The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the bedrock of the Christian faith, embodying profound hope for eternal life and the promise of our own resurrection. It serves as a testament, assuring our salvation from sin and validating the extraordinary claims made by Jesus during his earthly ministry. In recent weeks, authors of the Compass have diligently examined various arguments levied against the literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Through this exploration, we have effectively demonstrated the insubstantiality of theories based on hallucination, myth, conspiracy, and swooning. Despite the doubts skeptics and critics have cast throughout the centuries, this article aims to delve into the compelling case in support of Jesus’ resurrection. We will look at three aspects of the resurrection narrative that give evidence to the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus. 

The Witnesses’ Testimony of the Empty Tomb 

Although irrefutable scientific proof of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday remains elusive, compelling evidence strongly suggests its vacancy rather than occupancy.  In his book, The Resurrection of the Son of God, Bishop N.T. Wright highlights that the Gospel accounts present multiple witnesses and corroborating details, attesting to the historical reliability of the resurrection. As he has written: 

“That Jesus of Nazareth was bodily raised from the dead was held by virtually all the early Christians for whom we have evidence. It was at the centre of their characteristic praxis, narrative, symbol, and belief; it was the basis of their recognition of Jesus as Messiah and lord, their insistence that the creator god had inaugurated the long-awaited new age, and above all, their hope for their own future bodily resurrection” (The Resurrection of the Son of God, p. 685).

According to Wright’s analysis, the sheer number of early Christians who professed to witness the empty tomb or encounter the resurrected Jesus mere days after his crucifixion would have been unsustainable if it lacked a foundation in truth. In his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:3-8), Paul enumerates a roster of individuals who bore witness to the risen Jesus, including the Apostle Peter, James, the brother of Jesus, and, intriguingly, a gathering of over 500 people concurrently. This passage serves as evidence that the belief in Jesus’ resurrection emerged at an exceptionally early stage in Christian history, dispelling any notion of it being a myth concocted later within the Church. 

The Transformation of the Disciples after the Resurrection

Another compelling argument in favor of the literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead lies in the profound transformation his disciples experienced following Easter morning. In his work “Resurrection,” Renowned Anglican scholar Alister McGrath highlights this radical transformation as a piece of crucial evidence supporting the resurrection. It is worth noting the insightful words of Chuck Colson on this matter:

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Everyone was beaten, tortured, stoned, and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

The portrayal of the disciples in the Gospels reveals a striking contrast between their initial state of fear and disillusionment following Jesus’ crucifixion and the extraordinary transformation that ensued. It is particularly noteworthy to consider the remarkable turnaround of Peter, who had infamously denied any association with him on the night of Jesus’ arrest. However, a profound change occurred within Peter, transforming him into a fearless and zealous evangelist. The question arises: What could have brought about such a drastic shift? In his analysis, McGrath contends that Peter’s personal encounter with the risen Christ is the most plausible explanation for this transformation. The unwavering conviction displayed by the disciples and their subsequent fervent proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection serves as compelling evidence for the reality of this event. Their willingness to endure persecution and even face martyrdom for their beliefs strongly suggests that they had firsthand experiences of encountering the risen Christ. This steadfast conviction further bolsters the case for the authenticity of the empty tomb, as their testimonies align with their encounters with the resurrected Jesus.

The Roman Seal and Guards

According to biblical accounts, Jesus was crucified and laid to rest in a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Following the burial, the Gospel of Matthew recounts an incident involving the chief priests and Pharisees:

“The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard” (Matthew 27.62-66).

These verses hold significant implications and shed light on the events that transpired. It is worth noting that the sealing of the tomb occurred on Saturday, not Friday. This seal would have been an official mark of Roman authority, typically affixed to a cord or clay seal attached to the stone. Tampering with or breaking the seal constituted a severe offense under Roman law, often resulting in execution. If the resurrection were fraudulent and the disciples had stolen the body, they would have taken considerable risks. Nevertheless, for the sake of argument, even if they had proceeded with such a plan, they would have encountered another formidable obstacle: the presence of armed guards. As N.T. Wright aptly points out, “Roman soldiers, by and large, were quite skilled at killing people” (The Resurrection of the Son of God, pg. 709).

If the Roman and Jewish leaders aimed to discredit the claims of Jesus’ resurrection, they could have easily done so by presenting the body, providing evidence that the disciples had overcome the elite Roman soldiers, or demonstrating that the disciples had stolen the body before the tomb was sealed on Saturday. However, historical evidence does not suggest any concerted effort by the authorities to produce Jesus’ body.  Early Church Father, John Chrysostom, rightly points out in one of his homilies:

“Since the sepulcher was sealed, there could be no funny business. So then the proof of his resurrection has become incontrovertible by what they themselves have put forward. For because the tomb was sealed, there was no deceitfulness at work. But if there was no sleight of hand and the sepulcher was found empty, it is clear that he has risen, plainly and incontrovertibly. Do you see how even against their will his enemies contend for the proof of the truth?” (John Chrysostom, Homily 89.1).

In light of these circumstances and the absence of concerted efforts to refute the resurrection claims, the combination of the sealed tomb, the risk involved in tampering with the Roman seal, and the presence of armed guards present a compelling argument for the reliability of Jesus’ resurrection.

In conclusion, the resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the cornerstone of the Christian faith, offering hope for eternal life and validating his remarkable claims. The compelling evidence surrounding the resurrection includes the testimony of witnesses regarding the empty tomb, the transformative experiences of the disciples, and the presence of the Roman seal and guards. The multiple witnesses and corroborating details in the Gospel accounts attest to the historical reliability of the resurrection. The disciples’ profound transformation, unwavering conviction, and willingness to endure persecution and martyrdom provide further evidence for the reality of the risen Christ. Moreover, the sealed tomb, the risk involved in tampering with the Roman seal, and the presence of armed guards present a formidable challenge to any notion of fraud or theft of the body. Collectively, these lines of evidence construct a compelling case for the veracity of Jesus’ resurrection, reinforcing the foundational truth upon which our Christian faith rests.

Fr. Chase

Stop me if you have heard this one. A school kid needs to take a test. Just before it’s time to leave, the child proclaims they are sick. They don’t feel good, stomach hurts, headache. Suddenly a thermometer is produced with a reading that would send a human being to the hospital, stat! But then it is explained that today is Pizza Day for lunch, there is a book fair, and the kiddo has $20 to spend, their friend’s mother is bringing in cupcakes, and the whole class is getting an extra-long exercise hour. This is all happening today, “and you will miss it if you can’t be there.” Suddenly, the kiddo is healed of all maladies, and they are ready to face the day, test or not. The younger sibling comes up and says in the ear of the “healed” kiddo, “Faker!” 

Starting in the 18th century, skeptics like this younger sibling launched a scholarly effort to reconstruct an “authentic” as opposed to a “theological” picture of the life and ministry of Jesus. This Historical Jesus “movement” was a product of Enlightenment skepticism that intended to present a “historically accurate” Jesus that was to stand over against established, orthodox Christology. In some cases, historical facts were separated from supernatural events, looking for “natural explanations” of miracles and wonders. Even Thomas Jefferson pieced together a version of the New Testament “shorn of any sign of the miraculous or supernatural in order to leave just the life and teachings of Jesus behind.” 

The resurrection was one of those difficult, supernatural events. How could a dead man being raised to life again have happened “naturally?” If you have been reading past Compass articles, you have read three accounts that have been used to explain the unexplainable. Yet one more way to explain the resurrection of Jesus Christ was that he didn’t really die on the cross at all. Perhaps, advocates of this view suppose, he just passed out or he swooned. When Jesus “gave up the ghost,” crying out, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit,” he merely fell unconscious. 

Jesus had suffered beatings at the hands of the Sanhedrin guards, and a vicious Roman flogging. Then he carried his cross about 400 yards (1/4 mile) to the place where Simon of Cyrene takes it from his exhausted hands. What person could survive this? After all this, having been crucified, without flinching, he suffers the pierce of a Roman Pilum releasing blood and water and is taken down from the cross. If Jesus survived, this was indeed a miracle. 

Ignore the blood and water at the piercing of his side, a sign of mortality, and consider that after his torture, he supposedly had the strength to roll away that stone from the tomb. 

If all this was a lie—if Jesus simply swooned upon the cross and never died to begin with—C.S. Lewis is correct: Jesus Christ is the most diabolical person in history. Given the evidence amassed above, the so-called Swoon Theory would have required just as much supernatural intervention as his resurrection did. Needless to say, Jesus wasn’t faking it. He was not unconscious, he was dead. 

It is unlikely that anyone reading this here thinks that Jesus just passed out and escaped. Nonetheless, there are those with whom we will share the faith who may have heard this lie. The spirit of skepticism is very much alive, and lots of folks want to fit Jesus into the smallness of their imagination. The events of Easter are daunting, frightening, and amazing. No one gets out without dealing with the love that raised Jesus—not from unconsciousness, not from a swoon, but from death to life. Jesus is not faking it. He is alive!