The Reality of the Resurrection

By Karen Barrett

Members of a soccer team were returning by train to their home city. News of the outcome of the game had not yet reached their hometown, so those gathered at the station to greet them were eager to hear the results. A small boy pushed his way through the crowd and ran up to one of the players to ask the final score. Upon hearing the reply, he jumped up and down in excitement, shouting, “We won! We won!”

As Christians, we too can celebrate with joy because of a great victory—not one that we personally won, but one that was accomplished for us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth and paid the penalty of our sins by dying on the Cross. And then, miraculously, He arose from the dead! While the full significance of His victory over death goes far beyond anything our minds can fully assimilate, we can rejoice in the victory He won for us.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the center of our faith. Paul the Apostle wrote, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (1 Corinthian 15:14). However, because He rose, we know that what He said is true—that He is God, and that we can have our sins forgiven through faith in Him. And because He defeated death, we too will live eternally!

Many, down through the centuries, have scoffed at the miracle of the Resurrection, claiming it to be impossible, irrational, or absurd. Others have tried to ignore it or explain it away. The simple truth is, though, that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact of history. Even more, it is the unique stamp of Christianity, for only Christianity claims an empty tomb as its focal point.

The historical background

The background for this greatest event of all time is a matter of historical record. Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet and teacher who claimed to be the fulfillment of Jewish prophetical Scriptures, was arrested, judged, condemned as a criminal, and crucified. He was buried, a stone rolled in front of the tomb, and the grave secured with the seal of Rome. Roman guards were placed at the tomb. Three days after his burial, women followers who went to His tomb found that His body was gone. His disciples, men formerly paralyzed by fear and loss of hope, spent the rest of their lives proclaiming that God had raised Him from the dead and that He appeared in physical form to them on several occasions before ascending into Heaven.

What really happened?

If Christ did not actually arise from the dead, what really happened?

One theory popularized centuries ago is that Jesus did not actually die, but merely fainted from exhaustion and loss of blood. However, those who crucified Him (soldiers experienced in this form of execution), those who prepared his body for burial, and the officials of the Roman government certainly thought he was dead. And is it conceivable that a half-dead man could have removed himself from the 100 or so pounds of spices and wrapping cloths that were part of the Jewish burial custom, and then broken the seal and pushed away the huge stone at the mouth of the tomb?

How can the empty tomb be explained away? Jewish and Roman historical records and traditions verify that indeed, the tomb was empty. Some propose that the disciples themselves stole the body of Jesus while the guards slept. However, consider the previous depression and cowardice of the disciples. Racked with grief and full of confusion at the shattering of their hopes for Christ’s earthly kingdom, is it likely they would suddenly have courage to face a detachment of soldiers at the tomb to steal the body?

If the disciples had decided to brave facing the soldiers, how could they have dealt with the seal and the stone in front of the tomb? The seal represented the authority of the Roman Empire, and the consequences of tampering with such a symbol were extremely severe: it was an offense punishable by crucifixion. The stones used in such circumstances normally weighed about one and a half to two tons, and were rolled by means of levers against a tomb entrance. On the morning that Christ’s followers approached the tomb, the first thing that impressed them was the unusual position of the stone: all four of the Gospel writers mention it. Its position is described as having been rolled up a slope away from the sepulcher. It must have looked as if it had been picked up and carried away! How could the disciples—or anyone, for that matter—have possibly accomplished such a feat without the Roman soldiers, who were guarding the entrance, becoming aware of it?

Another theory suggested is that the Jewish or Roman authorities themselves moved Christ’s body. However, they had no motive. And, if the authorities actually had the body in their possession, they certainly would have produced it as “proof” of Christ’s death when the disciples in Jerusalem began preaching the Resurrection. Such an action would have destroyed the emerging belief system that so concerned them.

Some have proposed that the women actually went to the wrong tomb. Even if they had (unlikely, considering that they had been at the tomb and watched the preparation of the body for burial) would Peter and John have made the same mistake? Did the Roman soldiers seal and guard the wrong tomb? Did Joseph of Arimathea, who gave his own burial place for the body of Christ, somehow forget where the tomb was located? And again, if that had been the case, why didn’t the Jewish leaders simply go to the correct tomb and produce the body? The answer is obvious: it was the correct tomb, and the tomb was empty.

The testimony of witnesses

The theories that have been advanced through the centuries have never been able to discount one important fact: that the resurrected Christ was seen by many hundreds of witnesses for a period of over forty days. Paul the Apostle penned one of the first records of Christ’s Resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:6, he mentioned the fact that more than 500 people had seen Christ alive at one time. Many of those people were still living, and thus could be questioned regarding their testimony. In effect, Paul was saying, “If you don’t believe me, ask them!” Add to that the testimony of many other eyewitnesses, among them people who were hostile or unconvinced, and credibility is established that would stand in any courtroom.

The most compelling evidence of all is found in the lives of the early Christians. They received no visible benefits for proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ. In fact, their wholehearted allegiance to Him brought them disgrace, torture, and even death. Why would they have risked their lives for something they knew to be a lie? They would not. They did not! The fact is, they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ was exactly who He claimed to be—the Son of God, their Messiah, and the Savior of the world. The heart of their message was “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The choice today

Perhaps the most convincing confirmation of the truth of Christ’s claims is the way in which people’s lives continue to be changed today through an encounter with the living Christ. The event of the Resurrection is what makes the Christian faith unique, but it is not enough to simply accept the historical facts. We must choose to give our lives completely over to Him, turning our backs on our sins and our own ways, and believing on Him as our Savior and Redeemer. When we do, the Resurrected Christ will transform our lives!

When Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, finally met his risen Lord after the Resurrection, he cried out, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said to him, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:28-29). Today, will you believe in the risen Christ, “that believing ye might have life through his name”?

Karen Barrett is Office Manager at the Apostolic Faith Church International Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.