Matthew 28
Truly understanding and wholeheartedly believing that Christ died and then rose again on the third day is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. Of course this requires a great deal of faith since none of us were there to witness this incredible event in history, but what proof do we have that the resurrection actually happened? Whenever you try to prove something that happened a long time ago, and there is no physical proof left to point to, you have to look at it like a court case. Is there a “preponderance of evidence” that the resurrection actually happened? After reviewing the facts, is it more likely that the resurrection happened or did not happen? Let’s look at some of the evidence we do have:
1. The empty tomb of Jesus. These are facts: Jesus’ dead body was laid in a tomb, the opening was closed with a large stone, then it was sealed for extra security and protected by a Roman guard. Yet miraculously, when the women went to see Jesus, the tomb was empty except for His burial clothes. Two major theories have been suggested by unbelievers: 1) someone stole Jesus’ body or 2) the women and disciples went to the wrong tomb. Neither one of these arguments are very convincing. First of all, the Jews and Romans had no motive to steal the body. Christ’s apostles were in hiding and were afraid for their lives because of what just happened to Jesus. The women who found the tomb empty had seen Jesus being laid in the tomb, so they knew where the correct location was. Besides, even if they had gone to the wrong tomb, the religious leaders could have produced the body from the correct tomb to stop the stories of Jesus’ resurrection from spreading like wildfire.
2. The holy women eyewitnesses. The holy women that saw the empty tomb first are further proof that the Gospels are accurate historical records. If the accounts of this story had been made up, no ancient author would have used women for witnesses to Christ’s resurrection. Women were second class citizens in Bible times; their testimony was not even allowed in court. Yet the Bible says the risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdalene and other holy women. Even the apostles did not believe Mary when she told them the tomb was empty. Jesus, who always had special respect for these women, honored them as the first eyewitnesses to His resurrection. The male Gospel writers had no choice but to report this embarrassing act of God’s favor, because that was exactly how it happened.
3. The new-found courage of Jesus’ apostles. After the crucifixion, Jesus’ apostles hid behind locked doors, terrified they would be executed next. But something changed them from cowards to bold preachers overnight. Anyone who understands human nature knows that people do not change that much without some major influence or a major event occurring. According to the Gospels, that event was seeing their Master, risen from the dead. Christ appeared to them in the locked room, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and on the Mount of Olives. After seeing Jesus alive, Peter and the others left the locked room and preached about the risen Christ, unafraid of what would happen to them. They quit hiding because they knew the truth. They finally understood that Jesus is God incarnate, who has the power to overcome death, save people from sin, and offer eternal life.
4. The changed lives of James and others. Changed lives are yet another proof of the resurrection. James, the brother of Jesus, was openly skeptical that Jesus was the Messiah “For even His own brothers did not believe in Him” John 7:5 NIV. Later James became a courageous leader of the Jerusalem church, even being stoned to death for his faith. Why the dramatic change? The Bible says the risen Christ appeared to him. “Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles,” 1 Corinthians 15:7 NIV. What a shock to see your own brother, alive again, after you knew He was dead. James and the apostles were effective missionaries because people could tell these men had touched and seen the risen Christ. With such zealous eyewitnesses, the early church exploded in growth, spreading west from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond. For 2,000 years, encounters with the resurrected Jesus have dramatically changed lives.
5. Eyewitnesses who saw the resurrected Jesus. Jesus appeared 12 times to different groups of people, ranging from just one person to 500 people at a time. These sightings occurred for 40 days after the resurrection. Some unbelievers have tried to attribute these sightings to hallucinations. The most undeniable eyewitness proof was when a large crowd of more than 500 people saw the risen Jesus Christ at the same time. The Apostle Paul records this event in 1 Corinthians 15:6 around 55 AD: “He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.” It is impossible for over 500 people to have the same hallucination at the same time. Undoubtedly these 500+ people that saw Him told others about this miracle that they witnessed first-hand. Paul wrote that most of the people who saw the risen Jesus were still alive, so skeptics could find out for themselves if this story was true. Smaller groups also saw the risen Christ, such as the apostles, and Cleopas and his companion. They all saw the same thing, and in the case of the apostles, even touched Jesus and watched Him eat food. The hallucination theory is further debunked because after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, sightings of Him stopped.
6. Conversion of Paul. The conversion of Paul records the most drastically changed life in the Bible. As Saul of Tarsus, he was an aggressive persecutor of the early church. He hunted down Christians and either had them thrown in prison or killed. Everything changed for him, however, when the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus. After this encounter Paul became Christianity’s most determined missionary. He endured five floggings, three beatings, three shipwrecks, a stoning, poverty, and years of ridicule. Finally the Roman emperor Nero had Paul beheaded because the apostle refused to deny his faith in Jesus.
7. The apostles and others died for Jesus. Countless people have died for Jesus, absolutely certain that the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact. Tradition says ten of the original apostles died as martyrs for Christ, as did the Apostle Paul. They were beaten to death with a club, flayed to death by a whip, crucified, stabbed with a spear, crucified upside down, stoned, tortured, and beheaded. Any one of them could have avoided this tortuous death by simply saying that the resurrection was not true. Not one of them did. To compare to terrorists today that die for what they believe in: these people will die for something they believe to be true, even if it is not. However, people will not endure this kind of torture and death for something they know is a lie. The apostles had to have known that the resurrection actually happened! Hundreds, perhaps thousands of early Christians died in the Roman arena and in prisons for their faith. Down through the centuries, thousands more have died for Jesus because they believed in the resurrection. Even today, people suffer persecution because they have faith that Christ rose from the dead. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader, but Christian martyrs have died in many lands, for nearly 2,000 years, believing Jesus conquered death to give them eternal life.
8. The emergence of the early Church. The book of Acts is the story of how the early Church got started. Peter and the apostles were arrested for preaching about Jesus and His resurrection. The religious leaders were jealous, furious, and wanted to kill them (see Acts 5:33). But one of the Pharisees wisely spoke up and said: “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” (Acts 5:38,39). Almost 2,000 years later, the Christian faith has over 2 billion followers, which is one-third of the world’s population. Given these facts, the answer is quite clear: the Christian Church was God’s plan, and obviously could not be stopped.
After examining the above evidence, it is clear to us that the resurrection actually occurred “beyond a reasonable doubt,” as described in the Gospels. Most people that do not believe in Jesus have never taken the time to examine the evidence. The apostle Paul wrote: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20). Once a person is shown the evidence of the Bible and chooses still to be an unbeliever, it is ultimately a problem of the heart, and not of the mind. However, if someone is willing to investigate with an open heart, he/she is on the way to finding out the life-giving Truth that we all have the privilege of knowing!
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see Me.” Matthew 28:1-10 NIV
When the holy women first see Christ in His glorified state, their initial reaction is fear. Jesus immediately reassures them. He does not want people afraid of Him and He doesn’t come back from the cross wanting to punish people for their sins. He is the exact replica of our loving Father who is relentless in His pursuit of us and love for us. The women immediately fall down and worship Him even though He does not demand their worship, and it is not a prerequisite for His love. It is simply the natural reaction to being in His presence and conscious of His love. It is interesting that the first words spoken by both the Angel and Jesus to the women were “Do not be afraid.” Fear is a tricky subject in the scriptures. On one hand we are supposed to “fear your God” (Leviticus 25:17), which means to have a reverential awe of who He is. On the other hand “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). The perfect love of the Father, revealed in its fullness in Jesus’ death and resurrection, should cast out our fear of God as an angry judge looking for subjects to condemn. His judgment was fully poured out on His Son.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore 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.” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
The Great Commission: We have been called by God to teach others about who He is and what it means to follow and obey Him, our King and Lord. God gave us the authority to do so, and has promised not to leave us on our own, but to be with us always. Ask God to show you where He wants you to go: to someone in your office, in your neighborhood, or even in your own family, so that you can help others follow Him too.