Convincing Evidence of Christ's Bodily Resurrection
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
It doesn't surprise me that Christians need to convince agnostics and atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Jews of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But what astounds me is that by far the most learned and agile opponents of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ are liberal Christian scholars. For example, here is the fairly accurate book description for The Resurrection of Jesus by Gerd Luedemann:
"What actually happened at the resurrection of Jesus? Using historical criticism and depth psychology, Luedemann reviews the accounts of witnesses, consults Pauline texts, and investigates Easter events, concluding that though the quickening of Christ cannot be believed in a 'literal' and scientific sense, we can still be Christians."
Huh?
People Just Don't Come Back to Life
The real issue is one of assumptions and worldview. Scholarly opponents of a literal, bodily resurrection assume a Western scientific worldview. If something cannot be explained or proved by science, then it is unscientific and false. There is no room whatsoever in this worldview for a God who intervenes in history, as does the God of the Old and New Testaments. There is only room for scientifically explained cause and effect within a closed system that excludes miracles. This is a determined unbelief in anything outside of a carefully defined worldview.
Liberal Christian scholars may assume that their sophisticated unbelief in the resurrection from the dead is new. It is not. As long as men and women have been alive on the earth they have experienced death and reflected upon it. They know that while people sometimes live a long time, they don't come back to life once dead.
The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who heard Paul preach on Jesus' resurrection made fun of him (Acts 17:18, 32). Their worldview included the immortality of the soul, but not physical resurrection of the dead.
But for many people who are struggling with their own mortality, the news that Jesus overcame death and was raised to life gives them hope. Resurrection is actually "Good News." In fact, the resurrection of Jesus is the core of the good news preached by the early church.
Historically Accessible
Liberal Christian scholars have retreated into a fuzzy but intellectually respectable agnosticism about what can be known from history. For example, Gerd Lüdemann, whose book was described above says:
"We can no longer understand the resurrection of Jesus in a literal sense, i.e. in a bloody way ... for historically speaking we do not know the slightest thing about the tomb (was it empty? was it an individual tomb at all?) and about the fate of Jesus' corpse: did it decay? At any rate I regard this conclusion as unavoidable."1
With liberal Christian scholars, in addition to their intellectual pride, the primary hurdle to overcome is philosophical. To them, Jesus' resurrection can't be examined with the normal tools of historical inquiry because it is:
- Unrepeatable. It is a one-of-a-kind event that can't be studied
- Incomparable. We have no analogies to which to compare it.
- Lacks credible evidence. This isn't actually true, but these scholars often explain away or neglect the strong evidence that we do have.
A Narrow View of Historicity
N.T. Wright, who strongly defends the resurrection, sees the idea of history used in five different ways in our modern culture:
- History as an event. Something that happened, whether we can prove it or not.
- History as significant event. An historic event is one which carries momentous consequences.
- History as a provable event. X may have happened, but since we can't prove it, therefore it isn't really historical.
- History as writing about events in the past. It is historical in the sense that it was written about -- or talked about, as in oral history.
- History as what modern historians can say about a topic, that which can be demonstrated and written within the post-Enlightenment world view. This is what liberal scholars mean when they reject "the historical Jesus."2
I would argue that the resurrection is historical in senses 1, 2, 3, and 4. It cannot, however, be demonstrated and written about within the closed Western worldview that a priori rejects miracles. It is on these narrow grounds that liberal scholars claim not to know whether the resurrection took place or not. Mind you, it is not the common man that splits these historical hairs, but rather the liberal scholar who uses them as a dodge behind which to make unbelief seem respectable.
In fact, actual historians examine events that happened two or three millennia ago all the time. There are accepted ways to determine historical probabilities. The problem with the resurrection is not that it can't be demonstrated historically, but that it can't be explained in naturalistic terms. The explanation requires a recognition that God has intervened in history.
...
Five Important Facts of Easter Morning
What does add up to a credible story, however, is the evidence of the New Testament. In Lesson 2 we examined various elements of the gospel accounts. Here let's examine the cumulative power of the account that makes it by far the most plausible explanation of what happened on Easter morning. These arguments can be summed up in five points.
- The Empty Tomb
- The Undisturbed Grave Clothes
- The Disciples' Psychological State
- The Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus
- The Growth of Christianity
1. The Empty Tomb
The first important fact of Easter morning is that tomb is empty. This in and of itself didn't create faith in the resurrection. To Mary Magdalene it was a sign of grave robbers.
But any explanation of the resurrection must deal with the fact that Jesus' tomb was empty. In other words, there must be some explanation of what happened to his body. The theft, swoon, and wrong tomb theories above have rather lame explanations, though they deal with the issue. But the vision and spiritual metaphor theories essentially ignore the fact that Jesus body isn't in the tomb. Any explanation of what happened Easter morning must deal with the fact that the tomb was empty.
2. The Undisturbed Grave Clothes
The second important fact of Easter morning is that two of the gospel accounts make it clear that Jesus' grave clothes lay essentially undisturbed on the stone shelf within the tomb. None of the alternate theories above even attempt an explanation.
If the grave clothes were missing or even thrown on the floor it could have meant that Jesus' body had been stolen or even revived and left. But for them to be still folded as they had been when they had been wrapped round and round Jesus' body is very strange. It indicates that his body just slipped out of them without disturbing them. The best explanation is that Jesus' body was raised from the dead miraculously by God. Any explanation of what happened on Easter morning must explain the position of the grave clothes.
3. The Disciples' Psychological State
The third important fact of Easter morning is the disciples' psychological state, which is mentioned in all four gospels. They were in hiding, discouraged, and disheartened. They did not at first believe the women's report of Jesus' resurrection. Only after Jesus appeared to them in person did they believe.
This indicates several things:
- That they weren't inclined to concoct a story of Jesus' resurrection.
- They weren't inclined to mistake Jesus' missing body for resurrection.
- They didn't expect any resurrection, even though Jesus had predicted it on at least three occasions. Jesus' crucifixion for them was an indication that their Messiah had been discredited.
- They weren't inclined to steal Jesus' body.
But let's suppose for a moment that they were part of a conspiracy to steal Jesus' body and claim that he had been raised from the dead. Of the original 12 disciples, ten were martyred for their faith. Only John seemed to have died of natural causes. As Origin put it, men do not risk their lives and suffer martyrdom for a lie.
To assume that the disciples were part of a conspiracy doesn't jive with a careful assessment of their psychological state. To suppose that the disciples of Jesus, the man of truth, would perpetrate a fraud is preposterous. When you consider the disciples' psychological state following Jesus' crucifixion, only the fact of the resurrection can explain the change that took place in them.
4. The Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus
The fourth important fact of Easter morning involves Jesus' appearances to several individuals and to ten of the disciples at the same time -- all on the Sunday of the resurrection. Let me list these appearances:
- Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-17; Matthew 28:9-10; Mark 16:9)
- "The other Mary" (Matthew 28:9-10)
- Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
- Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus on Sunday afternoon (Luke 24:13-35; Mark 16:12)
- Disciples in Jerusalem on Sunday evening (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 1:4; John 20:19-23; Mark 16:14; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
Jesus also appeared to the disciples and others over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3; 13:30-31).
- Thomas and the other disciples, a week later (John 20:24-29)
- Disciples in Galilee (Matthew 28:17)
- Disciples (Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two others) while fishing on the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-23)
- 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6)
- James, Jesus' brother, who later became the leader of the Jerusalem congregation (1 Corinthians 15:7)14
- Disciples at the ascension (Matthew 28:51-52)
- Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8), much later
The gospel writers and Paul are crystal clear that the risen Christ appeared to different individuals and groups of people at different times over a period of about 40 days. This pretty well shoots down the vision theory -- all the alternate resurrection theories in fact. Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that "most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep," in other words, he is claiming that eyewitnesses were living then -- approximately 53-55 AD15 -- to whom Jesus had actually appeared. This was not some kind of secretive, hidden phenomenon, but was openly known and talked about in the early church.
Detractors claim there were no credible eyewitnesses. That is patently false; they are merely choosing to disbelieve any of the New Testament accounts.
5. The Spread of Christianity
The final important fact of the Easter account really took place after Easter Sunday in the rapid growth of the Church. Fifty days after the Passover on which Jesus was crucified was the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. On that day the Holy Spirit fell upon 120 believers who were gathered praying. "The rest is history," as they say. The Holy Spirit prompted the apostles to preach that Jesus had been raised from the dead -- in the very city where he had been crucified and buried.
- "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (Acts 2:24)
- "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact." (Acts 2:32)
- "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this." (Acts 3:15)
- "... Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead..." (Acts 4:10)
- "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all." (Acts 4:33)
- "The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead -- whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree." (Acts 5:30)
The church grew to 3,000 on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), then to 5,000 men (Acts 4:4), one fifth the population of Jerusalem, then the New Testament records that many among the priests of the city believed (Acts 6:7). When the Jews began heavy persecution against the Christian church, they preached the resurrection wherever they went.
- Peter in Caesarea: "They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen." (Acts 10:39-40)
- Paul in Pisidian Antioch: "They took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead...." (Acts 13:29-30)
- Paul in Thessalonica: "... Explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead." (Acts 17:3)
- Paul in Athens: "[God] has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31)
- Paul before King Agrippa and Governor Festus: "... That the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead...." (Acts 26:23)
What galvanized a demoralized band of followers into fearless proclaimers of the resurrection? Within a generation or two, Christianity had spread to the farthest reaches of the Roman empire. By the early fourth century Christianity had become the dominant religion -- proclaiming the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ!
The easiest way to stop the spread of Christianity in Jerusalem would have been to produce Jesus' body. But Jesus' enemies were not able to convince the populace of Jerusalem that the resurrection was a fake. Too many people had seen Jesus after his resurrection. There were too many witnesses to the resurrection to shut down this new faith. As a result, Christianity mushroomed -- first in Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and finally to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Arguments by Silence
When you consider a theory that gospel accounts of the resurrection were concocted after the fact to prove something that didn't happen, observe several interesting facts about the accounts.
- Lack of Biblical quotations. The rest of the gospels make constant reference to Old Testament scriptures that Christ fulfilled. Yes, Christ explains how his death and resurrection were foretold in Scripture (Luke 24:25-27, 46). The story is told plainly without embellishment.
- Lack of Christ appearing first to male disciples. What we have is the testimony of Mary Magdalene, a woman, whose testimony wouldn't have much weight from a Jewish legal point of view. Yes, the scripture records later appearances to specific male disciples, but the detailed accounts concern women.
- Lack of emphasis on personal hope. The future resurrection hope of the Christian isn't mentioned in these accounts. Rather, the emphasis seems to be: Jesus is risen, now you have work ahead of you!
- Lack of a portrait of Jesus. Jesus is not depicted in these accounts as a heavenly being, radiant and shining. Rather he has a human body that is "unusual."13
If, as some liberal Christian scholars claim, the accounts of the resurrection were concocted late by disciples creating a physical resurrection to support Christian faith, that the stories would pull out all the stops to prove the point. Instead, the accounts are told plainly as they occurred.
The Sufficiency of the Evidence
Taken individually, the various details of Jesus' resurrection would be powerful. But taking all the evidence together, the case for the resurrection is compelling. No alternate theory of the resurrection explains the remarkable facts of:
- The empty tomb,
- The undisturbed grave clothes,
- The disciples' psychological state,
- The post-resurrection appearances of Christ, and
- The spread of Christianity.
What seems to some as too good to be true indeed is true. We all face death, but Christ's resurrection is the Good News that we Christians can proclaim to our world. Death is not the end. As he was raised, so we will be also!
Prayer
Father, thank you for the strong assurances you have given us that Christ has been raised indeed! Strengthen your Church in this faith as well, that around the world we might proclaim the resurrection of Christ our Lord without embarrassment or hesitation. Teach us to tell the Good News! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Key Verses
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
