The Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

Richard Bewes

• Publisher: Lion Books
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9780745957272
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Systematische Theologie & Ethik

What is the evidence for Jesus' resurrection? Why are the events following his death so significant, even today? How can we be sure of his promises about eternal life? This book shows how our lives can be transformed by the events of the first Easter Day.

A question of evidence

Of course we can never prove the resurrection of Jesus with mathematical, logical proof. But, like any other event which claims to be historically true, we can piece together the evidence and draw our own conclusion.

We may accept as fact that Tensing and Hilary were the first to climb Everest. The world believed their claim on the strength of their words and a photograph.

So what are the pointers to the truth of the bodily resurrection of Jesus?

The empty tomb

All agree that it was empty. But there are only three explanations to account for this fact:

Jesus’ friends took his body. All the evidence indicates that the events of Good Friday broke the spirit of the disciples completely. The idea of a resurrection, contrived or real, seems to have been very far from their thoughts. And in any case a guard was set over the tomb. So this explanation does not fit the facts.

His enemies removed the body. What wuld be the motive? Such an act could only have promoted the very thing they feared: rumours that Jesus was alive. Instead, they took precautions and set a guard.

Jesus rose again from death. The only explanation that fits the data is that Jesus was raised from death on the third day.

The resurrection appearances

Following his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers. Some ten different instances are described to us. Some involve one or two witnesses, some more. On occasions all eleven disciples were present, and once there were 500 people.

These are no hallucinations. The appearances took place at different times of day, out of doors and indoors, and to whole groups of people. The appearances were not limited to isolated individuals with particular psychological needs.

And then, at a certain point, the appearances stopped abruptly. Those who are subject to dreams, visions or hallucinations tend to go on having them.

The changed disciples

Not even the smallest dent would have been made upon the world unless the disciples had been changed. But they were new people! They became fired with confidence and joy at the amazing things that had happened.

The world of Judaism, the world of Greek thought, Roman imperialism: they would have known nothing about Jesus Christ had it not been for the transformed disciples. It was his followers who were to carry the message – the same men who had fled in fear when Jesus was first arrested. Before long they would be facing lions…

Christianity was to outgrow both Judaism and Greek culture. One day the Church would stand at the grave of the Caesars. It would undergird future civilizations. It would replace the traditional Jewish Sabbath with the Christian day associated with the resurrection. Only people who knew for sure that an epoch-making event had occured would have gone to the extent of interfering with such a centuries-old custom.

Is there some discrepancy between Jesus’ clear prediction that he would rise again after three days and three nights of burial, and the actual event? If he was crucified on the Friday and raised on the Sunday morning, then in fact he was only in the tomb for two nights.

It’s as well to sort this out, in view of the fact that critics of the Christian faith will point to this issue and try to make capital out of it. What perhaps they do not know is that there was a Jewish principle of reckoning, according to which a part of any period covered by a night and a day counted as the whole period. Thus, a whole day and part of two other days would be counted as three days and three nights.

Let’s look at an example. In the Old Testament book of Esther, we learn that the young queen Esther appeals for a fast to be observed on her behalf, in which no one will eat or drink for three days, night or day. Then we read that ‘On the third day Esther put on her royal robes,’ th...