into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. (Luke 23:46-49 ESV)
ensuring his proper execution and people who knew Jesus personally. • Crucifixion was such a horrible and demeaning death that no one would make up a story about the true Messiah being a crucified man. How we know Jesus really died?
town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:50-56 ESV)
clearly independent from the accounts found in Matthew and Luke. • The accounts of the tomb perfectly match the evidence of Jerusalem-area tombs. • A pious fiction would not have credited a member of the Sanhedrin with the burial. • The accounts do not contain anything that skeptics can describe as myth or legend. How we know Jesus really was buried in a tomb?
tomb stories [in the Gospels] show little elaboration of miraculous detail. In comparison with developments in New Testament materials, they do not show extensive influences from Old Testament passages. Hence, we must presume that the story is early and that there was no clear evidence to controvert it.”—Pheme Perkins, Resurrection
dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.“ (Luke 24:1-7 ESV)
they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. (Luke 24:8-12 ESV)
in Matthew and John—admitted the empty tomb. • The Gospels agree that the first persons to find the tomb empty were women—which in their culture would be a damaging admission. • Had Jesus’ body remained in the tomb, no one would have believed he had risen. How we know Jesus’ tomb was really empty
village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?“ (Luke 24:13-18)
to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." (Luke 24:13-24 ESV)
resurrection • The Gospel accounts unanimously agree that Jesus’ disciples had abandoned all belief in Jesus when he was crucified. • The idea of a dying and resurrected Messiah went against the dominant Jewish expectations of the day. • Luke’s reference to one of the two disciples on the Emmaus road as “Cleopas” identifies him as an eyewitness.
disciples invented the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Such an idea simply did not fit their worldview, and they had nothing personally to gain by spreading the story.
of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27 ESV)
typically viewed various figures prophesied there (son of David, Son of Man, etc.) as different figures. • The “suffering Servant” of Isaiah 53 was not identified with the Messiah. • Jesus’ disciples found that the entire Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus. Why the early Christians’ view of the Old Testament is evidence of Jesus’ resurrection
were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" (Luke 24:28-32 ESV)
the road with you! • In such visions or hallucinations, the figure does not remain unknown until the very end of the experience. • The disciples recognized Jesus not when their hearts “burned” within them, but when their eyes were opened as he broke the bread. How we know Jesus’ disciples were not hallucinating or having a spiritual vision
And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" (Luke 24:33-36 ESV)
motive for making up such stories. • The encounters involved individuals (Peter), small groups (the two on the Emmaus road), and larger groups (the disciples in the upper room). • The Gospel appearances to Peter and to groups of disciples is confirmed independently by Paul (1 Cor. 15:5-8). How we know people really had experiences of seeing the risen Jesus?
in purely natural terms, is a fact upon which both believer and unbeliever can agree.”—Reginald H. Fuller “That Jesus’ followers (and later Paul) had resurrection experiences is, in my judgment, a fact. What the reality was that gave rise to the experiences I do not know.”—E. P . Sanders “It is a historical fact that some of Jesus’ followers came to believe that he had been raised from the dead soon after his execution.”—Bart Ehrman
buried in a tomb. The tomb was discovered empty and the body never found. Belief in Jesus’ resurrection radically changed their whole understanding of the Jewish faith. Jesus’ disciples sincerely reported seeing the risen Jesus in experiences that were not mere visions or hallucinations. What is the best explanation for these facts? The Evidence in Review
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