Posted on 03/25/2002 7:30:44 AM PST by truthandlife
The crucifixion of Jesus was especially well documented and accepted as fact. The crucial question then becomes, "Did Jesus rise from the dead, proving His claim to be God incarnate? Or did something else happen with His body? Or was He never dead at all?"
A key to this issue is the extreme local importance placed on handling this execution. Jesus' powerful, insightful speaking and many miracles had led the populace to request that He become king. This began to threaten the local political stability of the Romans and the religious power of the Jewish whom Jesus openly criticized. Both the absolute death of Jesus and the protection against a hoax were critical, since Jesus had claimed He would overcome death. Furthermore, He had already raised other people from the dead. As a result, all precautions were taken to secure His corpse (Matthew 27:62-66).
The Bible implies the cause of Jesus' death was cardiac arrest, indicated by blood and water from a spear thrust (medical experts confirm this).
To secure the body, a Roman guard was placed outside the tomb. Such a guard would have consisted of 16 soldiers, with a disciplined rotation for sleeping at night (every four hours, four would switch). The guards all faced the rigid Roman penalty of crucifixion if they slept outside of the assigned shift or deserted their post. The idea that all guards were asleep, considering the death penalty, is especially unreasonable.
To further ensure safekeeping, a two-ton stone was rolled in front of the tomb with Pontius Pilate's seal on it. Breaking the seal without the official Roman guard's approval meant crucifixion upside down.
The central issue -- unexplainable by Jewish leaders, especially in light of the many precautions -- is:
What Happened To Jesus Corpse If He Did Not Rise From The Dead As Indicated In the Gospel Accounts?
The official explanation is that the disciples stole the body while the guards were asleep (with the priests protecting the guards from the governor). This story was necessary only because no one could produce a dead body of Jesus, which would have stopped the resurrection story forever. Is a theft of Jesus body even remotely possible given that:
All 16 guards would have had to risk the penalty of crucifixion by sleeping while on duty or deserting. Surely at least one guard would be awake.
The disciples were in a state of shock, fear, and disarray, having seen their Master crucified. Is it reasonable to think they quickly created a brilliant plan and flawlessly executed it on the Sabbath day of rest?
What possible motive could the disciples have? If Jesus was not the Son of God as He claimed, stealing the body would create a lie with no apparent benefit, and death for no purpose for the disciples.
Analysis of Other Explanations
Was Jesus really dead? Crucifixion was more routine and was a longer, more visibly excruciating death than the electric chair is today. Is it likely that such professional executioners would not know death? The final spear thrust to the heart area was to ensure death. For such a political threat, they would be certain. If Jesus was not dead, what are the chances that a barely living person could move a two-ton rock from the inside of a tomb and escape a full Roman guard unnoticed?
Was the body stolen at night? Recognizing that no flashlights nor infrared sensors were available then, is it likely that a band of scared disciples carrying torches could bypass a full Roman guard, move a two-ton rock, and not be noticed? Furthermore, the Sabbath greatly limited movement. And again, for what motive?
Eyewitnesses to the Truth Died to Tell the Story
Martyrdom for a belief is not unique. But what kind of person would die for a known lie? Someone insane? Would all the disciples face hardship and death for a known lie? The disciples were with Jesus constantly for three years. They would certainly know the truth of the resurrection. Lying would serve no purpose since Jesus' ministry would then be moot. Yet historical record and reports about the disciples indicated they all died cruel deaths for their beliefs (except John). James was stoned, Peter was crucified upside down, Paul was beheaded, Thaddaeus was killed with arrows, Matthew and James (Zebedee) faced sword deaths and other believers were crucified.
The Testimony of the Catacombs
Underneath Rome lie some 900 miles of carved caves where over seven million Christians, executed for their beliefs, were buried. Other believers hid and worshiped in these caves during the height of Christian persecution. The earliest known inscriptions in the walls were dated A.D. 70. Some early occupants probably communicated directly with eyewitnesses of Jesus. Since about A.D. 400, the Catacombs were buried and "forgotten" for over 1000 years. In 1578 they were rediscovered by accident. Today they can be seen as silent memorials to many who died rather than curse Jesus or bow down to an emperor's statue. Christian martyrs differed greatly from other world martyrs in that historical facts were the foundation of their beliefs -- facts verifiable at the time -- not just ideas.
Hostile Witnesses Turn Christian
Paul, a leading executor of Christians, gave up wealth, power, and comfort upon seeing the resurrected Christ, then wrote most of the New Testament. Two Sanhedrin members (not present when the Sanhedrin sentenced Jesus to death) were secret disciples. Unbelieving natural brothers of Jesus later became believers after the resurrection.
Indirect Archaeological Evidence
Evidence that the people in Jesus' time believed in the resurrection is found on caskets of bones (ossuaries) discovered in a sealed tomb outside Jerusalem in 1945. Coins minted in about A.D. 50 were found inside the caskets, dating the burial within about 20 years of Jesus' crucifixion. Markings are clearly legible, including several statements reflecting knowledge of Jesus' ability to overcome death.
Examples of writings (in Greek) of hope for deceased loved ones include: "Jesus, Help" and "Jesus, Let Him Arise." The caskets also contain several crosses, clearly marked in charcoal. This is powerful evidence that early Christians believed in Jesus' ability to triumph over death. It also ties the idea of victory over death to the cross.
Prior to the resurrection, "grave robbing" was not considered a serious offense. The resurrection changed that. An inscription found on a tomb in Nazareth warns that anyone found stealing from the tombs would receive the death penalty. Scholars believe the inscription was written as early as Tiberius (circa 37 B.C) or as late as Claudius (A.D. 41-54). In the latter case, it would have been shortly after the crucifixion. Naturally, Jesus' hometown of Nazareth would be an obvious city of "interest" to officials.
The first person who claims self-resurrection will be evil.
No stuart, I don't question the skepticism. I quite understand it, and really don't expect anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the risen Christ to do anything but doubt the resurrection.
You are right that no other one in history claims to have returned from the dead. No one else did, but the Son of the living God.
It is amazing to see the mental hoops which people will jump through in order to hold onto a worldview. Luke 16:31.
Stuart, I have found you to be more pleasant than other skeptics on this forum; but at a certain point skepticism becomes a silly parody of sophistication. I pray that you stop refusing to see. It does wonders for blindness.
This by itself is pretty good proof. I mean put yourself in the situation. I'm pretty impressed with the accomplishments of my own brother but it would take a whole lot more to convince me that he was God. :)
OK, I guess I can see kinda where you're coming from. However, it seems rather odd that you're able to believe in and pray to God, yet insist on a mass-media broadcast of the Resurrection.
Perhaps you can clarify?
I have no idea what the numbers were then, but there are far more people on the earth so I suppose, percentage wise, it could be similar, though I think there were less then simply because medicine today informs us earlier of our pregnancies.
But belief in God makes it easy to believe in the Resurrection. Surely the Creator of the universe is capable of resurrecting one human body!
In general, I think the real difficulty with the Resurrection seems to be less with the possibility of it, than with the claims that Jesus is God.
One is certainly unlikely to accept Jesus as a result of purely rational arguments. Instead, it is by grace that He makes himself known.
Jesus knew this, as the story of Thomas shows: Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:27-29)
You're taking the position of Thomas -- and we'd all love to be able to see for ourselves that Jesus is truly Risen.
But to see for ourselves would imply something much more disturbing: that Jesus is real, and that He meant what He said. It would mean that God can meet us eye to eye -- that he's flesh and blood and a real human voice, and not just some still, small voice that we can ignore when it's convenient to do so. It means that God is great big, and we're really small, and we've been caught being naughty.
It's damned scary is what it is.
Or, it's the ultimate comfort -- knowing that you can climb on His lap and be forgiven, like you did on your dad's when you were little.
Correct. In a millieau of MANY who have claimed to be somebody; who have shouted 'Follow Me God!' It would take something pretty extraordinary for the ONE who actually was'nt nuts or lying to put his claim on the unique level it needed to be, now would'nt it?
Please tell me what is as realistic as resurrection.
As realistic as a pack of cowards, envious and jealous of each other, resurfacing 6 weeks after their leader was killed and they scattered to face down the people they were hiding from, united behind an uneducated fisherman that was the biggest coward of them all.
As realistic as an uneducated man arguing down the most learned theologians of his day on their opinion of the first leader of the group.
As realistic as 11 and then hundreds and then thousands of people putting aside their personal agendas to devote them selves to one misssion.
As realistic as ten men going to their deaths praising the name of their first teacher, when all they had to do was acknowledge the "reality" that once some one dies, they do not come back and that their claims to the contrary about their first teacher were lies.
As realistic as a trained and educated priest that was given the assignment of stamping out a sect of uneducated, dangerous dissidents, renouncing his life as priviledged leader, living in comfort and respected by his fellows, to become one of the most effective spokesman for those he tried destroy.
As realistic of that man enduring all the things he did for 30 years, not wavering in his statements about the Messiah, and who that is.
As realistic as that man going to death without renouncing a faith found on a dirt road between Jerusalem and Damascus, when that simple act would have saved his life.
As realistic as G-d doing all the work needed to reconcile us to him, thus putting to end the man made idea that a person can "do things" to "get right" with God.
What is so believable about rising from the dead?
On the face of it, it is'nt. But it is a whole lot more believable than any other explanation for the early days of the Christian Church.
Seems to me, since it is basically a fact (You can't have "Faith" once something has been proven...You don't need it anymore), I would use that as my argument in your position. It's so simple and direct. Not to mention, unarguable.
There are too many variations.
FAITH IS WHAT SEPERATES US FROM ALL OTHER ANIMALS
Even if Christ did not ressurect, it hardly matters, as His message is the important thing. The Bible can and is far richer when taken figuratively, rather than literally.
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