In my Easter Sunday sermon, I contended that the death of Jesus and the appearances of Jesus following his death, can be established as historical events. However, in order for both events to be historical events, someone would need to explain what happened between the events. Simply put, the first event told of Jesus’ death. The second, told of appearances following his death.
Everyone knows that following death, there is the decomposition of the body of the deceased. Christians agree, but contend that in the case of Jesus, there was no decomposition. Instead, Jesus was seen for forty days by hundreds of eyewitnesses. Some critics contend, it is impossible for both events to have taken place. To which Christians would argue, that with Jesus, his postmortem appearances were unnatural, but not impossible.
In the first place, one must establish the credibility of the New Testament record that Jesus died. No one else died for him. Neither did he faint on the cross. Medical science will indicate that the blood and water that flowed from his side confirmed his death. Giving his lifeless body to Joseph of Arimathea for burial was either as a result of death or, a dereliction of duty by the Romans.
Credible non-canonical New Testament writings further confirm the New Testament records that Jesus died. These will include works by Justyn Martyr and Roman Senator Tacitus. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian (ca 93-94 CE), wrote that “there was a wise man called Jesus... Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.” Even Christian-turned-atheist Professor Bart Ehrman, admits that “the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans is one of the most secure facts we have about his life.”
Evidence is equally convincing about the postmortem appearances of Jesus. What else could have transformed the disciples from fearful to be forthright in their witness? Or, what could have caused the rapid growth of the Jesus movement?
In his volume on The Jewish Messiahs, Jewish Professor Harris Lenowitz, makes the point: “Since the success of a messiah cult depends, ultimately, on the victory of the messiah, and since the messiah must eventually die, the cult must fail, either upon the messiah’s death or whenever it can no longer maintain its hope in his triumphant reappearance.” Unfortunately, following this statement, Lenowitz, the Jew, argued that Christianity grew because it moved in a direction totally different from its dead leader.
Professor Lenowitz, the evidence is clear - following the death of Jesus, his followers-maintained loyalty to a living Saviour. Their choice to worship on the first day of the week was consistent with his resurrection. So too were their baptismal creed and form of greeting after church services.
Since it is unnatural for someone to be clinically dead and reappear to his followers, how could Christians contend that that was exactly what happened with Jesus? A number of theories have been advanced to explain this phenomenon, and Christians have opted for the most plausible.
Upon discovering that the body of Jesus was missing, the Jewish authorities devised a plan. They instructed the soldiers to say, “his disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep” (Matthew 28:13). But what would fearful disciples do with a battered dead body? Remember now, they were from the Galilean region, some eighty miles north. This is a dishonest theory.
Another theory expressed in Islamic literature, is that Allah took Jesus to heaven, sparing him from crucifixion on the cross. There is no credible historical support for this theory. Agreed, the theory alleges that Jesus is alive today. However, to suggest that he did not die on the cross, removes the need for resurrection, questions the veracity of Jesus’ postmortem appearances, challenges the credibility of the New Testament and undermines the foundation of Christianity. Totally untenable.
Some Christians advance the view that what happened after the death of Jesus was spiritual resurrection. In other words, it was the positive memories of Jesus that inspired the fearful disciples to become brave. This branch of Christianity is devoid of anything miraculous. In addition, these believers ignore texts which clearly state that Jesus was raised from the dead – that is physical death.
The best explanation as to what happened following Jesus’ death on the cross, is physical resurrection. Agreed, that view is not natural, it is supernatural. It is illogical to believe that it is natural or humanly possible for someone to die and be resurrected. The New Testament refers to this as an act of God. Almost every reference to resurrection states, it was “… God who raised Jesus from the dead…”.
For Christians, the resurrection of Jesus affirms our salvation (Romans 10:9). Resurrection also consolidates our faith as believers (1 Corinthians 15:17) and affirms our hope, in that after death, we too will rise again like our Risen Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).
That is the Easter story, not myths about bunnies, eggs and rabbits.
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