The main thing that makes Christianity different from all other religions is that our leader is alive. There is no other major religion where the claim of rising from the dead exists. So it’s a pretty huge question to answer, did Jesus really rise from the grave? And more importantly, for this and apologetics question, what proof do we have that Jesus actually rose from the dead?
1 Corinthians 15:17
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
This has been studied over and over and over for years and years and years. There have been countless people that have tried to squash Christianity by proving that Jesus did not actually rise from the dead. There are six common arguments against this, and for tonight, he will get a very brief explanation of each. Going forward we might dive into some or all of these in more detail.
The first common argument is that Jesus was not actually executed. Maybe he just passed out or faked his death on the cross. At one time this was a popular argument, but over the years, it’s been thoroughly discredited. Even atheist historians have to admit that the evidence, for Jesus‘s execution is indisputable.
Another common argument is that the tomb was not even empty. Jesus never rose, and he’s actually still in there. However, even Jesus, his enemies implicitly admitted that the tomb was empty. Rather than refute the claims that Jesus‘s burial was vacant, they made up stories to explain why the body was missing . By making up stories about why it was missing, they admitted that it was empty.
Matthew 28:11-15
- While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
- When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,
- telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’
- If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
- So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The next argument is that nobody saw Jesus rise from the dead. However, after Jesus rose, for the next 40 days, he appeared to individuals and groups in a variety of circumstances (including over 500 at one time in one case.) There are nine ancient sources outside of the New Testament, confirming the conviction of the disciples that they had encountered the risen Christ .
Many times with ancient history, much of it is recorded many years after the fact. However, in this case, the account of Jesus, rising from the dead, was public knowledge at the time that it happened. In other words, there would have been people all over the place who would dispute it , if they knew it was false. This is a example of how facts are reported versus how a legend is grown. Legends are created after the fact when there are no people to refute the evidence alive.
1 Corinthians 15:3–7
- 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 Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
- After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters 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,
There are many extra biblical reports. Secular accounts, confirm the reports of the new testament. There’s a list of 39 ancient sources outside the Bible that provide more than 100 facts about Jesus‘s life, teachings, death,… And resurrection.
One of the best examples is a nod to logic. The church started in the very city, where Jesus was crucified a few weeks earlier. It grew out of a claim that Jesus rose from the dead. It is not logical to assume that this could happen if it was common knowledge that Jesus actually did not rise from the dead.
Acts 2:41
- Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This was the briefest of explanations for each of the six common arguments about Jesus, rising from the dead. We will break down a few of these in the coming weeks.
Why is it so important that we know that Jesus rose from the dead?
1 Corinthians 15:17–20
- And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
- Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
- If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
- But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.