Jesus' Resurrection

   If the particular characteristics of the person and work of Jesus Christ (as those characteristics are set out in the Bible) are such as to be beyond those of mere men and to demand the conclusion that He is the Son of God, then Jesus is the Son of God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the characteristics of the person and work of Jesus Christ set out in the Bible that is beyond those of mere men and demands the conclusion that He is the Son of God Therefore, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This constitutes our argument in this article. We will now examine in some detail the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

   The New Testament places great emphasis on the evidential and apologetical value of the resurrection of Christ. Paul said Christ “was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead even Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4). Luke wrote, “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen; to whom also he showed himself alive after the passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:1-3, emp. added).

   Biblical writers affirm the facts that Jesus lived, died, was buried and rose again the third day from the tomb. The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian religion. He died, was buried, and arose again to die no more. The resurrection of Christ from the dead constitutes proof that He is the Divine Son of God. His resurrection was central in the apostles preaching and thinking. It is the assurance of our resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15); it is also inseparably linked with our salvation (Romans 6).

   The following things need to be noted about Christ’s resurrection. First, it was an actual resurrection. Jesus really died on the cross, His friends saw Him die; the soldiers saw Him die; the centurion even pierced His side with a spear to make sure He was dead. Second, His was a bodily resurrection. Jesus had flesh and bones (Luke 24:34, 40). The women who met Him on the resurrection morning held Him by the feet (Matthew 28:9). The tomb was empty as the women and disciples discovered and as the enemies of Christ admitted (Matthew 28:11-15). Finally, Jesus made several appearances after His resurrection in order to convince His disciples and others that He really did rise from the dead as He said he would do. He appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus; to the ten disciples minus Thomas, to all eleven disciples including Thomas; to His brother James; to over 500 people at one time; and to the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.

   All of the above evidence concerning Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection cannot be ignored or swept away. He was placed in a tomb, dead. A Roman guard was placed around the tomb and the tomb was sealed. Yet, on the third day, the tomb was empty and Jesus was no longer in it. Only two real possibilities can explain the empty tomb. Either someone or some group removed His body from the tomb and disposed of it somewhere, or Jesus actually did arise from the dead as He predicted He would do and as the New Testament states that He did. The person who denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is as obligated to furnish the evidence which warrants that conclusion as Christians are to present the evidence (which we can) which warrants the conclusion that Jesus did arise from the dead. In spite of this evidence, unbelievers have attempted to explain the empty tomb by means other than a resurrection.

   First, the disciples have been accused of stealing his body. We ask, Why? They did not expect Jesus to arise from the dead and in fact had given up all hope of seeing Him and had gone into hiding. How could a group of eleven scared, and despairing men overpower a Roman guard of some 16 or more men and get the body out of the tomb? Furthermore, what would they do with the body of Jesus after removing it? Then we have the problem of this action being inconsistent with the lives of these men. They might have been weak, but they were not deceitful or dishonest to preach a risen Messiah when they knew He was not. The disciples did not steal His body although they were accused of doing so (Matthew 28:11-15).

   Second, some have claimed that the enemies of Christ stole His body. Again we ask, why? That would have been playing into the hands of those who believed He would rise again and cause the very thing to happen that His enemies wanted to avoid -- namely the preaching of the resurrection. If the enemies had removed the body, they could have very easily stopped the early spread of the gospel by producing Christ’s body on Pentecost where His resurrection was first preached. No, His enemies did not take his body from the tomb. They had nothing to gain by doing so.

   Third, some have suggested that Jesus did not really die, but that he only “swooned.” He was then placed in the tomb in that condition where the cool air revived Him and He escaped to tell His disciples. How could a person who had been scourged, tortured, nailed to a cross through the hot hours of the day, and into whose side a spear had been thrust, drawing not only blood, but the water-like serum in the pericardial sac -- itself a sign of death, get off a stone slab in the dark, remove His own tightly wound wrappings or bandages, push back from the mouth of the cave-tomb a heavy grindstone shaped boulder like a solid wheel, which took several strong men to move, evade the guards; then appear to His followers and friends not as an invalid, but as a triumphant conqueror over death, who would on the same day walk seven miles to Emmaus with disciples, have supper with them, and then travel another seven miles to Jerusalem in time to have supper with the rest of His friends? This is desperate skepticism and can be safely discarded.

   One final theory has been advanced by Joseph Klausner in his book, Jesus of Nazareth, His Life, Times, and Teaching. This is the so-called vision theory” It is claimed that the disciples saw visions of Christ after His death e.g. Paul on the way to Damascus. In the first place, the disciples did not expect to see Jesus in any form, real or in visions. Visions come to those who expect to see something. In the second place, visions do not come to large crowds of people, like 10, 12, or 500 at one time. Finally, visions tend to multiply over a long period of time. Why did they suddenly stop after six weeks? What cured the disciples of their visions? Why did not others continue to have visions after the church grew and as the apostles died? The vision theory in no way agrees with the many details and circumstances surrounding the events of Christ’s resurrection. It must be rejected because of a lack of evidence to support it and because it conflicts directly with known evidence that Jesus did arise from the tomb.

   In summary, the following positive facts of the resurrection are presented. First, Jesus predicted that He would die and be raised. Second, the tomb was empty on the third day after Jesus had been placed in it. What happened to His body? Third, Jesus appeared to many people after His resurrection. Were all of these people victims of hallucinations? Were they lying when they said they had seen Him? Fourth, how do you account for the dramatic and sudden transformation in the lives of the apostles after the resurrection and on Pentecost? What caused them to change their despair into hope and their unbelief into belief? Only the resurrection of Christ can account for this. Finally, what will you do with the Gospel records of the resurrection? Were they manufactured by the early church? Or were and are they accurate and trustworthy accounts of what happened? The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is conclusive. Jesus did arise from the dead and is the Son of God and Saviour of the world. May we declare the same to the whole world in this generation.