The Resurrection of Christ Is True
Let’s examine the evidence:
1-Christ predicted His own resurrection
The Bible records, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things … and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (Matthew 16:21). Even though the disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them at that time, they remembered His words later.
2-The empty tomb
It would have been impossible to preach the resurrection if Jesus’ body was still in the tomb. All what the religious leaders needed to do to disprove the resurrection was to show the body and expel all doubt. In Matthew 28:11-15, the religious leaders admit that the tomb was empty. And also secular Jewish and Romans also admit to this fact (Josephus and “Toledoth Jeshu”).
3-The runaway Roman guards
How can you explain the fleeing of the entire unit of the guarding soldiers after sleeping on duty when the Romans administered the death penalty to those that failed to do their guard duty? Some claim that the disciples stole Jesus’ body. But how can anyone believe that the disciples that left Jesus at the crucifixion because of fear would come and break the Roman seal, defy Rome, risk fighting the soldiers, then steal the body? And finally, how could Pilot excuse the guards unless he himself realized the overwhelming evidence for the Resurrection.
4-The testimony of women
In all of the major resurrection stories, women were credited as the first main eyewitnesses. This is most abnormal because according to the ancient Jewish and Roman cultures, the testimony of women were not esteemed with credibility. If the Resurrection was a hoax, it would have been very unlikely that its makers would choose women as their primary witnesses instead of men.
5-The testimony of eye witnesses
Jesus appeared alive on several occasions after the Resurrection (Luke 24:13-34, 36-43; John 20:21-31; 1 Corinthians 15:7). In fact, the Bible in 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us that Jesus was seen by “five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto the present.”
6-The conversion of skeptics and those that persecuted Christianity
Skeptics like Paul and James bore an undeniable testimony to the power of the Resurrection that changed their lives. Paul was one of the major Jewish persecutors of the early Church. But after he met the resurrected Jesus in a vision, he was converted and became a major apostle for the gentiles. Likewise, James the doubter after the resurrection, became a great leader in the early church.
7-The overwhelming willingness of Christians to be persecuted and martyred for being witnesses to the resurrection
Many eye witnesses to the Resurrection and millions through the ages have experienced the power of conversion. These endured being beaten, burned, stoned to death, thrown to the lions, tortured, and crucified. They gave up their lives as the ultimate evidence of their faith in the resurrection. No one sacrifices his life for a lie.
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
