There is lots of solid evidence out there validating the probability that the resurrection happened.
This past Easter Sunday, we got into just a sample of that evidence:
There’s the empty tomb Historical records outside the Bible tell us that the Roman authorities sealed the tomb and placed guards to protect it. This was very unusual but they were determined to keep people from stealing the body. No one could get through the Roman guard. Yet, the tomb was empty – the stone was moved away … Jesus rose from the dead.
I was talking with this guy at Shady Grove Metro about our Questions for God series and he was a skeptic. He told me that one of this biggest arguments against the resurrection was that the story was written down some 50 years after it happened so what we read today is myth and legend.
I thanked him for his thoughts and then shared some things that hopefully would shed some light on that premise. I mentioned to him that the resurrection story was written down just a few months or even weeks after it happened – and circulated openly all over Jerusalem by the early Christians. These documents preceded the writing of the New Testament. They were circulated in early Hymns and something called Creeds (short belief statements). Scholars tell us that these Hymns and Creeds were written down from 33 AD – 48 AD – just weeks or even months after Jesus ascended into heaven.
One of the creeds is in 1 Cor 15:3-8. (Take a minute and read this example) which gives a lot of details proving that Jesus truly did rise from the dead. This Creed here in 1 Cor 15:3-8 was written down very early after the ascension of Jesus into heaven and circulated to thousands in Jerusalem.
The disciples weren’t into blind faith – they wanted people to know well after they died that there were many good reasons to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. The content of these Creeds and Hymns centers on the death, resurrection and the fact that Jesus was God in the flesh. The idea of a fully divine, miracle-working Jesus who rose from the dead was present in writing right away. So the resurrection was not a myth or a legend that was written down decades after it happened. On top of that, since the resurrection story was all over Jerusalem at the time … thousands heard about it … don’t you think that if the resurrection was a hoax – that someone would have spoken up and even written about it?
Yet, we don’t have any record of any first century person saying that the story was false or a hoax. As a matter of fact, a number of ancient non-Christians wrote about the resurrection happening – and one of them was a famous Jewish historian. The evidence is overwhelming — Jesus rose from the dead and beat death… everyone else is in the grave – no faith path leader did what Jesus did.
MORE EVIDENCE
All of the apostles died terrible deaths. Thomas was pierced with a large lance while in India. Other disciples were tortured, stabbed to death and beaten to death because they wouldn’t denounce Christ. Mark was dragged through the streets to his death. James was beheaded. Peter was crucified upside down.
Maybe you’re thinking, a lot of people have died for a lie that they thought was the truth. If the disciples made up the story and they were in on a hoax, they knew it was a lie. Would anyone die the deaths that the disciples did for a lie – that they knew was a lie? I don’t think they would. These men were honest men. They had no reason to devise some elaborate scheme. They didn’t have the courage to defend a bold-face lie. To die like they did meant that they really did see the risen Christ. They were willing to die for the one who overcame death for them and for us.
There’s lots more evidence out there for any skeptic to examine and I think when you do, you’ll come to the conclusion that the resurrection really happened.
CLICK HERE FOR IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE RESURRECTION HAPPENED.