Ten Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection
Christians don't have to believe in the resurrection in spite of the facts. Instead, we believe in the resurrection in light of the facts.
Giving reasons for our belief in Jesus resurrection is an important key to defending the Christian faith against atheists and agnostics. "The evidence for the resurrection as a historical event is so strong that even Dr Antony Flew, until recently a noted proponent of atheism, had to admit, The evidence for the resurrection is better than for claimed miracles in any other religions. Its outstandingly different in quality and quantity, from the evidence offered for the occurrence of most other supposedly miraculous events" (AFA July 2010 Journal, p.23). Here are 10 A's which attest to the historical event:
1. Accurate Predications: both the OT and NT contain predictions of Jesus' death and resurrection. Numerous times in the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples and the Jewish authorities that He would rise to life after three days in the earth. In John 2, at the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus told this to the Jewish leaders. It made such an impression on the disciples that verse 22 tells us, "So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered the He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." The Gospel writers included different details, and material from different sources — all of which agreed on the fact of the Resurrection. Scripture, Tradition and the Church all agree that Christ rose.
2. Attesting Miracles: Jesus resurrection was not a sudden miraculous cap to an otherwise remarkable life. Jesus had consistently demonstrated His authority over the material universe, from turning water into wine, to walking on water, to healing the sick, to raising Lazarus from the dead. His resurrection is consistent with the power He demonstrated during His earthly ministry. "Jesus performed 36 miracles that are recorded in the NT" not including his own resurrection (B.Sheen).
3. Agonizing Death: Jesus had numerous opportunities to avoid a fatal confrontation with the Jewish Leaders and Roman authorities. No one is going to go through a Roman scourging and crucifixion as a hoax. Jesus submitted to the cross because it was necessary to pay for our sins and He knew that He had the authority to conquer death.
4. Angry Authorities: After word of Jesus resurrection began to spread, the Jewish authorities wanted to put a stop to people believing in Him. Producing the body of Jesus would have been the best way to do this. Even with support from the Roman authorities, they were never able to produce the body.
5. Absent body: The Chief Priests set a guard around Jesus' tomb to make sure the body was not stolen by his disciples. Those guards knew their lives could be at stake if they failed in their duty, but on the third day Jesus was gone. Once they regained their senses, the guards "reported to the Chief priests all that had happened." Why did they take this risk? Because they knew that there was no body to recover. No one has ever found any credible evidence that the body of Jesus was anywhere to be found on planet earth. Other resurrections are mentioned in the Bible, like Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, the widows son in the town of Nain, — but of all these, Christ’s is unique in that it is never suggested that he died again.
6. Amazed Disciples: After Jesus arrest, most of his Disciples fled. It is clear from their reaction that they despised the cross and were not anticipating a resurrection. Two of his disciples did not recognize the risen Jesus even as He was teaching them the Scriptures related to Himself. Their skepticism and shock showed that they clearly were not part of some preplanned hoax.
7. Agreeing eyewitnesses: After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over 500 people (according to St Paul, and he was writing not long after the event occurred). There were at least 515 eyewitness accounts in the NT that testified to His resurrection. We do not have a record of anyone disputing their testimony, saying, "I was there with them and they are making this up, it is a hoax." What we do see is the cowardly apostles who fled the crucifixion, had now become courageous Christians. They preached fearlessly that Christ was risen from dead, and they unanimously said it was because they saw Christ alive. We also have theTransformation of Saul. St. Paul went from persecutor to believer after seeing Christ alive.
8. Apostolic Martyrs: People don't die for something they know to be a hoax. Yet, many of these eyewitnesses accepted death rather than deny the resurrection of Jesus. There have been Centuries of Christian martyrs. Christians, from the Church’s first days to our own day, have been willing to die for their conviction that Christ rose from the dead. The Christian martyrs have always known that "No Calvary no Easter, no pain, no gain, no guts no glory."
9. Agnostic Historians: Contemporary, non-Christian historians reported that Jesus was reputed to have risen from the dead and that his followers were willing to die rather than recant their belief in Jesus. Non-Christian historical accounts such Tacitus and Josephus mention Christ — and describe how Christians endured torture when simply renouncing him would end it.
10. Attesting Spirit: Over the centuries, the Holy Spirit continues to convict nonbelievers and assure believers that Jesus is the risen Son of God. The early Church debated many fundamental things, but not the Resurrection. The Gospel of the Resurrection has given rise to a historical religion. Christianity spread and continues to grow.
Conclusion: The Christian faith is not fueled by fossils nor by the sages of science. It is fueled by a living savior. The babe from Bethlehem, became the Christ on Calvary has become the Lord of the empty tomb. Because he lives, all the arguments of the world are nonsense. Because he lives I can face tomorrow, because he lives, all fear is gone, because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living, just because he lives. The acid proof of Christianity was that Jesus conquered death.
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