As I write this, it is March 31, 2024--Easter Sunday. Resurrection Day. The most holy day on the Christian calendar. The whole story of the Bible is God's redemption story, and Christ's death and resurrection are the focal point. It is the way we can be saved! That is why we celebrate! Jesus purchased our salvation with his death, and proved it with His resurrection!
I hope you enjoyed your Easter with family and church friends. We had a wonderful service at our church, and even got this family picture taken...
Have you ever had doubts about Christianity, or more specifically, the resurrection of Christ? Or maybe you don't have doubts, but have been challenged by skeptics. First Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you... Here are some faith-building responses in defense of the resurrection.
Jesus Said He Would Rise Again! Matthew 28:6 records the angel's words at the tomb, He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Jesus had told them He would die and rise again, but nobody had really grsped it. Peter had even tried to stop Jesus from talking about it (Matthew 16:22). Jesus had said it, and it happened!
The Tomb Was Empty! Matthew 28:6 continues, Come, see the place where He lay. Jesus' tomb was empty! Some have accused the disciples of stealing the body, but that idea is preposterous. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers, and covered with a heavy stone (probably weighing a ton or two!). The disciples couldn't have accomplished a body snatch. The tomb really was empty. If it wasn't, and the disciples wanted to make up such a story, they would have gone as far from Jerusalem as they could get, where people couldn't conveniently get to the tomb to verify the story. But they stayed right there in Jerusalem, and when Peter preached the Gospel at Pentecost (Acts 2), no one challenged the resurrection story, or said, "Wait a minute. The body is still in the tomb. What are you talking about, saying He rose?" This is because the tomb was empty!
The Old Testament Said He Would Rise from the Dead! In Luke 24, the risen Christ appeared to Cleopas and another man on the road to Emmaus, about a 7 mile walk from Jerusalem. They did not recognize Him, but shared with Him that they didn't believe the accounts of the resurrection. Jesus told them in verse 25 that they were, slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! In verse 27, we are told that Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. The whole Old Testament was set up to point people to Jesus, and what He would do for us in dying for our sins and rising again.
Hundreds of Eye Witnesses! More than 500 people saw Jesus after the resurrection (First Corinthians 15:6). Some of these eye-witnesses died for their testimony of Jesus, but still wouldn't recant (which is another reason we know the disciples couldn't have stolen the body--they would never be willing to die for a hoax). Even non-Christian historians, such as Josephus, acknowledged Jesus' existence and crucifixion.
The Story Doesn't Fit the Narrative Man Would Concoct! Just like the rest of the Bible, the Gospels are brutally honest about people's flaws and mistakes. They give the dirt. If these stories were of human origin, their own egos wouldn't allow them to come up with a story that makes them look bad. Human ego would never paint a picture of man as inherently sinful and only redeemable from an outside Savior, and yet that is the story of scripture. Just like other places in the Bible, the Gospel accounts share about Peter's denial, the other disciples running when Jesus was arrested, their quarrels, Thomas' doubts, or the women being the first to discover the empty tomb (women were not considered credible eye-witnesses at that time, and yet God saw to it that they got to be the first witnesses to the resurrection!). This story doesn't jive with First-Century human ego. This is a divinely-orchestrated story, truthfully told on the pages of scripture.
The Change in Jesus' Followers! The story continues after the resurrection, after the eleven remaining disciples had received the Holy Spirit, that they bravely and boldly proclaimed the Gospel, facing imprisonment, threats, and ultimately death. What could change these men from cowards who fled at Jesus' arrest (one of whom denied Him three times) to courageous martyrs? Only the Resurrection could accomplish this!
The next time you hear someone challenge the truth of the resurrection, consider these proofs! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
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