accuracy of the Bible, or the question of the resurrection, when one resorts to ridicule and slander, this shows the admitted weakness of their position and their refusal to accept facts that go against what they want to believe. Any explanation proposed to deny the resurrection must fit the facts.\u00a0 If it does not, it must be rejected. This is a simple rule to follow when studying any historical event that is in question. After the death of Jesus, His tomb was either occupied or empty.\u00a0 The theories that claim it was occupied will be examined first.<\/p>\n
The Unknown Tomb Theory<\/h3>\n
This theory teaches that Jesus was buried in a common pit for executed criminals instead of a private tomb and later no one knew where the body was dumped.\u00a0 The problem with this is, it totally ignores the record of history that Jesus was buried in the private tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and that the women prepared His body according to their current customs.\u00a0 Even the enemies of the Christians admitted that there was a guard at the tomb at the Jews’ request. Is it possible that even the Jews and the Romans didn’t know where the tomb was located they were supposed to be protecting from thieves?\u00a0 Surely, with all the enemies the apostles had, when they started teaching about the resurrection, one of them could come up with the location of the tomb and publicly display the body of Jesus.<\/p>\n
The Wrong Tomb Theory<\/h3>\n
This theory teaches that when the women went to the tomb early Sunday morning, they went to the wrong tomb by mistake.\u00a0 A young man tried to show them where the right tomb was, but in their excitement and fear, they ran off and told the other disciples that Jesus was raised from the dead.\u00a0 The problem with this is that less than 72 hours earlier, these women saw where He was buried (Matthew 27:61, Mark 15:47).\u00a0 Do you think they would forget where their beloved Master was buried so quickly?\u00a0\u00a0To believe this theory, you would also have to believe that Peter and John also ran to the wrong tomb, the Jews and the Romans went to the wrong tomb, Joseph, the owner went to the wrong tomb and the whole Christian faith began in Jerusalem where no one in the city could remember the right location of the burial of Jesus.<\/p>\n
The Legend Theory<\/h3>\n
This theory teaches that this is all only a legend that gradually rose over the years. The problem with this is that legends take time to develop, especially ones that would be of this magnitude.\u00a0 If it were possible to show that the gospels were written 200-300 A.D. this theory would be more believable.\u00a0 This was popular with the scholarship of the 1800s but now with the many discoveries made in archeology, this dating is impossible.\u00a0 One example is the John Ryland Manuscript.\u00a0 It is a portion of the gospel of John that is dated 125-130 A.D. John is accepted to be the last gospel written and there were copies being made already in the early 100’s A.D., proving that the original must be from an earlier time.\u00a0 In 56 A.D. Paul wrote that there were over 500 eyewitnesses of the resurrection at that time and most of them were still alive (I Corinthians 15:6).\u00a0 When there are eyewitnesses available, it is too early to be talking about legends.<\/p>\n
The Spiritual Resurrection Theory<\/h3>\n
This teaches that the body of Jesus was still in the grave and that the resurrection was only spiritual. This ignores the words of Jesus to His disciples when they thought He was a spirit.<\/p>\n
“See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have<\/em>” (Luke 24:39).\u00a0 John 21 records the time Jesus ate with his disciples and Matthew 28:9 records that the women held to His feet when they saw Him. This is not the action of a spirit.\u00a0 This theory also ignores the fact of the empty tomb, the grave clothes, and the Jews bribing the guards to say the body was stolen.\u00a0 If you can believe in a spiritual resurrection, why should there be a problem with a physical one?<\/p>\n
The Hallucination Theory<\/h3>\n
A hallucination is seeing or hearing something that is not there.\u00a0 Is it possible that the disciples were wanting to see Jesus again so much that they hallucinated?\u00a0 The problem with this idea is that hallucinations generally happen to only certain kinds of people and when they do, they are individual hallucinations.\u00a0 If you hallucinate, you are the only one experiencing it.\u00a0 Even with drugs that cause hallucinations, each “trip” is an individual experience.\u00a0 How could several women hallucinate Jesus and all fall to his feet?\u00a0 Two men walked and talked with Jesus for several miles on the way to Emmaus. How could the disciples sit and eat with a hallucination?\u00a0 Would a hallucination invite several people to examine it carefully so they could see that it was really there? How reasonable would it be to believe that the appearance of Jesus to over 500 people was all dreamed up out of their imaginations? One principle of hallucinations is that one must be desiring to see something.\u00a0 The disciples were not expecting to see anything.\u00a0 The women were coming to the tomb to anoint a dead body.\u00a0 The men were hiding out of fear because their leader was now gone. When they did see Him they were frightened.\u00a0 It was totally unexpected.\u00a0 This theory still doesn’t match some other facts.\u00a0 How can it explain the empty tomb, the broken seal, and the actions of the Jews in bribing the guards to say the body had been stolen?\u00a0 A theory is good only when it can explain the facts.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The theories above try to explain away the resurrection while leaving the body of Jesus in the tomb.\u00a0\u00a0 Many have recognized the difficulty of the historical evidence indicating that the body really was missing, so several theories have been proposed to explain the disappearance of the body.\u00a0 The Romans and the Jews were the last ones with possession of the body, yet in a short time, they were powerless to produce it.\u00a0 The Jews were angry with the apostles for teaching the resurrection.\u00a0 If their teaching was true, then the Jews were guilty of murdering the Son of God and they did not want to face that fact. The second time the apostles were arrested, the Jews said:<\/p>\n
“We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us<\/em>” (Acts 5:28).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The only thing they had to do was to produce the body of Jesus and the whole controversy about the resurrection would have ceased immediately.\u00a0 This shows the body was missing at that time and the following theories attempt to explain what happened to it.<\/p>\n
Was the Body Stolen by the Disciples?<\/h3>\n
This is the earliest theory and one of the most used.\u00a0 Matthew records it in his gospel but doesn’t even bother to answer it.\u00a0 He just says the guards were bribed to say it.\u00a0 The first problem with this theory is that if the guards were sleeping, how would they know who stole the body?\u00a0 Sleeping would have been very improbable for this guard unit because of their strict discipline.\u00a0 How careless would you be in falling asleep on watch if you knew you would be stripped and then burned to death?\u00a0 Even if they had fallen asleep, anyone who tried to move that stone would have quickly awakened them and would have a serious fight on their hands.\u00a0 Another problem is that the apostles were too scared to steal the body.\u00a0 When Jesus was arrested they all took off running.\u00a0 After Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times, he wasn’t in the right mood to become a hero by facing that Roman guard unit.\u00a0 Another serious problem is that the early Christians were too honest to base their teachings on deception.\u00a0 They would have been going against everything their Master taught and lived and died for.\u00a0 To believe this theory you would have to accept that these men abandoned their cowardice, stole the body, and spent the rest of their lives teaching what they knew was a great deception and at the same time teaching that liars will be condemned to hell for eternity.\u00a0 Also, they would have had to face terrible persecution and painful deaths, knowing the whole time it was all a lie.\u00a0 Yet, not one of them ever changed their teaching.\u00a0 This runs against human nature too much to believe.<\/p>\n
Did The Authorities Steal The Body?<\/h3>\n
This theory states the Jews or Romans took the body so no one else could take it and thereby claim a resurrection.\u00a0 There is a major problem with this. Why would they want to do the very thing that caused all their problems?\u00a0 Once the rumor got out concerning the resurrection, why didn’t they take the body and display it for all to see?\u00a0 If they had done this, Christianity could not have continued, but they didn’t.\u00a0Why? Because they had no idea where the body was. If they did, they would have found a way to get it.<\/p>\n
The Swoon Theory<\/h3>\n
This was popular in the 1800s and many university professors and liberal theologians still teach it. This teaches that Jesus was nailed to the cross, and suffered a loss of blood from the thorns and scourging, but instead of dying, He merely passed out. Without the medical technology of today, He was mistaken to be dead and was buried alive.\u00a0 After laying in the tomb, He regained consciousness, appeared to the disciples, and as a result, they thought He was raised from the dead and started a new religion. To believe this you would have to accept that Jesus was scourged, beaten, became so weak He couldn’t carry His own cross, was nailed to a cross for six hours, had a spear thrust into His side, was taken off the cross, and wrapped up tightly like a mummy without food, water, or medicine, buried in a tomb, and then regained His strength so that He could escape the wrappings, push the stone aside, escape from the guards and walk to the disciples on feet that had nails through them and convince them He was the conqueror of death.\u00a0 He would have been so near death that the Romans were fooled, the women who wrapped his body didn’t notice any life, and yet in a short time, He was able to move about so quickly His own followers couldn’t keep up with Him. Even if all this could have happened, why didn’t Jesus tell the disciples the truth?\u00a0 If He didn’t, that would make Him part of a great deception.\u00a0 Think about it all and believe it if you can.\u00a0 It’s easier to believe in a resurrection.<\/p>\n
The Passover Plot<\/h3>\n
This one comes from a book by Hugh Schoenfield called\u00a0The Passover Plot<\/em>. This has become accepted by some religious leaders who still claim to be Christians.\u00a0 If this theory is true then no honest person should want to be a Christian. This theory teaches that Jesus knew of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and purposefully set everything up so He would fulfill them and manipulate the minds of the people.\u00a0 He arranged His own pretended death with Joseph of Arimathea and another young man as accomplices. He was given a drug to make Him lose consciousness when He was given the vinegar while on the cross. The plan was for Joseph to take His “dead” body to a tomb and when the effects of the drug wore off, He would reappear as the Messiah. The plan was foiled when a Roman guard stuck the spear in His side and killed Him.\u00a0 Joseph then took the body out of the tomb and hid it so the tomb would be empty anyway. Then the young man that was working with Him was mistaken as Jesus by Mary because she was so emotionally distraught.\u00a0 In some later appearances, the other disciples also mistook the young man for Jesus and this motivated them to go out and begin the fastest-growing religion ever known.\u00a0\u00a0To come up with this theory, Schoenfield had to completely ignore facts that didn’t fit his theory and twist those he thought he could use.\u00a0 He ignores the Roman guard, the seal, and the size of the stone, but worse, this would make Jesus a scheming deceiver involved in a wicked lie.\u00a0 This goes completely against everything known about Him.\u00a0 He also ignores the changed lives of the apostles.\u00a0 What about the 500 witnesses of the resurrection that Paul mentions in I Corinthians 15?\u00a0 If they could not be verified, then Paul would have been laughed out of town, but instead, he started more churches than anyone recorded.\u00a0 A short time after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, men began teaching in Jerusalem that He rose from the dead and, from there, went throughout the world.\u00a0 Something completely convinced these men that it was the truth.\u00a0 In their time and in all times since, there have been some that believed their story and some that have not.\u00a0 If what they taught was not true, then what other explanation fits the facts of history?<\/p>\n
Circumstantial Evidence<\/h2>\n
The resurrection either makes or breaks Christianity.\u00a0 If it happened, then Christianity has the greatest message known to mankind, but if it did not happen, Christianity is the greatest hoax in history.<\/p>\n
As with any historical event, the resurrection cannot be examined by the scientific method because it can never be repeated for observation, but if we will fairly and consistently apply the same tests given to all other historical events, we can determine the reasonableness of believing whether such an event took place.<\/p>\n
If we try to deny the resurrection, then we must explain why the tomb was empty.\u00a0 What happened to the body of Jesus? With all the controversy, why was the body never produced by anyone?\u00a0 When we look at those that first taught that Jesus had risen from the dead we need to answer why they were so willing to die for their teaching.\u00a0 An interesting contrast in history is the witnesses of the Book of Mormon.\u00a0 Originally, eight men claimed they could verify the story of Joseph Smith receiving some gold plates from an angel to translate into what is known today as the Book of Mormon.\u00a0 All eight claimed to be witnesses of this, yet, all eight later denied the story was ever true.\u00a0 If they really were witnesses to something as important as what they claimed, what could have caused them to change their story?<\/p>\n
\u00a0When you look at the twelve men that claimed to see Jesus after His death, not one of them ever changed his story and all but one suffered a violent death because of their refusal to change.\u00a0 Why is it that in one group all men changed their story and in the other group no one changed?\u00a0 Human nature being the way it is, this is a good indication of which group was absolutely convinced of the truthfulness of their witness to others.\u00a0 If the apostles just made the story up, why did they write that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection?\u00a0 This is important when it is remembered that in the first century, the Jews felt women were such unreliable witnesses they could not give testimony in a court of law.\u00a0 Yet we find that it was women who first gave testimony of the resurrection of Jesus.\u00a0 If the early writers just made the story up, it would be just as likely for them to include this in their account as it would be for a member of the Ku Klux Klan to write about the superiority of the white race and use the testimony of a black man to prove it.\u00a0 There is some circumstantial evidence that must be considered that has not yet been mentioned.\u00a0 None of them standing alone will absolutely prove the resurrection but together they are a good indication.\u00a0 One brick does not make a wall, but many bricks together will.<\/p>\n
The Church<\/h2>\n
The origin and success of the early Church must be explained.\u00a0 Its origin can be traced to Jerusalem in 33 A.D. It spread so quickly throughout the Roman empire that Paul could write to the Colossians by 64 A.D. that the whole world had heard of Jesus (Colossians 1:6,23).\u00a0 How could the church have begun and prospered in Jerusalem, in the very city where Jesus was crucified if there was no resurrection?\u00a0 Those in Jerusalem were able to examine the evidence closer than any other people in all of history and this is where the church grew faster than any other place recorded.<\/p>\n
On the first day of the church in Jerusalem, 3,000 were converted to the belief that Jesus had risen.\u00a0 In a short time, the number had grown to 5,000 men not counting the women and children (Acts 2:41, 4:1).\u00a0 From this beginning, the church quickly spread to include Christians within the household of the Roman emperors.\u00a0 How could this be explained if there was no resurrection?\u00a0 Would the apostles really have been able to convince thousands of people of the resurrection so quickly if it was all a hoax?\u00a0 Many of their converts were so convinced of the resurrection that they too were willing to lose everything they had, including their lives, to teach others.<\/p>\n
Sunday Worship<\/h3>\n
What caused many of the Jews of the first century to change their day of worship from the seventh day to the first day of the week?\u00a0The early Christian converts were devout Jews who strongly believed in keeping the Sabbath.\u00a0Their Old Testament scriptures clearly warned them of destruction if they failed in this and they were convinced from past experience that these warnings were true.\u00a0 What could explain the reason for these people to change their day of worship after observing it from the days of Moses?\u00a0 If the resurrection did not occur, what else could have caused these devout men and women to turn their back on so many years of religious training and tradition if it was not to honor the day their Savior rose from the dead?<\/p>\n
The Lord’s Supper<\/h3>\n
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the death of Jesus.\u00a0 When the death of a person that was loved is remembered, it is usually a time of sadness and sorrow but the Lord’s Supper is a time of joy and thankfulness.\u00a0 How could joy ever be developed by the early Christians at the remembrance of their Master’s horrible death if the resurrection never took place?\u00a0 This joy indicates they knew He died and rose from the dead and brought salvation to all that would follow Him.<\/p>\n
Baptism<\/h3>\n
Romans 6:1-11 and Colossians 2:12 say that we are buried with Him in baptism and then raised up to walk a new life.\u00a0 How did this meaning ever get attached to baptism if there was no resurrection?\u00a0 Fifty days after the death of Jesus, 3,000 people were willing to be baptized with many more people quickly following. Why were they all baptized if there was no resurrection?<\/p>\n
Results of the Resurrection<\/h3>\n
What caused these first-century Jews to accept a crucified man as their Lord and Savior when their own scriptures plainly said that anyone who hangs on a tree is cursed?\u00a0 What caused them to call this man “Lord”, a term used in the Old Testament for Jehovah?\u00a0 What caused these Jews to expand their thinking to accept the truth of not just God the Father, but also God the Son and God the Holy Spirit?\u00a0 How can these questions be answered without the resurrection?<\/p>\n
The resurrection causes us to see justice in life.\u00a0 As we look about us we see all seeming to go well for the wicked while others, doing the best they can, are treated unfairly.\u00a0 The resurrection shows that there will be a day of reckoning for all whether for good or evil.\u00a0 It makes no difference what life has to offer or what the courts of men decide.\u00a0 We can try our best in this life but there will still be mistakes and things that happen which are not fair, the resurrection demonstrates that someday all will be made right and all will receive what is due.<\/p>\n
With the resurrection, we have an answer to man’s troubled condition in this world.\u00a0 Many attempts have been made to improve mankind’s situation but they all fail.\u00a0 Arm’s Talks, Peace treaties, and various organizations have never brought the world true and lasting peace.\u00a0 Whether on an international or personal level, men and women search for peace yet it is so rarely found.\u00a0 Within man the goal is impossible, but God provides a way whereby man can be free from the selfishness, hatred, and jealousy that make up sin.<\/p>\n
It is possible to have the happiness that we all are searching for and need.\u00a0 With the resurrection, we can know that there is hope in life, and that man is not just an accident that evolved out of nothing and is going nowhere.\u00a0 We have a purpose beyond the short time we have on earth.\u00a0 We have an answer for man’s greatest enemy, death.\u00a0 All the medical advances, exercise, safety precautions, and healthy foods in the world will not prevent death.\u00a0 At best, they only delay it.\u00a0 After death, then what?\u00a0 What value will a man’s possessions have?\u00a0 What good will it do to be famous then?\u00a0 When death is seriously considered, what is the real purpose behind anything in life?\u00a0 Are we here just for a short time and then it is all over?\u00a0 The resurrection gives us what we need to continue in life – hope.\u00a0 Without the resurrection, there is no hope, only a vicious jungle where only the strong survive.<\/p>\n
There becomes no real motive to be good if you do not want to be.\u00a0 There is no motive to do anything at all except what you want right now regardless of what it may do to others.\u00a0 Why care about anything at all except the immediate fulfillment of any desire you have if there is no life after death?\u00a0 The Hindus believe in reincarnation to explain what happens after death.\u00a0 Many in this country are beginning to accept this idea.\u00a0 They are rejecting a God who loves and cares for them so much that He was willing to become a man and die in their place so that they could have true happiness and eternal life with Him.\u00a0 He is the God who provided a way that we may have a glorious body as Jesus does and live forever in joy and fellowship with one another and with the angels and with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Meditate on the words of Philippians 3:20-21: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself<\/em>.” In place of this, those that wish to accept the thought of the Hindus (a belief with no historical basis), follow the belief that there is no personal God and that we must pass through this life of pain and suffering many times until we finally reach the state where we blend into one consciousness and personally cease to exist.<\/p>\n
Where is the hope in this?\u00a0 To accept this over the resurrection would be like choosing 100 lbs.\u00a0 of dung instead of 100 lbs. of gold.\u00a0 To understand the logical result of this type of thinking, all that is needed is to look at the poverty, the disease, the violence, the ignorance, and the unconcern for human life that permeates the society of India where this belief has been strong for thousands of years.\u00a0 The resurrection gives meaning to the many prophecies of the Old Testament that were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born.\u00a0 We now have the completion of the communication of God to man in history (Hebrews 1:1-4).\u00a0 If the resurrection is true then it is the greatest proof of all of the validity of the Bible.\u00a0 This would prove that Jesus is the Son of God revealed from Genesis to Revelation.<\/p>\n
Through the resurrection, he confirmed the Old Testament to be true and not just a collection of myths and legends.\u00a0 Through the resurrection, the New Testament is confirmed as the standard for all of mankind to live by today.\u00a0 Through the resurrection, life makes sense, the world makes sense, and the universe makes sense.\u00a0 We can finally see the purpose of everything.\u00a0 Many have searched for the purpose of life without finding it but when we understand the resurrection of Jesus, it becomes simple.\u00a0 If we reject the resurrection, we will continue to search for answers as man has done for centuries and will never find them. In the end, no one can decide whether to believe or not to believe but you.\u00a0 You must make the final decision yourself.<\/p>\n
These points have not answered every question that can be brought up, but the time must come when you decide what you are going to believe.\u00a0 If the resurrection of Jesus is all a deception brought about by wicked and perverse men, then it must be rejected.\u00a0 If it truly is a historical event, then this proves that Jesus is the Christ and is Lord of all.\u00a0 It is not enough to believe it.\u00a0 He asks us to live it.\u00a0 Jesus said in Luke 6:46: “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do what I say?<\/em>” He cannot be our Lord until we obey Him as our Lord.\u00a0 Until we do this, His life, death, and resurrection are all meaningless to us.\u00a0 This is either the greatest knowledge available or the greatest lie there is.<\/p>\n
The teaching of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.\u00a0 There are people who react in the same manner today.\u00a0 What will you choose to do with Jesus?\u00a0 Will you accept Him as Lord or reject Him as a liar or a lunatic?\u00a0 There is no in-between.\u00a0 It does not matter what others have done or are doing.\u00a0 Many false and wicked things have been and are being done by hypocrites in the name of Jesus.\u00a0 Many lies have been and are being taught by false teachers in the name of Jesus.\u00a0 No matter what the rest of the world does, what will you choose to do with the resurrection of Jesus?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Wayne Wells The Greatest Hoax or the Greatest Event? The resurrection of Jesus was either the greatest hoax of history or the greatest event ever.\u00a0 How can we, living nearly two thousand years later, ever really know whether such an event took place?\u00a0 The importance of finding the answer can be found in 1…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[37,709,664],"class_list":["post-60453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-apologetics","tag-evidence","tag-resurrection"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":68438,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/put-jesus-on-trial\/","url_meta":{"origin":60453,"position":0},"title":"Put Jesus on Trial","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Perry Hall When talking with atheists, I like to tell them to put Jesus on trial. How do we do this? Practical: Examine Jesus's Teachings: What do you think of Jesus's teachings? Are Jesus's teachings indicative of a wise man, a conniver, or a lunatic? How do Jesus's teachings\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":87860,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-the-greatest\/","url_meta":{"origin":60453,"position":1},"title":"Jesus, the Greatest","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton The greatest blessing of my life is Jesus. Without Him, my heart was dark, and my direction was aimless. I pretended that believers were as irrational about God and Jesus as children were about tooth fairies. I once challenged a preacher, and he sent me material\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24088,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/he-showed-himself-alive-by-many-proofs\/","url_meta":{"origin":60453,"position":2},"title":"He Showed Himself Alive by Many Proofs","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If it is not true, then our religion is a hoax \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I Cor. 15:12-19 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Our faith stands or falls on whether not the resurrection actually occurred. II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Objections to a resurrection \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s unscientific\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Soviet Encyclopedia The concept of a resurrection\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88481,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-resurrection-of-jesus-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":60453,"position":3},"title":"The Resurrection of Jesus (Benton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton It was evidence-based faith that drove the apostles to testify of Jesus' resurrection openly. If Jesus were only a man, then the body should have remained in the tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. If it were still there after three days, the religion of Christ would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26048,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-predicting-his-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":60453,"position":4},"title":"Jesus Predicting His Death","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford Luke 18-19 chronicles the high point of Jesus\u2019 ministry. He is on His way to Jerusalem, surrounded by an exultant crowd. According to Luke 19:11, the throngs believed that \u201cthe kingdom of God was going to appear right away.\u201d In other words, they anticipated that when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Gospel_of_John_Chapter_19-11_Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":56220,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-firstfruits\/","url_meta":{"origin":60453,"position":5},"title":"The Firstfruits","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 25, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ethan R. Longhenry \"But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming\" (I Corinthians 15:23). Despair turned to excitement on that first day of the week so long ago when Jesus arose from the dead (John 20:1-31, etc.). 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