Reflections on the resurrection
Why I know that I know
I have to be honest.
There was a time (not all that long ago) when I was afraid to really dive into the evidence surrounding Christ’s resurrection. As I’ve shared before, I spent a lot of time throughout my college years wrestling with doubt, plus the shame and guilt that it often brings along. I was plagued with a fear that I might not like what I found if I started digging too deeply into the core tenets of my faith.
For many years, I hadn’t thought about the resurrection beyond the basic belief that I’d inherited from a lifetime of Vacation Bible School and Veggie Tales.1 To put it simply, I just hadn’t yet considered why that belief was warranted.
I’m glad to say that that’s no longer the case. My belief in the historical Jesus has only solidified since I started studying apologetics, and my belief in the resurrection was set in stone after reading Dr. William Lane Craig’s “The Son Rises” last spring.2 Read on for the info that sealed the deal between my head’s knowledge and my heart’s belief.
What I mean when I say “Jesus rose from the dead”
I want my belief about the historical resurrection to be abundantly clear: Jesus was an actual man. He was beaten and crucified, a horrific act of torture that resulted in his bodily death. Then, on the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead. His body, though still physical, was transformed, and he walked out of the tomb where he had been laid, leaving his grave clothes behind. He then appeared to several individuals and groups of people before his ascension.3
The evidence
The tomb is empty! (Like, for real)
This may sound obvious, but the most compelling evidence for the reality of the resurrection is the historical fact of the empty tomb. If the tomb were not empty, then a lie claiming that Christ had walked out of it would simply have no footing. Skeptics and followers alike would have been able to see the undisturbed stone at the door, or even could have gone so far as to check inside and verify its occupancy status.
In fact, even the earliest opponents of Christianity—that is to say, the very group who sentenced Jesus to death in the first place—didn’t deny that the tomb was empty, but instead claimed that the disciples had stolen the body.4
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Luke 24:5-6
The novelty of resurrection
Another anomaly that points to the reality of the resurrection is the concept itself. Here’s why: The disciples were Jewish men, culturally and religiously. Historically, Jewish people believed in only one type of resurrection, which would happen at the end of time. They simply had no concept of someone being raised in the way that Jesus was.
Why does this matter? It makes it implausible that Jesus’ followers would claim that he had victoriously risen from the dead—they didn’t have the cultural context to come up with such a belief.
Event vs. evidence
Unfortunately, I don’t have the space in this article to discuss other pieces of evidence for the resurrection, including Jesus’ postmortem appearances and the exponential growth of Christianity in the years after. But, that’s because I want to shift, instead, to the soul-deep truth that I have come to know: The truth of the resurrection changes the fabric of reality, regardless of the evidence.
A little dramatic? I don’t think so.
As Craig says, “In considering the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, it is important to avoid giving the impression that the Christian faith is based on the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. The Christian faith is based on the event of the resurrection. It is not based on the evidence for the resurrection. This distinction is crucial. The Christian faith stands or falls on the event of the resurrection. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is a myth, and we may as well forget it.”5
A belief in the event of the resurrection is vital to the Christian faith, no matter what the evidence says. In my experience, reviewing the evidence has allowed my belief in the event to root deeply in my heart, giving me an unshakable confidence that the resurrection is true. Knowing that the resurrection is true changes everything.
Hope for all mankind
I’m not sure what your personal threshold for belief is. Maybe you have an unwavering faith in the reality of the resurrection, with or without evidence. Maybe, like me, you’ve come to a point where you need to dig into your beliefs to appropriate them into your life—moving from an information-based, emotionally informed faith to a fully integrated belief system.
Maybe you don’t have a belief in the resurrection at all.
Regardless of where you find yourself today, it is my genuine prayer that you’ll let the truth of the resurrection, and the gospel at large, change your life.
Without the resurrection, it’s not just Christianity that’s in trouble—you and I are, too.
Without the resurrection, humanity is hopelessly lost, destined to wander alone through a meaningless existence, leaving only destruction in our path.
Without the resurrection, there is only despair.
But, praise God—the tomb is empty.
God didn’t leave us in this pitiful state. He provided a rescue in the atoning, sacrificial death of his son, Jesus. The resurrection was the vindication of Jesus’ claims while on earth and his ultimate victory over the power of death. And we are the beneficiaries.
Because of the resurrection, you can be irrevocably reconciled to God the Father.
Because of the resurrection, you need not fear death.
Because of the resurrection, you may be resurrected as well.
But, because of the resurrection, you cannot simply be neutral toward Christianity. Today, you can have new spiritual life in Christ by accepting his salvation.
If you haven’t yet, I invite you to do so now in prayer. Acknowledge your sinful state and the separation it causes between you and God. Ask God to forgive you of your sin and make you a new creation in Christ. Reach out to a believer you know (my email inbox is open!) and rejoice in the new life you have received. Welcome to the family, and the most exciting journey you’ll ever embark on! We’re so glad you’re here.
One recommendation for you:
There’s nothing quite like a Timothy Keller sermon, and I thought this message on the empty tomb was lovely. I’ve included a link to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts here.
It has to be said: I've learned in the last few months that my husband did NOT grow up on Veggie Tales, and therefore had no knowledge of The Cheeseburger Song, Madame Blueberry, or ANY of the cultural touchpoints that shaped me into the person I am today. It was a heartbreaking discovery, but we're working through it.
While much of this information can be found in several different places, "The Son Rises" is the main source I'll be referring to throughout.
I do this to dispel any notion of the resurrection simply being a “spiritual” or “symbolic” story. While those kinds of stories certainly exist within the biblical texts, it’s irresponsible (and just plain wrong, academically) to treat the gospel narratives as such. The resurrection was a historical event, and we have the historical data to back it up.
Colloquially called "The Conspiracy Theory," this explanation of the empty tomb persists to this day, despite millennia of evidence to the contrary. I'll discuss this more in a later article.
William Lane Craig, “The Son Rises,” p. 8