No Longer Easter but 12 Evidences for the Resurrection of Jesus
So while everyone was blogging on the resurrection I was doing something else, enjoying a weeks holiday. But it doesn’t have to be an Easter week to consider the amazing gift of freedom that’s tied up in Jesus’ death and coming back to life. I thought I would present a list of evidence for the resurrection for those not so convinced and for those looking to present the case for Jesus being alive today. Taken from John Youngs ‘the case against Christ’
Really Easter is with the rest of the yearly liturgical events. Advent , Christmas and Lent (not too sure that one is entirely biblical, though fasting for a reason is great). There does seem to be a season for every aspect of the life, death and risen life of Jesus which isn’t a bad thing… it’s just very compartmentalised and bogged down in man made tradition, the very thing Jesus was getting us way from. I doubt that the disciples would have rushed off to create a holy huddle calendar around the life of Jesus after his assent to heaven. Rather they were marveling at the freedom he had just given and that he was in fact ALIVE! Intriguing isn’t it that these people were so passionate about Jesus and behaved like they still had a relationship with Him. Do you?
- Jesus died as a young man – Jesus bucks the typical trend of a “religious” figure dying willingly for a cause. He believed his death would enable people to have a free relationship with God, it wasn’t an insidious attack to disable opposition.
- Lots of different people claim they saw the risen Lord on separate occasions – Over 500 people in many different locations including a garden, in a locked room (how on earth did he get in?), traveling on a road, at a BBQ by the sea of Galilee…
- The followers of Jesus are recorded as suffering for their preaching about the resurrection - Why would you go to so much trouble unless He wasn’t dead but truly alive?
- Hallucinations need certain conditions – So some may say those who saw Him could be under the inducement of drugs or experiencing hallucination? Well people would suffer different hallucinations…
- They preached resurrection of Christ not resuscitation or survival – The body of Jesus disappeared while a huge stone and seal blocked the entrance to the tomb. Additionally at the request of the Pharisees a Roman guard protected the tomb from anyone who wanted to steal the body. Manually taking the body would not be in anyone’s best interest unless you wanted a struggle.
- No one produced the body – If someone had taken the body it would have been quickly found as the Pharisees wanted it guarded and it would not have been in their best interest to have the body stolen.
- The tomb was not venerated – There was no reason to honor a person in the tomb, it was obsolete and serving no practical need, Jesus was more than a saint… by rising from the dead he proved who he said he was. God.
- His followers called Jesus “Lord” – When they saw Jesus, though there was a difference about him, they eventually recognized him, but it wasn’t just a physical recognition it was a further realisation of Jesus being their King.
- Modern psychology supports it – The reactions recorded are ones of, joy, appreciation, humbling, recognition, not the reactions of those morning the death of a friend or King.
- The presence of women being the first witnesses – At that time women were not regarded as credible witnesses. However it is a theme in all four gospels, they were among the first to see Jesus.
- He appeared to those who would refute the resurrection – Paul a Pharisee and a man who actively cause suffering for those who preached the resurrection of Jesus saw Him in a vision on the road to Damascus.
- Jesus Christ’s power today – Today many have a relationship with Jesus and can provide testimony Him being active in their lives.
I know there is more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus but this is enough to get anyone started. Much of this content can be found in a book called The Case Against Christ by John Young. Another fantastic book to look at the resurrection of Jesus is the Bible…
