I write this on the heels of Holy Week - Palm Sunday came and went, the sweet solemnity of Good Friday has passed, and the victorious, history-shaking, first breath of the risen Christ has been remembered on Easter Sunday. Although at this time of year a spattering of questions tend to rattle in my head like a round of errant BB’s:
1) Could there have been another explanation to what the early Christian’s claimed to have seen (ie. Are we really sure Jesus actually arose from the dead?)
2) What would it mean for us if He didn’t physically resurrect? (The very thing that some liberal Christian denominations believe)
3) What does it mean for me if God truly did raise Him from the dead?
Believe it or not, this first question has been scrutinized over and theorized about more than could be documented. Claims have been made, debates have been had, rocks have been thrown. That being said, I think it is worthwhile to address a couple of the arguments against Jesus’ physical resurrection…. after all, if He really was dead and came back to life, shouldn’t the claim stand up under a little accusation? Let’s quickly look at the top arguments against the resurrection of Jesus:
1 - The Swoon (or coma) Theory: Jesus did not really die, He took the torturous events of Good Friday on the chin and then used the time in the tomb to “sleep it off” in a coma-like state.
The issues with this theory are manifold, but the primary difficulty is simple. If I was beaten to a bloody pulp, abandoned, mocked, shamed, stripped, struck, emasculated, spit on, forgotten, etc. and then later told you that I am God, the giver and taker of life, how would you respond? Imagine someone with a filleted back, a swollen face, and a gashed open side limping into a room and claiming victory, and finishing with the rally cry: “Go and tell the world that I have been divinely brought back to life!” while stopping mid-sentence to hack up blood. Don’t forget the 40+ hours of no food or water in a closed tomb…or the massive stone that required multiple soldiers to roll away…or the significant mileage that Jesus would have had to walk to appear to His followers…and on…and on…
The only fool that would go on to perpetrate this sad drama is one who would benefit from it greatly. The disciples who claimed to see their risen Lord, however, only received lifelong ostracization, persecution, and (for 11 of them) horrifying death over this claim. (Don’t forget that the Romans were class-A torturers and murderers, and they claimed that Jesus was clearly dead. (See John 19:31-37)
2 - The “no burial” Theory: Jesus was not placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, but was tossed into a mass grave, as was the Roman custom.
Two quick thoughts: if He wasn’t in the tomb, Pilate would have never accomodated the chief priests request to roll a giant stone in front of the tomb and placed soldiers outside to guard the area from those who might try to organize a heist and steal His body. (See Matt. 27:62-66).
Second, an easy way to prove this theory would only require someone to go find the remains of Jesus from the pile of previously crucified bodies.
3 - The “mass hallucination” Theory: Everyone who claimed to see the risen Jesus just imagined it because they simply wanted it to be true.
Of all the accusations, this one most paints a ridiculous picture in my mind’s eye: did one guy have a dream and incept others to believe the same thing? Did the disciples wrongly identify a troop of mushrooms and collectively ingest them during their time of mourning? Was the worship music just too intoxicating for His followers to think critically the following days?
This one doesn’t work because the authors of Scripture admitted themselves, that they were too blind to realize that Jesus said He was going to raise from the dead. (See Mark 16:1-10; John 20:9) Just a reminder, Paul claims in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that 500 people saw the risen Jesus (that’s a lot of hallucination!).
4 - The “stolen body” theory: Jesus’ disciples took His body in order to fulfill His prediction. This conspiracy is first seen in Matthew 28:11-15 when the chief priests bribe the governor to perpetrate this particular accusation.
The defense for this one is similar to the last. The disciples were too mistaken to realize that Jesus claimed He would raise from the dead, and according to Luke 24:11 they thought the claims were “nonsense” before they saw Him with their own eyes. The disciples were doubters and, at least at this point, too cowardly to sneak around those that they just hid from.
5 - The “substitution” hypothesis: Jesus was not the one on the cross. Somehow, He was replaced by a lookalike who died in His stead, and the unaffected Savior walked out of the tomb claiming victory.
The planning and foresight of this theory is a little stunning, but most of the previous defenses should prove the abject implausibility of this claim. The disciples didn’t realize Jesus needed to rise from the dead and they all cowered in front of the slightest opposition (Peter cursed Jesus in front of a contentious middle school-aged girl). Some women, including His mother, watched Jesus die… would they not have noticed a doppelgänger? And once more, who would die for this?
There are plenty of reasons for us to play devil’s advocate and find ways in which Jesus’ resurrection did not occur. Let’s be honest, it is a wild claim that Jesus would die and then be alive 3 days later. I’ve never seen anything like that! But there is a potent question that we need to ask: What does it mean for us if Jesus didn’t truly and physically raise from the dead?
Paul plainly explains the gravity of this claim… it is central to our hope. In fact, it is our hope. If you venture to 1 Corinthians 15 you will see that everything about Christianity hangs on this one claim. If He did not physically raise from the dead, Christians are to be pitied above all men: we are deceived fools that have given our lives to a myth. The cross means nothing concrete, no sin was atoned for. Jesus was a liar. The Bible is a fairy tale.
In other words, we have no hope.
But… If Jesus did truly and physically resurrect from the dead, What does that mean for me?
If God the Father brought Jesus back to life after the agonizing death on the cross, it means that everything is different. Jesus not only took the payment for my sin, brokenness, lostness, and separation from God, He has the authority to grant me eternal life. He has all authority. My debt has been paid. He has eradicated the impossible wedge that separated me from God. He built a bridge across the impossibly long chasm between man and his Creator, and He has offered to carry us across the threshold without any bribing or convincing.
If Jesus rose from the dead, everything He has said about Himself is true…. everything He has said about me is true! He is Lord and deserves every ounce of trust and authority in my life. He is the friend that loves me more than I could begin to fathom. He is God. He is the deepest longing in my soul. He is home. He is the answer. He is.
So let me ask you… did God raise Jesus from the dead? If no, then what is your defense? If yes, then what in your life proves you believe this claim? What in your life wrestles with this claim?
Jesus is Lord of all; have you surrendered your life under His gracious authority? What in your life continues to cry out that it is not under Jesus’ rule?