“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”[1] These words from the Apostle Paul showcase the very heart of Christianity. The fact is simple: Christianity depends on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many books have been written on the evidence for this event,[2] and while it would be interesting to dive into all those details here, that is not the purpose of this post.

For now, we’ll simply examine one fact surrounding the resurrection. This one tid-bit is a great place to start because it’s easy to understand and to discuss in conversation with unbelievers. What is this mighty morsel? It’s this: Jesus’ disciples had an experience that caused them to believe he had resurrected from dead.

Now, let’s clarify up front that believing something doesn’t make it true. On the other hand, if someone is going to critically think about this event, there must be some justification as to why the disciples came to believe this and were willing to die for it. The concept of a resurrected Messiah was not something taught in the Jewish framework of belief.[3] They had no anticipation or expectation of this event. If Jesus was not resurrected, where did this account come from?

So, what’s the best explanation for this shockingly supernatural supposition? Let’s begin by first examining the popular alternative theories to the resurrection:

The Disciples Stole the Body and then Lied
A common objection to the resurrection is that the disciples stole the body and then lied to convince everyone that Jesus had risen. Here are the difficulties with this theory. First, if the disciples were going to promote a conspiracy, they never would have chosen women to be the first observers of the event.[4] Women, did not command the same reliability as witnesses in that culture, so it’s unlikely that the disciples, if planning a story, would have selected women, over men, to be the primary witnesses. Additionally, to say that the disciples stole Jesus’ body doesn’t explain why they would later knowingly die for their lie. They had nothing to gain from it, and many suffered brutal deaths because of it. As the originators of the teaching regarding Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were in the unique position of knowing whether they themselves were lying or telling truth about what they claimed.[5] If they all knew it was a lie, how likely is it that all of them would be willing to die for such a costly conspiracy? Another final question should also be asked of this objection: Is it likely that the disciples could have, without any fallout, successfully stolen the body from two well trained Roman Soldiers? It seems unlikely.

The Disciples Hallucinated
It is sometimes asserted that the disciples, grief stricken and distraught, were overcome with hallucinations or visions that they interpreted as a risen Jesus.[6] While this may superficially appease the individual who does not believe that a resurrection is possible, the theory itself begins to crumble when it is placed on the examination table. First, this scenario wouldn’t explain the conversion of the Apostle Paul since he was not in grief over the death of Jesus. He was at best unsympathetic and at worst diligently antagonistic towards this belief before he converted. Furthermore, to believe this theory, as it applies to the other disciples, you’d have to accept that multiple people, at multiple times, are having the same hallucination. Seriously, men and women of different ages and backgrounds in different locations are all sharing the exact same psychotic experience. Is this probable? Psychologists say no.[7] As such, no thinking person should be content with this answer.

The Swoon Theory
This objection proposes that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, he passed out instead, and was placed in the tomb still alive. After reviving from his injuries, he emerged from the tomb and convinced everyone that he had resurrected. The main challenge to this theory is that the Romans were really good at executing people. Additionally, Jesus was speared in front of witnesses, he was embalmed with spices and both Jesus’ friends and enemies believed he was dead. Even if, for the sake of argument, we grant that Jesus was placed in the tomb alive, given the state of his injuries it seems unreasonable to believe that he could have survived without medical care and then rolled the stone away from the tomb and frightened the guards away.

The Disciples Went to the Wrong Tomb:
This objection will occasionally be raised, so it should be briefly addressed. If the disciples had gone to the wrong tomb, thus making the assumption that Jesus had risen from the dead, both the Jewish and Roman officials would have happily and easily corrected them. All it would have taken was going to the correct tomb and producing the still dead body of Jesus. How would so many people be convinced of a resurrection if this is what had happened?

All of these resurrection alternatives have serious flaws and gaps in reasoning  which bring us back to the original explanation of the events. Jesus did die and was resurrected three days later. Simply put, the reason the disciples believed in the resurrection is because they saw the resurrected Jesus. Still, for many, this is the most impossible explanation of them all! But why? Let’s examine that impossibility for a moment. I will grant, that from a naturalistic perspective, it is impossible that a human being comes back to life after being dead for three days.Those who’ve accepted an atheistic materialism cannot believe in such a miraculous event. With a worldview that disallows the existence of anything immaterial, the supposed resurrection of Jesus would require a purely physical explanation, thus the alternative theories above. What if, though, this presupposition is wrong? What if the natural isn’t all there is and there are immaterial aspects to our existence? What if, there is a supernatural being? If there is a God, then a miraculous event like the resurrection is no longer even a little improbable.[8] A supernatural being could obviously perform supernatural actions. If, though, this supernatural being does exist, it has direct impact on who you are and how you live your life. So, is there good reason to accept an immaterial aspect of our universe? Check out one my previous blogs for more thoughts on that topic.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

[1] 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NIV)

[2] The Historical Jesus by Gary Habermas and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel are two excellent sources to begin with.

[3] The Resurrection of the Son of God by NT Wright

[4] William Lane Craig, reasonablefaith.com

[5] J. Warner Wallace, coldcasechristianity.com

[6] Gerd Lüdemann, Jack Kent and Bart Ehrman all advocate some version of this idea.

[7] Lee Strobel examines this particular aspect in detail in his book, The Case for Christ.

[8] Licona, Resurrection of Jesus and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist and crossexamined.org