EVIDENCE ON THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST (Part I)

EVIDENCE ON THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST (Part I)

Even today, some doubters dispute the authenticity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Nevertheless, Jesus predicted both his death and his resurrection.  His disciples were advised well in advance: “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” (Luke 9:22)  But hidden in the pain was divine purpose.  “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)  Mere days before, in a public proclamation to members of the Jewish hierarchy, Jesus declared “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  Jesus was not referring to the Jewish temple (as many bystanders believed), “but he spake of the temple of his body.” (John 2:19-21) 

Dr. Luke, one of twelve disciples of Jesus and author of a two-part biblical treatise on his life and ministry (Luke-Acts), summarized the testimony of numerous eyewitnesses to this pivotal event in human history.

Acts 1:1-4

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

² Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

³ To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

⁴ And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

The Apostle Paul further attested to the resurrection in his letter to the church in Corinth, Greece:

I Corinthians 15:3-8

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

⁵ And that he was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the twelve:

⁶ After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

⁷ After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

⁸ And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Caiaphas and Annas, the chief priests, petitioned Governor Pilate to deploy Roman soldiers to guard the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, in which the body of Jesus was laid. (Matthew 27:62-66)  Not only were these soldier sentinels watching vigilantly, a huge disc of stone (called a “golel” by the Jews) was rolled into place to block the entryway to the tomb.  Apparently, the stone chosen on this occasion was uncharacteristically large.  A 4^th century manuscript (“Codex Bezae” in the Cambridge Library) describes the stone: “When he was laid there [they] put a stone against the tomb…a stone which twenty men could not roll away.”  It must have been a rock that was gargantuan in size and weight.  The Roman soldiers sealed the tomb and set an around-the-clock watch.  The sealing process was performed by first stretching a strong cord across the stone, then fastening the cord to rock on either side with clay, and finally stamping the clay with the imperial seal of Rome.

According to tradition, a trusted Roman centurion named Petronius was given charge of these soldiers.  Such a deployment would be regarded with extreme seriousness by every soldier.  A well known historian, Polybius, wrote about the severity of punishment for failure to faithfully discharge Roman guard duty, particularly at night.  In important cases like this one, deficient performance would be punishable by death.

However…early Sunday morning, The Supreme Heavenly Commander dispatched an angelic delegation from the celestial throne room. “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended…and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”  Matthew describes the awesome appearance of this archangel: “His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.”  The Roman soldier sentinels fell immediately to the ground and “became as dead men.”   (Matthew 28:1-4)  Bottom-line: No grave could hold HIS body down!  Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!