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Five Proofs of the Resurrection

By Patrick Coman
Luke 24:1-53

INTRODUCTION

In a communist country some time ago a large congregation was gathered on Easter Sunday. The Government agent had spoken eloquently for some time. He cited many proofs to support his argument. He said that Communism was far superior to Christianity. He argued persuasively that in fact Christianity was not true, and that Christianity cannot be substantiated.

After this the government agent sat down and invited the Pastor to speak if he dared. The Pastor stood to his feet and addressed the congregation. "Christ is risen!" he said. The whole congregation stood to their feet and responded in a roar of voices, "He is risen indeed!" The agent got up and left defeated.

What made these people so sure of their Christian faith? Why did the government communist agent have no hope of changing the minds of the people?

God willing I will now try to answer these questions for us. There are five proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us briefly examine them.

  1. The resurrection was foretold
  2. The resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the empty tomb
  3. The resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for Jesus appearance to the diciples
  4. The resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the beginning of the church
  5. The resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for out conversion experience and changed lives

I. THE RESURRECTION WAS FORETOLD

The Bible foretells the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus with complete accuracy and detail in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

A. Old Testament

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10 cf. Acts 13:34,35)

B. New Testament

Jesus foretold his own death and resurrection.
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." (Mark 10:33,34 cf. Psalm 22) This is a remarkable prophecy. It tells:

"Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant." (Mark 9:9,10)

Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. (John.2:19-22)

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." (John 10:17,18)

II. THE RESURRECTION IS THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THE EMPTY TOMB

There are five theories given for the empty tomb. Only one can be correct! They are:

  1. The swoon theory.
  2. The theft theory.
  3. The wrong tomb theory.
  4. The substitute theory, and
  5. Jesus really was resurrected theory.

1. Swoon theory

Someone has suggested that Jesus swooned on the cross and did not die. He then recovered in the tomb and rolled back the stone, overcame the guards and escaped. Why could this not happen?

Jesus was beaten. Then he was flogged 39 times with a cat of nine tails, which means he sustained 351 lashes with a whip that had jagged pieces of bone fixed to the end of the lashes. His back would have been a bloody pulp. (Mel Gibson's movie The Passion gives a realistic impression of what this brutal flogging would be like) This made Jesus so weak that he could not carry his cross. Then he was crucified by having nails driven into his hands and feet. When he was proclaimed dead by a professional soldier (whose job it was to kill criminals in this way), he had a spear driven up under his ribs into the heart, and blood and water ran out separated. Doctors tell us that the only way that this can happen is if the heart is ruptured and the person is dead (for a very detailed physiological analysis of Jesus' death, see Did the Lord Die of Heart Rupture?). What do you think, did he swoon or did he die?

2. Theft theory

It has been suggested that the body was stolen either (a) by friends or (b) by enemies.

  1. Was the body stolen by friends? Why not?
    Firstly there were soldiers keeping watch. These soldiers would normally lose their own lives if they lost their prisoner even if he was dead. They would have been heavily armed, while the disciples had one sword between them.
    Secondly the stone had a seal on it, and there is no record of the seal being broken prior to the resurrection.
    Thirdly the disciples were stunned and some even left town and went to Emmaus.
    There seems to be no chance that the disciples stole the body.
  2. Was the body stolen by enemies? Why not?
    Firstly because of the reasons that the disciples didn't steal the body - the soldiers, and the seal on the tomb.
    Secondly if the body was missing it would lend credence to the Christians claim of resurrection.
    Thirdly there was no body. If the enemies of the Christians had stolen the body they would have easily produced it to disprove the resurrection, but no body has been produced.

3. Wrong tomb theory

The suggestion has been made that the women and the disciples went to the wrong tomb. Why not? Because there were too many witnesses:

  1. Would the guards defend the wrong tomb?
  2. Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus in his own tomb. Would Joseph not know his own tomb?
  4. The women watched Joseph and Nicodemus bury Jesus. Would they forget after one day?
  6. Peter and John watched the crucifixion from close by. Would they forget after one day?
    It's impossible that the disciples went to the wrong tomb.

4. Wrong Body theory

It has been suggested that it wasn't Jesus that was buried. Muslims say that someone else, who looked like Jesus, was crucified instead. Why could this not be the case?

There were too many witnesses. The high priest, scribes and pharisees handed Jesus over to Pilate (and they certainly knew who he was from their prior disputes with him). They then followed him up to Golgotha and watched him being crucified, even talking to him when he was on the cross! The Roman soldiers also oversaw everything. So when did Jesus make the switch? The disciples of Jesus also watched everything, and Jesus was entombed by two of his secret disciples (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea) who knew him well.

III. THE RESURRECTION IS THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR JESUS' APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES

If Jesus had not been resurrected he could not have appeared to his disciples. There are thirteen separate appearances recorded in Scripture:

Mary Magdalene Mk 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
Other women Mt 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him.
Two Disciples Lk 24:13-15 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.
Simon Peter Lk 24:34 The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!
Ten Apostles Jn 20:19,24 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
Eleven Apostles Jn 20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"
Apostles at the sea of Tiberias Jn.21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself.
Apostles in Galilee Mt.28:16,17 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.
500 brethren 1Cor 15:6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
All the Apostles Lk.24:51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. Acts 1:9-11. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
Steven Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
James 1Cor.15:7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
Paul 1Cor.15:8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

IV. THE RESURRECTION IS THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH

  1. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, just 48 days after the resurrection. Peter's argument for conversion was the fact of the resurrection. Many of the people that he preached to would have been at the crucifixion and would know what happened. Over 3000 people were converted and were baptized that day.
  2. 2 .Paul says that the resurrection is essential for salvation and the existence of the Church: "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up-if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable." (1 Corinthians 15 12-19)
  3. History records that 11 of the original 12 Apostles were martyred and died horrible deaths. Why would they die like that if they knew it was a lie? We can only conclude that it is the truth.

V. THE RESURRECTION IS THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR OUR CONVERSION EXPERIENCE AND CHANGED LIVES

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 6:3-8 "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."

People rarely change, but I regularly see people who give their lives to Jesus Christ change dramatically. Drunks become sober. Violent men become caring and gentle. Harlots become good mothers and faithful wives. Drug addicts become useful members of society. In fact everyone who truly repents of their former fashion of life and receives Jesus as their Saviour and Lord changes for the better. Their old person dies and their new person is resurrected.

Truly we can say with those believers in that communist country, He is risen indeed! Christ is risen!

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