Jesus Christ: Did he really rise from the dead?

Published in the Shakopee ValleyNews, March 21, 2012

Christians around the world will soon celebrate Easter in remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most people understand, however, that no one comes back to life after being dead for “three days.” How could any intelligent person believe such a thing? We could be cynical and say the key word is “intelligent” but there are many people with Ph.D.’s who believe that Jesus rose from the dead. What reasons could they possibly have?

First, Jesus’ crucifixion is considered to be historical fact. It is confirmed even by ancient non-Christian sources like Josephus, Lucian and Mara Bar Serapion. In addition, since crucifixion was considered such a shameful way to die, most biblical scholars don’t believe Christians would have invented a crucifixion story that would expose them to ridicule and hinder the spread of their message.

Second, Jesus’ tomb was found empty. All four biblical Gospels claim that Jesus’ tomb was empty (as does the second century “Gospel of Peter). The Gospels are unanimous in presenting women as the first eyewitnesses to the empty tomb. Since women were not regarded as reliable witnesses in those days, even many skeptical scholars are convinced that early Christians would not fabricate a story in which the earliest eyewitnesses were thought to be unreliable.

The earliest explanation for the empty tomb is found in the Gospel of Matthew which says that the guards reported that someone stole the body while they slept (if they were sleeping, how would they know)? The stolen body theory might explain why the tomb was empty but we would still have to account for the stories that say Jesus was seen alive after his death.

Some have suggested that Jesus survived the crucifixion. Most biblical scholars find this unconvincing. Three crucified friends of Josephus (a first century historian) were taken off their crosses after only a few hours. Although all of them presumably received medical attention, two of them died the same day, and the third one died shortly thereafter. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (March 21, 1986) concluded that theories about Jesus’ survival are contrary to the evidence. Even if Jesus had survived, however, it seems a bit silly to think that early Christians would have hailed this very bruised and broken man (most likely in critical condition) as their resurrected Messiah!

Third, Jesus was believed to have appeared alive physically after his execution (Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:39-43; John 20:17, 27-28). Recent scholars have argued that in the Gospels we are in touch with what early Christians believed about Jesus. Regardless of whether anyone today believes their stories, it is beyond reasonable doubt that the Gospel writers taught that the resurrection of Jesus was physical, not merely “spiritual.” Even Ignatius, writing shortly after the last New Testament book was written, said that that Jesus was still in the flesh after his resurrection.

Years before the Gospels were written St. Paul also affirmed the physical resurrection of Jesus. In First Corinthians—which even the most skeptical scholars believe is genuine—Paul writes that the resurrected Jesus was seen by more than 500 people. It seems pretty clear that Paul is not intending to say that 500 people had hallucinations or visions! Not only that, but Paul uses the word “resurrection” to describe what happened to Jesus. Resurrection” meant that the body came back to life, not that the spirit lived on after death which is something most people believed anyway.

In Second Corinthians, Paul reminds his readers of the persecution he faced for preaching the gospel, including imprisonment, beatings and life-threatening danger like being stoned (with real stones)! Paul was so convinced of the resurrection that he staked his whole life on it! Many other early Christians staked their lives on the same conviction.

Finally, the resurrection of Jesus could be treated as a historical hypothesis; a hypothesis which explains a lot that is difficult to explain otherwise. For example:

The hypothesis of Jesus’ resurrection explains the conversion of Paul. By his own testimony Paul had violently opposed Christianity. How did this rabid opponent of Christianity became one of its most ardent promoters? Paul himself would say it was due to his conviction that Jesus had risen.

The hypothesis of Jesus’ resurrection explains the change in worship from the Sabbath to the first day of the week. Sabbath observance was so central to ancient Jewish identity that for Jewish Christians (The earliest Christians were all Jewish) to start worshiping on Sunday would be more shocking than if PETA started sacrificing puppies! It would demand an explanation. Belief that Jesus had risen on the first day of the week would explain the change.

This hypothesis also explains the continuation of the Jesus movement even after his death. Many Jews expected their Messiah to kick the Romans out of Judea. When the Romans crushed these Messiah wannabees their movements always died with them. Only in the case of Jesus did the movement continue after his death.

The hypothesis would also explain the worship of Jesus by early Christians who were fiercely monotheistic Jews!

We really haven’t even scratched the surface on this topic but evidence like this has convinced even highly skeptical scholars that Jesus’ earliest followers sincerely believed that he had risen from the dead. These skeptical scholars are quick to add, however, that we can be absolutely certain that Jesus did not rise from the dead because dead people just don’t come back to life. Some might say that their philosophical presuppositions (faith) outweigh historical considerations.

In the final analysis, nothing can be “proven” beyond all possible doubt. There is always a gap that can be crossed only by faith (this is also true in science). Those of us who have examined the evidence, however, and have experienced what we believe to be the grace and power of God in our lives, and the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, have no trouble proclaiming with Christians around the world that He is risen indeed!

The story of Easter

Introduction:

We just celebrated Easter in which thousands of sermons were preached all over the world on the resurrection of Jesus. It’s a good bet that very few of them mentioned all the apparent inconsistencies and “contradictions” in the gospel accounts of the resurrection. For example,

Matthew says Mary Magdalene and another Mary went to the tomb. Mark says Salome was with them. Luke alone adds Joanna. Only John writes about Mary Magdalene.

Matthew and Mark say the women were met by an angel. Luke says it was two angels.

John says it was still dark. Matthew and Luke say it was early dawn. Mark says the sun had risen.

Luke tells about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Matthew and John don’t mention this.

Matthew tells about the guards being bribed. The other gospels don’t mention it.

In John, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene alone. In the other gospels, he appears to the women together.

In Luke the women told the disciples what the angels said about Jesus raising from the dead. In John, Mary Magdalene tells the disciples they have stolen the body and we don’t know where they put it.

Critics never seem to tire of arguing that these stories are hopelessly contradictory and therefore, cannot be believed. Is there an answer to this charge?

First, the argument is all smoke and mirrors. Don’t believe for a minute that if the stories were perfectly in alignment, that the critics would believe them. The real problem is not “inconsistencies” or contradictions. The real problem is unbelief. People refuse to believe that a man rose from the dead so they come up with all kinds of convoluted excuses to justify their unbelief. We know this because the stories about Jesus’ crucifixion contain the same kind of supposed inconsistencies and contradictions as the resurrection story, but there are virtually no Jesus scholars who deny that Jesus was crucified.

The fact is that inconsistencies and contradictions do not necessarily prove that a story is historically unreliable. There were all kinds of inconsistencies, inaccuracies and even contradictions in the 9/11 reports, and yet no one doubts that 9/11 happened. The same is true of virtually all historical events for which there are more than one source.

When historians wanted to find out what happened with the sinking of the Titanic, for example, they didn’t just talk to one eyewitness, they talked to numerous eyewitnesses and even to those who knew eyewitnesses. Historians know that no one source could possibly provide the complete picture of what happened. They have to reconstruct the full picture by piecing together the sources. Sometimes this is difficult to do because the sources--even eyewitness sources--sometimes seem incompatible. Sometimes they seem to flat-out contradict each other. Historians do not automatically conclude that the event didn’t happen.

This is true of virtually any historical event for which there are more than one source. And yet, when Evangelical scholars attempt to reconstruct the story of Jesus' resurrection from Gospel sources, critics charge them with “harmonization.” They say that harmonization is illegitimate. Nonsense! “Harmonization” is what historians do! Contrary to critics repeated assertions, the resurrection stories can be harmonized quite successfully.

Using a little “sanctified imagination” the following story is a reconstruction of the resurrection stories in a way that makes sense of the four Gospel accounts, showing that they are not nearly as inconsistent or contradictory as the critics claim.

The Story of Easter

Many in Jerusalem were undoubtedly awakened by the early morning earthquake. It is hard to imagine that Mary Magdalene and the other women were sleeping very well anyway in light of what had happened to Jesus.

Jesus had died and was placed in a tomb just before the Sabbath began at sunset on Friday. The women were prohibited from anointing the body on the Sabbath, so they would just have to wait until the Sabbath was over on Sunday morning. Surely Jesus deserved a proper burial. That’s the least they could do. In fact, it was all they could do now.

First thing Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Sa’lome, Joanna and Susanna were up gathering spices and other necessities. They headed off toward the tomb while it was still dark. As they talked it suddenly occurred to them: who would move the large stone away from the entrance? They hadn’t thought of that, but these were determined women. They were not about to let a rock stand in their way.

By the time they got to the tomb the sun had just barely risen but it was light enough to see from a distance that the stone had already been rolled away!

That could only mean one thing. The body had been stolen! Mary Magdalene was crushed! She didn’t go any further. She didn’t need to see any more. Mary immediately ran back to the home where the disciples were staying and cried out, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

The disciples were undoubtedly shocked, but they were not sure what to do with this information. What could they do? Mary, overwhelmed with grief, just turned around and walked slowly back to the tomb.

Meanwhile, the other women had cautiously entered the tomb, allowing their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Sure enough, Jesus was gone!

Just then two men suddenly appeared in dazzling white garments. One of them said,

Don’t be afraid—it was too late. They were already terrified—You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen as he said.

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful man, be crucified and on the third day and be raised again.” But go tell his disciples—and Peter—that he is raised from the dead and is going on ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there just as he told you.

The women, still trembling and bewildered, raced back to the home where Jesus’ disciples had been hiding out, saying nothing to the few people who happened to be up at the crack of dawn. The women burst into the room shortly after Mary Magdalene had left to go back to the tomb. They told the disciples about the empty tomb and the angels’ message, but the disciples thought they were speaking nonsense and didn’t believe them.

But, first Mary, now the other women? Peter and John had to see for themselves. They raced to the tomb, passing Mary Magdalene on the way.

John got there first and bent over looking into the tomb. Peter got there right after John and actually went into the tomb. John followed him in. Sure enough, the tomb was empty except for the strips of linen and the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The head cloth had been folded and placed separately from the other linens. Peter and John went back to tell the others.

A little later, Mary Magdalene finally got to the tomb again. This time she bent over to peer into the entrance. Just as she feared, Jesus was indeed gone. She turned around falling to her knees, weeping uncontrollably, tears in her eyes, head in her hands. She didn’t even look up when she heard a man ask, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him!” “Sir, if you’ve have carried him away, tell me where you put him, and I will get him”

“Mary.”

Mary turned around and looked up.

Rabboni!!! Mary exclaimed as she jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around Jesus.

This was not a very politically correct thing to do publicly in those days, so after a while Jesus said, Mary stop holding on to me, for I’ve not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.

Mary obeyed and ran back to the disciples to tell them that she had seen the Lord! The other women had already left the home, possibly to tell to tell Mary, Martha and Lazarus in the village of Bethany.

As they were walking along, from out of nowhere, Jesus suddenly met them.

“Greetings,” he said.

Terrified, they fell prostrate to the ground grabbing his feet worshiping him! Jesus said, Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there.”

Meanwhile Cleopas and another man (possibly Luke) also left the house to go on a seven mile journey to Emmaus. As they walked a stranger joined them asking what they had been discussing. Looking downcast Cleopas asked, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and don’t know the things that have happened there?

What things?

So Cleopas explained that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, powerful and word and deed before God, and how the chief priests and rulers had handed him over to be crucified.

We had hoped, Cleopas explained, that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. What’s more, it is the third day since all this took place and this morning some of our women amazed us with stories about how they had found the tomb empty and how angels said Jesus was alive! Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it empty just as the women had said.

The man replied, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and the prophets, he explained to them what was said in the Scriptures concerning himself. But they were kept from recognizing him.

When they arrived at their destination, they urged the stranger to stay for supper. He accepted their offer. He took bread, gave thanks and broke it. As he handed it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized that is was Jesus!

He disappeared from their sight.

The two men immediately returned to Jerusalem. It was getting late as found the disciples and others assembled together. Before they could say anything, the disciples exclaimed to them, “It is true! The Lord has risen! He appeared to Simon!”

Then the two told what had happened on the way to Emmaus and how they finally recognized Jesus as he broke bread.

While they were still talking about all this, Jesus himself stood among them and said, Peace be with you. They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? Look at my hands and feet. It’s me! Touch me and see! A ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.

Then he asked, “Do you have anything to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their presence. Then he said to them,

“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms, that the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are my witnesses of these things.”

A week later Jesus appeared to the disciples again—this time with Thomas who had not yet seen Jesus alive.  Earlier in the week Thomas had said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it!

Jesus told Thomas, “See my hands? “Put your finger here.” Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

“My Lord and my God,” Thomas exclaimed!

Jesus later appeared to his disciples while they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee. He cooked fish for them on the seashore and invited them to have breakfast with him. He then assured Peter of forgiveness even though Peter had denied him three times.

Finally, after various appearances over a 40 day period, Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once and was taken up from their sight, giving this final commission,

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

(See the Easter Enigma by John Wenham for a discussion and defense of this scenario).

Jesus, the final days

The following is a book report I wrote on Jesus, the final days by Craig Evans and N.T. Wright (Westminster John Knox Press, 2009).

The material for Jesus; the final days comes from a lecture series the authors did at Crichton College. The book was intended for a wide readership, all the way from interested laypersons to scholars “who have academic specialties” other than New Testament studies.

The first two chapters were authored by Craig Evans, one of the world’s foremost Jesus scholars. In chapter one Evans discusses the reality of Jesus’ death including an evaluation of the reliability of data in the sources.

Evans discusses the various sources, Josephus, Tacitus, Lucian, Mar bar Serapion as well as the synoptic Gospels and he evaluates the data using the criteria of embarrassment. For example, Evans argues that it was unlikely that the Gospel writers would have fabricated a story about their Messiah being crucified since Jesus crucifixion was “a source of embarrassment for Jesus’ earliest followers” because if your “Messiah” got executed, it was usually considered proof-positive that the victim could not possibly be the Messiah.

Evans then discusses the reasons for Jesus’ death. First is because his triumphal entry into Jerusalem “deliberately mimicked Solomon, David’s son, who…rode the royal mule as a part of his declaration of kingship (1 Kgs. 1:32-40).”

The second reason for his death was when Jesus overturned the tables in the Temple, charging the ruling priests with making the Temple a “cave of robbers.”

Third, is Jesus’ parable of the vineyard which warned of judgment because of Israel’s failure to pursue justice.

The fourth reason was because Jesus was anointed by an unnamed woman, which was probably reported by Judas Iscariot as a Messianic anointing.

Significantly absent in Evans’ discussion is the furor caused, according to the Gospels, when Jesus claimed to do things that only God could do, like forgiving sin, claiming authority over the Sabbath, annulling the Torah’s dietary laws, etc.

Evans then asks whether Jesus anticipated his own death. He argues that when John the Baptist was executed, surely Jesus must have known that a similar fate awaited him if he continued on his ministry.

Second, Evans argues that Jesus’ fear in the garden is not the “stuff of pious fiction or dogma.”

Finally, the last supper in which Jesus’ mentions his own death, is reported in multiple independent sources including the Gospel of Mark, First Corinthians, and the Didache.
Evan’s discussion of Jesus’ trial is largely a review of the biblical data.

Evans argues that Jesus was condemned “not only for his daring claim to be God’s anointed Son, but for implying that he will sit in judgment on the high priest, as though he were an enemy of God” (19). “According to all four Gospels the focus of Pilate’s examination of Jesus was on the allegation that Jesus had presented himself as the king of the Jews” (19).

This is confirmed by Jesus’ execution as “king of the Jews” (20). Evans argues that this was no Christian creation. “Christians regarded Jesus as the Messiah (or Christ), Son of god, Lord, and Savior, not ‘King of the Jews,’ a title the Romans granted to Herod the Great” (20).

One of the attacks on the Gospels has to do with Pilate’s offer of a Passover pardon which the critics think is highly unlikely. Evans point out, however, that there are other ancient historical accounts of officials releasing prisoners on special days so the release of Barabbas is not unique.

Further, Evans argues that the story of Pilate washing his hands of Jesus’ case was not a fabricated signs of weakness, as critics contend. Pilate’s decision was pure politics. He did not want to offend the ruling priests who wanted Jesus’ dead but Pilate also did not want to be the cause of a popular uprising. By washing his hands of the matter, Pilate hoped to appease the priests and let the possible consequences fall at their feet.

Evans points out that crucifixion was practiced by Persians, Assyrians, Scythians, Greeks and even Jews, long before the Romans used it. Victims could sometimes be scourged down to the bone. The story about Jesus not being able to carry his own cross is historically probable, says Evans, since it is unlikely that Christians would make up a story about Jesus not being able to carry his own cross when he had instructed his followers to take up their cross and follow him.

The dividing of Jesus’ cloths was consistent with Roman practice. Although Roman law permitted bodies to be taken down and bury, some were left unburied, to rot or be picked apart by birds and animals (32).

Many have argued that when Jesus said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” this was evidence that he had lost his faith. Evans argues that Jesus may well have had the entire Psalm in mind including the part about how “future generations will proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn” (33).

Finally Evans discusses the theological implications of Jesus’ death. From a Jewish perspective, Jesus died as a failed messianic pretender. From a Roman perspective, he was a condemned criminal. Jesus, however, viewed his death as an atonement for sin and an establishment of the New Covenant, a perspective his followers embraced after his death.

Evans also authored chapter two which focuses specifically on the burial of Jesus. This chapter is necessitated by modern theories about Jesus’ body being left on a cross or thrown into a shallow ditch and eaten by dogs.

Such theories, Evans argues, ignore the very strong Jewish custom about the necessity of burying the dead. Evans cites Tobit, Josephus, Philo and Rabbinic sources which demonstrate that it was considered such a great obligation to bury the dead that even a Nazarite (who was not permitted to touch a dead body) or the High Priest himself, was obligated to bury a dead body if the only alternative was to leave the body unburied. As evidenced by Deuteronomy, Ezekiel and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jews believed that leaving the dead unburied defile the land.

On the other hand, that fact that even though thousands of people were crucified in the first century AD, the remains of only two crucified victims been found, leads some to argue that this is proof that the Roman practice of not burying crucifixion victims was also practiced in Palestine (58). Evans argues, however, that almost all of the bones recovered from the time of Jesus are poorly preserved and only the smaller bones of the hands and feet would provide evidence of crucifixion (in other words, many of the bones which have been recovered may have been from crucifixion victims but without their hands or feet we would never know it).

Second, some victims were tied to crosses so no evidence would survive. Third, the best preserved bones were found in tombs likely to have been owned by the rich, which were least likely victims of crucifixion.

Finally, most of the first century Jews who were crucified and left unburied were those who died in open rebellion or in the Jewish War when Rome no longer had any reason to honor Jewish sensibilities about burying the dead. Things were different in peacetime and both Josephus and Philo say that the Romans often tried to respect Jewish customs.

Evans also briefly addresses such views as the wrong tomb theory, the swoon theory, the Passover Plot, Michael Baigent’s “silly” Jesus Papers theory, and the recent discovery of the tomb in East Talpiot.

Chapter three, “The Surprise of the Resurrection” was authored by N.T. Wright, another of the world’s foremost Jesus scholars. One significant problem, says Wright, is the fact that the word “resurrection” is used by modern laypersons and even scholars to mean things that it simply did not mean in the first century. For example, resurrection never referred to some kind of “disembodied bliss.” A “spiritual resurrection” would have been considered a contradiction in terms.

Resurrection did not simply mean “life after death,” but “life after life after death.” In other words, Jews did not view death as the end of existence, but they believed that this disembodied existence after death would one day be followed by a general, bodily resurrection.

When discussing the resurrection, critics often point to the apparent contradictions in the Gospels as evidence that the Gospels are historically unreliable. Wright counters with an illustration from a meeting between two prominent philosophers, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper. The two were meeting with other philosophers in a study with a fireplace. At one point Wittgenstein picked up a poker, waved it in the air and left the room. Later, the other philosophers, who were eyewitnesses, were not able to agree on the details of exactly what happened; but no one would say that nothing happened or that there was no meeting or no poker, etc. The point is that lack of eyewitness agreement on details in no way impinges on the overall historical reliability of the reports.

This little book (only 116 pages) is absolutely outstanding! It does a remarkable job of bringing serious scholarship down to a level that even laypeople can understand. My only qualm with the book was with Evan’s explanation of why Jesus was crucified. Whatever the official explanation given at Jesus’ trial (executed for claiming to be “king of the Jews”), I would argue that the real reason Jesus’ death was sought by the Jewish leadership was for blasphemy, because he made claims for himself that only rightly belonged to God, for example his claim to forgive sin, to be lord over the Sabbath, to overturn dietary laws, etc. Pilate, of course, would care nothing about Jewish religious ideas of blasphemy so the leadership had to present Jesus to Pilate as an insurrectionist, a “king of the Jews.”

Since what happened to Jesus has been so widely challenged lately with numerous bizarre theories, and since Jesus’ death and resurrection are at the core of Christianity, this book is a “must-read” for every Christian.

The Resurrection of the Son of God

I just finished reading The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright. It is, to my knowledge, the most significant treatment of the resurrection of Jesus ever written.

Part I provides an extensive discussion of theories of the afterlife by ancient authors Jewish and non-Jewish authors. Part II is an indepth treatment of resurrection in Paul's letters. Part III provides analysis of resurrection in early Christianity both in and outside of the New Testament, i.e. not only New Testament letters but also in the apostolic fathers, the later apologists, New Testament apocrypha and even the so-called "lost gospels." Part IV provides a more detailed analysis of the resurrection narratives in the four canonical Gospels. Part V is a capstone discussion on the resurrection and history, and on Jesus as the Son of God.

The book is 817 pages long including bibliographies and indexes.

It is absolutely outstanding; an instant classic!