Apologetically Proving the Death & Resurrection of Christ

      Did Christ really die on the cross, and, if he really died on the cross, did He rise from the dead?   Is there any evidence to prove the reality of the cross or the truth of the empty tomb?  Science, history, archaeology, and other areas of study will aid in the investigation.

      The death and resurrection was confirmed through eyewitness accounts.  Viewing the Bible not as the inspired Word of God, which we know it is, but as a historical book, one concludes the validity of the death and resurrection of Jesus through the means of eyewitness accounts.    Matthew and John were present at the crucifixion of Christ.  Luke possibly received his account of the death and resurrection of Christ by Paul, who received his information from Peter, while Mark received his information from Peter.  Even though Jesus informed them many times that He was going to die and rise from the dead, His disciples apparently did not believe Him.  The women went to the tomb with spices to embalm the body (Luke 24:1).  They thought that someone stole Jesus’ body (John 20:2).   The disciples were surprised to find the tomb empty (John 20:3-9).  Thomas needed extra persuasion to believe that Jesus stood before him (John 20:25-29).  Many other people also were eyewitnesses that Christ raised from the dead.

      I Corinthians 15 contain a list of eyewitnesses that saw Jesus after He was raised from the dead.  Peter saw Jesus alive, then the twelve disciples together saw Jesus alive (1 Cor. 15:5); five hundred followers of Christ, most of who were still alive during the time that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, saw Jesus alive after His death (1 Cor. 15:6).  James saw Christ alive and than all the disciples saw Christ alive again (1 Cor. 15:7).  Finally, Paul saw Jesus after He was raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:8).

THE WRONG TOMB THEORY—The theory states that the women who reported the empty tomb went to the wrong tomb.  This is not likely unless the disciples also went to the wrong tomb.

THE SWOON THEORY—This theory states that Christ never really died on the cross, but was merely in a “swoon” state when He was taken down from the cross.  The testimony of the Roman soldiers was enough to prove otherwise (Jn. 19:33-34).  A Roman soldier knew when someone was dead.

THE STOLEN BODY THEORY—This theory states that either the disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea or the Jewish officials stole the body of Jesus in the night.  The disciples conduct, and the Roman garrison guard keeping watch make this impossible.

·    Almost no reputable scholar has taken the view that the disciples took the body for over two hundred years.

·    The expertise of the Roman soldier is that the centurion only has to nail people in the right position, and he knows that they will die.

o This position required the crucified person to push up with their legs just to breathe.  This is why they broke the legs of the malefactors.  They did not break Jesus’ legs because they knew that He was dead.

·    To make sure that Jesus was dead, they pierced Him in the chest and blood and water came out.