Belief that Jesus rose from the dead is fundamental to the Christian faith

... if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

1 Cor. 15: 17, 18

Christianity is not merely a moral code, but a living faith.

It was the basis of the preaching of the apostles: for example

• Peter's proclamation to the Jews on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 22 - 24)

• Paul's address to the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17: 30 - 32). Paul cites Jesus' resurrection as proof that Jesus is the Christ, or the anointed, the future judge of the living and the dead.

It had to happen to fulfil the prophecies of the Old Testament:

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Ps. 16: 9, 10

This Psalm of David is quoted:

• by Peter, in Acts 2: 27, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, where he goes on to add in v.29,

  Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.

  In other words, this prophetic Psalm does not apply to David himself, but, as Peter says at v 31,

  Seeing what was ahead, he [that is, David] spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.

• by Paul, in Acts 13: 35. Preaching in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, Paul also points out that

  ... when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead [that is, Jesus] did not see decay.

It had to happen to fulfil the predictions made by Jesus himself:

When they came together in Galilee, he [Jesus] said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life."

Matt. 17: 22, 23

Jesus knew from the Old Testament scriptures that these things must happen in accordance with his Father's will.

The clear teaching of the Gospels

The following points taken from Luke's gospel are backed up by the other gospel accounts:

1. Jesus died on the cross, and was buried in a tomb (Luke 23: 46, 50 - 53; compare Mark 15: 42 - 45, which tells us that Pilate released the body of Jesus to Joseph of Arimathaea only after confirming with the centurion in command of the execution squad that Jesus was dead).

2. His body lay in the tomb for two days, but was raised to life again by the power of God (Luke 24: 6).

3. The tomb in which his body had been placed was found to be empty (Luke 24: 3, 12).

4. The risen Lord spoke with his disciples on several occasions after his resurrection (e.g. Luke 24: 13 - 35, on the road to Emmaus).

5. To convince the disciples of his physical reality, Jesus told them to examine his wounds and to touch him, and he ate food in their presence (e.g. Luke 24: 36 - 43).

Jesus was at pains to show clearly to the disciples that he had risen in bodily form, not as some insubstantial spiritual being.

The empty tomb

The absence of the body of Jesus from the tomb on the third day after the crucifixion is a historical certainty.

We can be sure of this because:

1. All four gospel accounts state clearly that the sepulchre was already empty when the women arrived.

   The angel said to the women [Mary Magdalene and the other women with her], "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."

   Matt 28: 6

   As they [the women] entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him."

   Mark 16:6

   ... but when they (the women) entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

   Luke 24:3

   Mary Magdalene, having gone to the tomb and found it empty, comes to Peter and John and tells them:

   "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

   John 20:2

   The unanimity of the gospel accounts in this matter indicates that this was not merely a story made up by the disciples after the event.

2. Within weeks of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, his disciples publicly proclaimed his resurrection, only a short distance from the sepulchre.
   If the body still lay in the tomb, the authorities would have been able to show that the claim of the disciples was unfounded by simply opening up the tomb. The fact that there was no challenge to the disciples on this point demonstrates that Jesus' body was indeed missing from the tomb. Instead, they had to concoct a story to explain just why the body had gone missing.

3. The "cover story" put out by the priests, claiming that the disciples had stolen the body (Matt 28: 11 - 15), shows that they were unable to dispute that the tomb was empty.

4. There is a complete absence from historical writings of the period of any traditional accounts of visits or pilgrimages to a particular tomb in which the body of Jesus was believed to lie.
   This again confirms that it was accepted from an early stage by all those concerned that the body of Jesus had not remained for any appreciable length of time in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea.

Any explanation put forward to counter the claim of the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead must take account of this indisputable fact of history.

How can the absence of Jesus' body from the tomb be explained?

A number of possible explanations have been advanced. We will consider each in turn.

1. The disciples stole the body of Jesus and then claimed that he had risen from the dead.
   This would be quite at odds with the general character of the disciples and with the high moral standards taught by Jesus. Why would the disciples do such a thing? If this was an act of deliberate deception, what would they hope to gain? The inevitable result of their claims was that their own lives were endangered and they later experienced severe persecution by the Jewish authorities.

2. Joseph of Arimathaea secretly removed the body to a more suitable final resting-place (his own tomb having been used only as a temporary expedient).
   This would have had to have been done while it was still dark, and during the Jewish Sabbath. If the body of Jesus had been re-interred in another place, wouldn't this fact have come to light eventually?

3. The body was removed by order of the Roman governor.
   See (4) below.

4. The body was removed by the Jewish authorities, to prevent the possible veneration of the tomb.
   Neither of these explanations is worth serious consideration, since the relevant authority would have been able later to disprove the disciples' claims by producing the body of Jesus. The fact that they did not do so must surely mean that they could not.

5. Jesus did not really die on the cross, but merely collapsed into unconsciousness. Later, in the coolness of the tomb, he recovered and managed to leave the tomb unaided.
   This so-called "swoon theory" has several major problems. The idea of a man who had endured severe loss of blood and the trauma of crucifixion having the strength to move the heavy stone sealing the tomb, and then appearing to the disciples in an exhausted state, claiming to have conquered death and to have received all power from above, scarcely seems very convincing.

6. Jesus rose from the dead, as stated in the Gospels, the great stone having been rolled away from the door of the tomb by an angel.
   This, surely, is the only rational explanation which fits all the facts.

The witnesses

In 1 Corinthians 15: 3 - 8, Paul cites as witnesses of Christ's resurrection

• The Scriptures (v 4)
  

  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

  Luke 24: 27

• Cephas (Simon Peter) (v 5)
  In his first letter, the apostle Peter writes
  

  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

  1 Pet 1: 3

• The Twelve (v 5)
  Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas Iscariot to become a witness with us of his resurrection (Acts 1: 22). Matthias was chosen from amongst those disciples who had been in the company of the apostles and of the Lord Jesus from the beginning. The fact that Matthias had personally witnessed the risen Christ was an essential qualification for his new role as an apostle.

• Over 500 of the brothers (disciples) at one time (v 6)
  Paul says in this verse that although some of these disciples had fallen asleep (or in other words they had since died), the majority were still alive at the time of writing and by implication their testimony could be checked if necessary.

• James, the Lord's brother (v 7)
  Jesus had been rejected by his own people and even his family at the start of his ministry, but the book of Acts tells us that his brother James, having seen Jesus after his resurrection, became a leading figure in the early church.

• Paul himself (v 8)
  in his vision of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).

All of these were eyewitnesses that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ: its power to change lives

Conviction that Jesus had risen from the dead transformed the lives of his disciples.

The same conviction can, and does, transform the lives of men and women today - even those, in some cases, who like Paul were previously hostile to the Christian faith.

If Jesus rose from the dead, so can we!

One of the most convincing arguments supporting the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is the complete transformation of his disciples - and even some of his former adversaries - evident in the New Testament account.

Consider: prior to his crucifixion, Jesus repeatedly tried to prepare his disciples for his betrayal, arrest and execution - and his resurrection on the third day.

But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

Mark 9: 32

When Jesus was arrested and crucified, the disciples were in complete disarray, overwhelmed by events and in fear of their own lives. Rather than eagerly anticipating their Lord's resurrection, as he had taught them, they were very reluctant to believe the women's story about the tomb being empty. They were convinced only when confronted by Jesus himself, bearing the marks of the wounds in his hands and feet.

Yet, a few weeks later, full of joy and of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were publicly proclaiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. They continued to do so even in the face of fierce opposition, and at the risk of their lives. Why?

The disciples now had definite proof, in the resurrection of Jesus, that he had power over death itself. Even if they were killed, Jesus was able to raise them to life again.

Paul asks,

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

1 Cor 15: 55

And the risen Christ, in his revelation to the apostle John, says

"I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

Rev 1: 18

A new life in Christ

The apostle Paul wrote to the ecclesia (church) in Corinth,

... Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Cor 15: 20 - 25

Note that only "those who belong to him", that is, to Jesus, will be raised to everlasting life at his coming.

What must we do to belong to Jesus?

Jesus said:

"... my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6: 40

We must respond to the call of Jesus to believe in him, to repent of our sins, and put on the saving name of Jesus Christ in baptism, so that we may be raised to everlasting life at his coming. The need for positive action is underlined by these words of Jesus, recorded by Mark at the end of his gospel account:

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Mark 16: 16

All quotations from the Bible are from the New International Version.

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