Imagine the surprise on that first Easter
morning.
Jesus had been entombed just a few days. And His very public execution
had destroyed any hope that He was Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.
A casual bystander at the crucifixion scene asked how Jesus could save
anyone from their sins if He could not even save Himself.
Didn’t His death prove that He had really been nothing more than a
false prophet cursed by God? Would God forgive the disciples for the
heresy of having followed a false prophet?
Jesus’ humiliating demise seemed to settle these questions and seal
His legacy of failure forever.
But something unexpected happened.
In the cool morning of that first Easter Sunday, Jesus’ female
followers went to the tomb to finish His burial rites. But to their
dismay, they discovered that His tomb was empty!
Not long after, the once fearful and scattered disciples would go on
to proclaim through their own eyewitness testimony that Jesus had
conquered death by rising from the dead.
But is such a story nothing more than fanciful myth?
History seems to say otherwise. Powerful facts beg for explanation …
facts that can only be explained by Jesus’ resurrection from the
dead.
The historical Jesus
Where can we find information about Jesus? One could start with the
New Testament (NT) and read detailed reporting about what happened to
Jesus.
Surprisingly, however, there are about 45 other ancient sources from
within the first 150 years after Christ which also speak about Jesus.1
For example, 17 secular sources report on the life, teachings, death
and, possibly, resurrection of Jesus. Five non-NT Christian sources,
written shortly after the close of the writing of the NT, corroborate
many of the facts reported earlier. Three or four archeological
findings also appear to shed light on First Century crucifixion
methods and possibly Jesus’ empty tomb.
Finally, there are some 20 oral traditions, or memorized sayings,
recorded in the NT which were circulated among the early Christian
community. In a day when writing material was expensive, these
traditions were used to preserve information about Jesus’ teachings
and ministry prior to the NT.
Virtually all critical scholars consider these oral sources to be
extremely valuable historically because they are very ancient,
recorded considerably earlier even than the NT books themselves, and
provide the earliest information about Jesus.
One important tradition is reported by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7
which recounts Jesus’ death and resurrection appearances to Peter,
James and more than 500 people at once. Moreover, according to Paul,
most of those original eyewitnesses were still alive when he reported
it. Scholars routinely date the formation of this oral material to
within only a few years after the crucifixion and believe that Paul
himself received this material around A.D. 35, a mere five years after
the crucifixion.
To keep this discussion brief, we will consider only critically
ascertained facts that are accepted by virtually all scholars, agreed
upon by both Christian and non-Christian scholars alike. These are
known as “minimal facts” and are called such because they are both
well-attested historically and are agreed upon by 90 percent to 95
percent of all scholars who have published on this subject over the
last 30 years in English, German and French.2
One additional fact that will be discussed is the empty tomb of Jesus
which, though not a minimal fact per se, is still agreed upon by an
impressive 70 percent of contemporary scholarship.
How did Jesus die?
The first minimal fact is Jesus’ death by crucifixion. That Jesus
died on a Roman cross is seldom questioned and is confirmed from a
variety of angles. First, several sources report it, including the
four NT gospels, 10 secular sources, several early oral traditions and
three non-NT Christian sources.
Second, modern medical experts who have studied Jesus’ death have
reached a consensus that He died on the cross by asphyxiation.3
Other ancient sources report that occasionally a final “killing
stroke,” such as a spear-thrust or breaking the victim’s legs, was
administered by executioners to ensure death.
The first eyewitnesses
A second widely accepted fact, though not a minimal fact, is the
discovery of Jesus’ empty tomb by a group of His women followers.
First, in ancient Israel, a woman’s testimony was considered
inferior to that of a man’s. But why, historians ask, would the
earliest Christian writers record the rather embarrassing detail that
the first witnesses to the empty tomb were women rather than the
disciples unless the writers were reporting truthfully?
Embarrassing details are not typically repeated – unless those
details are true.
Second, the tomb was located in Jerusalem. But in Jerusalem, the
unbelieving Jewish leadership was in the best position and had the
strongest motive to check out the facts for themselves. Yet, they
never reported that Jesus’ body was still in the tomb.
The testimony of the disciples
The third fact is that Jesus’ disciples believed and proclaimed that
He had appeared to them alive from the dead. This fact is widely
accepted with a consensus of agreement among scholars at just over 99
percent! Multiple lines of evidence support it. First, we have the
weighty written testimony of the apostle Paul’s own personal
encounter with the risen Jesus, independently corroborated three times
in the Book of Acts. Paul’s authority is acknowledged by five
apostolic church fathers soon after the completion of the NT, citing
him over 20 times in their writings.
Second, very early oral tradition such as in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7,
provides information that is traceable to early (probably eyewitness)
testimony. This kind of testimony is unheard of elsewhere in ancient
historical studies.
Third, written tradition, including a few secular sources and some
non-NT Christian sources, also attests to the appearances to the
disciples.
Other supporting facts would include the conversion of James, the
empty tomb and the failure of the Jewish leadership to debunk the
disciples’ claims that Jesus had risen. In short, the disciples’
belief that Jesus had risen is reported in seven sources while their
proclamation of His resurrection is reported in nine.
Life-changing and life-endangering
conversions
The last two facts are the conversion of the apostle Paul and the
conversion of James, the half-brother of Jesus, to Christianity,
respectively. Historians ask what could cause Paul, a die-hard critic
of Christianity, or James, an unbelieving half-brother of Jesus, to
convert to Christianity unless they were firmly convinced that Jesus
had risen. Second, James’ conversion is recorded by one Christian
source, Clement of Alexandria, and two secular sources, namely
Josephus and Hegesippus.
Overwhelming evidence
In conclusion, the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is
both plentiful, found in about 45 sources, and is reported soon after
these events happened. Interestingly, the Roman emperor in power
during Jesus’ lifetime is mentioned in about only 10 sources. Agreed
upon by both Christian and non-Christian scholars alike, these facts
present solid reasons for believing that Jesus rose from the dead. So
solid are these facts that naturalistic theories consistently fail to
explain them.
One should ask, what best explains these facts? Could it be that Jesus
really did rise from the dead and desires a relationship with us
today? If Jesus rose from the dead and is the Lord of Life, what does
this mean for us today?
THE DECISION: WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS CHRIST?
You must make a decision. What are your options? There are only three possible answers to this question:
1. To say yes, to accept God's free gift of salvation by putting your trust in Jesus Christ.
2. To say no, to reject God's offer of salvation. The Bible says that those who make this choice will spend eternity separated from God in a place called Hell.
3. To say maybe, to try to put off the decision to a more convenient time. The Bible does say that God is patient, wanting everyone to come to the point of accepting His gift of salvation (II Peter 3:9). But none of us is promised that we will be here tomorrow, and because of this "x-factor" of death, trying to put off our decision by saying maybe automatically puts us in the "no" category.
So, in reality, there are only two answers to the question, "What will you do with Jesus Christ?" To accept His free gift of salvation or to reject that gift.
Let me ask you, "What have you done with Jesus Christ?" If you have never accepted God's offer of eternal life, I can think of no better time than right now (II Corinthians 6:2). If you would like to say yes to Christ, you can do it right now, wherever you are, whatever you are doing. Join me in our prayer room to talk to Him and invite Him into your life.
The invitation is open - you can accept the gift of salvation and get rid of the sin in your life. It doesn't matter what you're doing or what you've done. The offer is open to everyone.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST RIGHT NOW, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE, YOU NEED ONLY ASK HIM...
If you've come this far, you probably realize you're about to make the most important decision of your life.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." He also said, "whoever comes to me I will never drive away."
So if you ask Him, you will be accepted.
The way believers talk to the Lord is through prayer. Your prayer should be your own, from your own heart to His. If you're not in the habit of praying, though, you may need an example.
An example of such a prayer may go something like this:
Father in Heaven,
I know that I am a sinner
and need forgiveness.
I believe that Your Son Jesus
died in my place,
to pay the penalty for my sin,
and rose again for my salvation.
I want to turn from my sinful ways,
so I now ask you,
Lord Jesus, to come
into my life as my Savior
and my Lord.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
The Bible says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." So if you have asked Him into your life, and believe He died to save you, you are a Christian, bound for Heaven.
The difficulties of living as a Christian in a sinful world are many. Therefore it is essential that you immediately seek other sincere, Bible-believing Christians to help you sustain your resolve. Both individual Christian friends and a solidly Bible-based Christian church are essential.
If you have taken this all-important step, please...
Stop in and let me welcome you to the family
SOURCES
1 Data gleaned from The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ by Gary R. Habermas.
2 Also see The Risen Jesus
and Future Hope by Habermas and The Case for the Resurrection
of Jesus by Habermas and Michael R. Licona.
3 Journal of Medicine, 1995,
Journal of the American Medical Association, 1986, as cited in
Habermas.