Proof of the Resurrection: Answering the Skeptic.

In our daily meditations, we continue to reflect on the resurrection of Jesus. People offer various reasons for their disbelief, but God has addressed all concerns for any skeptic willing to consider the evidence reasonably. Some say the following:

1) Jesus didn't die. He just swooned on the cross, and later, in the tomb, he revived and left. Answer: We have evidence from the Roman soldiers who confirmed that Jesus was dead by thrusting a spear into His side (John 19:33-35). Out of Christ's body came a “sudden flow of blood and water,” which is medical evidence of death. The likelihood that His wounds could have healed in the tomb enough for Him to move a one-ton stone and then walk the seven miles to Emmaus that afternoon is very low, even if He had somehow gotten past the guards. This is in addition to the evidence of the Roman spear thrust into His side (John 19:34). Also, if He had survived the cross, the three days in the cold tomb, without food or water, and with blood loss, would have been enough to kill Him. Remember that Peter had warmed himself by the fire in Caiaphas's courtyard the night before Christ's death (Luke 22:55), which shows it was cold in Jerusalem.

2) Animals entered the tomb and ate the body. Answer: The stone was sealed and very heavy. The animals would not have gotten past the guards; Peter and John saw the grave clothes, putting that theory aside.

3) The guards and the women went to the wrong tomb. Answer: The women had followed Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea to the gravesite and watched Jesus being laid to rest. It was also near the crucifixion site, a place everyone recognized. The Roman soldiers were unlikely to make such mistakes, mainly because their lives depended on not losing their charge.

4) The disciples stole the body and perpetuated the myth that Jesus rose from the dead. Answer: The apostles had fled from the soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane and were discouraged after His death. It doesn’t seem likely that they would intentionally confront the Roman soldiers and steal Jesus’ body. Peter lost his courage to the point of denying his Master. How could these scared men have taken on the fierce and well-trained Roman soldiers? It couldn't have happened while the Roman soldiers were sleeping, because the sound of rolling back that large stone would have awakened them all. There was also the fact that the soldiers knew they would lose their lives if they lost the body they were guarding. The disciples wouldn’t have been willing to be martyred or give their lives for something they knew was a lie.

5) The High Priest, leaders, or even grave robbers stole the body. Answer: When the disciples began preaching that Jesus was alive, it would have been the perfect time for the Jewish leaders to show everyone the dead body, but they couldn't because they didn't have it. Grave robbers would not have taken the time to arrange the linen cloths with the 75-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39) in a way that would convince John. The guards protected the tomb by preventing such events.

6) The disciples of Jesus imagined it all. Answer: The empty tomb is the silent witness that this was not just an imagination. The 500 disciples whom Christ appeared to at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6), along with all the disciples who ate with Him in the upper room and by the Sea of Galilee, saw Him and talked with Him. We can also consider the courage of Peter the Apostle to preach to several thousand on the Day of Pentecost. Could he have done that if it was all imagination? Most of the apostles died for their faith, and no opposition could silence them. It is impossible to die for something you know is a hoax or an illusion.

The only conclusion based on the evidence is that God has raised Christ from the dead and that He is alive forever, has overcome death, and secured eternal life for all who trust Him. The resurrection is not a myth; it is a historical fact. Keith Thomas

The YouTube video of this talk with closed captions (subtitles) in 65 languages is found at the following link: https://youtu.be/OSV2bnALI6w

The in-depth study notes are at the following link: The Burial and Resurrection of Christ