THE RESURRECTION stood as the foundation. The Lord has risen indeed

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1 God or Spirit, because it came by the Holy Spirit and is itself therefore quickening, or able to make alive that which was dead (Jno. 6:63; Eph. 6:17; 2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Jno. 5:7, RV). Though we are not now assisted by the direct, personal ministry of apostles like Paul, we are still commended, as the Ephesian elders were, to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build [us] up, and to give [us] an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32). The lively oracles of God are in no sense a dead letter. God s Word still has its ancient power. That power derives from its Divine origin; but its continuing effects can still be seen in the lives of men and women today. The knowledge and conviction of the great and precious promises relayed in the Word of God bring a higher purpose into man s otherwise aimless existence. In such a troubled world as ours the Bible opens up some of the otherwise disturbing mysteries of life and death. No personal problem is without its solution in the Word of God; and, beyond all the concerns of human life, the Bible holds out the reassurance of that most certain antidote for all the world s greatest ills: the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of his worldwide Kingdom (Acts 1:11; 3:20,21). Towards the end of his long prayer for his disciples in the Upper Room, Jesus prayed specifically for those who would later come to believe in him through the words of his disciples (Jno. 17:20). The Bible is God s answer to that prayer. The Lord has risen indeed Edward Carr The preaching of the gospel of Christ and the truth of the New Testament record rests on the foundation doctrine that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. This article reviews the evidence for the resurrection both as a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and as an historical reality, in the face of many competing theories invented to deny the facts. THE RESURRECTION stood as the foundation of the faith of the early disciples, and still stands as the foundation of ours. Ours is a faith in a God Who is willing and able to redeem us from the power of the grave. In it God s righteousness is revealed. A sinless man could not and would not be held by the grave. In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19*), and the guarantee of His intentions to offer a way of salvation is to be found in the resurrection. Without it our faith is void, empty, has no substance, is worthless, and means nothing:... if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:14,17). It is, therefore, always a worthwhile exercise rehearsing the truth of the resurrection and the reasons for the power of the resurrection in the lives of men and women. The first witness to the resurrection is the words of Scripture themselves, the things spoken by the prophets concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul points out: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures... he was buried... he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (vv. 3,4). That both the Lord s death and resurrection are witnessed to by the Old Testament is no great surprise, but it provides powerful witness to the veracity and internal consistency of the Scriptures. In accordance with the Scriptures The Old Testament bears witness to and prophesies of the resurrection. Jesus had encouraged the two on the road to Emmaus to look again at their Scriptures and see in them things concerning himself. The words O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (Lk. 24:25) would undoubtedly have spurred the disciples on to revisit familiar scriptures and see in them fulfilment in Jesus. The early preaching of the apostles in Acts contains what might be considered to be some early proof texts about the resurrection. The * Scripture quotations in this article are from the ESV. The Testimony, June/July

2 resurrection provided for them the key to understanding the full implication of all the prophecies concerning Jesus; Jesus was now made both Lord and Christ. The fact that the apostles use the Old Testament Scriptures points first to the attitude they had to their own Bible, that is, that the Scriptures were indeed prophetic; secondly, and more specifically, it points to their belief that the resurrection and the consequences that flowed from it were prophesied; thirdly, and more generally, it points to the accuracy of the New Testament fulfilment in relation to the Old. The most notable and familiar of these proof texts is perhaps Psalm 16, which is used by both Peter (using verses 8-11 of the psalm) and Paul (using only verse 10): You will not... let your Holy One see corruption (Acts 2:27; 13:35). Psalm 118:22 is also used: This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone (4:11). Both these passages are examples of the powerful use of type, in either the lives of individuals such as David or familiar parts of Jewish life such as the temple. In every part of God s interaction with the children of Israel His work of salvation, which would be fulfilled in Christ, could now be seen presumably with huge excitement for all who could now discover the types. Those used in the Old Testament of the work of God in Christ must have burst upon them like waters from a dam: Did not our hearts burn within us... while he opened to us the Scriptures? (Lk. 24:32) and that was just the start. An interesting alternative choice of proof text highlights the fact that the resurrection, although specifically prophesied, is really just the springboard for understanding the implications of many other passages: And as for the fact that He raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David (Acts 13:34, quoting Isa. 55:3). This is not just the fact of the resurrection but also the prophetically anticipated longer-term effect. The apostles were interested in a holistic view of belief in a God Who had raised up His Son to bring about salvation. The resurrection did not stand alone, but was a guarantee of things yet future. This must have engaged their minds more, and with more excitement, than just the one-off fact of the resurrection itself. If Jesus is now a risen 132 Lord and Christ then he is blessed with a part in the everlasting covenant of Isaiah 55:3. Here was not just the fact of the resurrection but its eternal impact foreseen and foreknown. The power of the Scriptures to change the world was being appreciated and preached by the apostles from the very earliest days, and the resurrection was key to understanding a God Who had worked and was working, so that people might know what is the immeasurable greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised him from the dead (Eph. 1:19,20). The words of Jesus The truth of the words of the Old Testament receives a boost from the Lord himself. It is perhaps easy to overlook the fact that Jesus prophesied his own death and resurrection. He is a prophet in whom, by the tests of Deuteronomy 18, confidence can be placed. Jesus, too, prophesied both the fact as well as the impact of the resurrection. Jesus had spoken openly and publicly about his death and resurrection, first, as recorded by John, very early in his ministry; a Divinely appended comment clarifies his intended meaning: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up... he was speaking about the temple of his body (Jno. 2:19,21). These words appear to have incensed the ruling classes (who clearly misunderstood them), and had made such a deep impression that they had been remembered and were misquoted three years later: This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days (Mt. 26:61). Secondly, the Lord used the enacted parable of Jonah. He gave the sign of the prophet Jonah to indicate his forthcoming death and resurrection, by which he himself would be a sign to this generation : For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (12:38-42; cf. Lk. 11:29,30). These statements were a matter of common record, known and acknowledged even by the enemies of Jesus. It is telling that the chief priests and Pharisees not only knew of the words spoken by Jesus in relation to his own resurrection but were worried enough by them to seek a guard from Pilate on his tomb (Mt. 27:62-64). This open acknowledgement by them is a sure proof of the The Testimony, June/July 2010

3 truth that Jesus actually spoke the words, however they chose to (mis)understand them. Aside from this public witness to his own forthcoming death and resurrection, Jesus had spoken privately, and again prophetically, about it to his disciples on a number of occasions: Jesus speaks to the disciples about his death and resurrection Matthew Mark Luke 1st time 16: : :21,22 2nd time 17:22,23 9: :43-45* 3rd time 20: : :31-34 * only speaks about his death Note: Jesus also mentions his resurrection during the transfiguration (Mk. 9:9) In terms of the evidence, then, the Lord bore witness to his own death and resurrection, which the record then bears out in detailed fulfilment. The historical evidence Alongside the witness of the prophetic word there is what might be considered to be the historical evidence. This is naturally taken from the account presented in the New Testament but consists of elements that do not presuppose any belief in the Bible as anything other than a historical document. These are issues with which any sceptic or historian (sceptic or otherwise) must deal. The empty tomb The discovery of the empty tomb by the women is perhaps the best-known and most commonly used evidence of the resurrection. A number of Who Moved the Stone? Objections to the empty tomb: 1 Joseph of Arimathea secretly removed the body to a more suitable resting place 2 The body was removed by order of the Roman power 3 The body was removed by the Jewish authorities to prevent the possible veneration of the tomb 4 Jesus life was not really extinct, and he recovered in the cool of the grave 5 The women mistook the grave in the uncertain light 6 The grave was not visited at all and the story about the women was a later accretion objections to this as evidence have been raised, or alternative suggestions proposed. Frank Morison in his book Who Moved the Stone? details six independent lines of critical approach to this matter of the empty tomb (see panel below). Briefly put, they consist of suggestions that the body was removed: but if by Joseph of Arimathea, then there was both astonishing duplicity on the part of Joseph and such complete blindness to the removal of the body by anyone else that credulity is stretched if by the authorities, then it suggests an unbelievable level of incompetence on their part that they were unable to put an end to the teaching of the apostles by simply producing the body that Jesus did not in fact die at all this proposal again stretches credulity to its limit, not to mention medical evidence to the contrary that the women made a mistake it ought to have been relatively easy to dismiss the evidence of women in the first century, yet their story remains intact. The suggestion that the women were pointed to the wrong tomb by the gardener would again have provided a simple solution to the mystery: produce the gardener that the story of the resurrection was made up later to support the early church s position this, as Frank Morison points out, is actually the only really logical alternative to the Gospel thesis. In essence the evidence of the empty tomb leaves us in one of two positions: we either believe the claim of the Gospels story that Jesus rose or we dismiss it as fantastical later addition and, essentially, wishful thinking on the part of his followers. The appearances of Jesus Evidence of the risen Lord, however, came not only from the lack of a body (and therefore only by inference) but also by tangible appearances, which many could and were willing to corroborate. The appearances of Jesus can be helpfully tabulated to show that this was not some combined delusional state but something that many could witness to independently (see table overleaf). Paul s list of those to whom the Lord had appeared is a particularly helpful summary of the body of eyewitnesses who helped to establish the fact of a resurrected Lord: The Testimony, June/July

4 The resurrected Jesus appeared to [Jesus] appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all... he appeared also to me (1 Cor. 15:5-8). Because of its familiarity it can, perhaps, be easy to forget how powerful a witness this list presents. The existence of the early church In spite of the disaster that befell the disciples with the death of Jesus, the early organisation of the believers in itself bears witness to the truth of the resurrection. Without the reality of the resurrection as a rallying point some other reason for the initial surge in and lasting nature of the support for Jesus must be sought. Some have attempted to suggest that the very real gap in the life of the disciples caused by the death of Jesus had induced an emotional need to keep the memory of their master alive, and that the resurrection story was the means by which they achieved it. This overlooks the fact that neither the words of Jesus nor the prophecies of the Old Testament had led the disciples into any expectation that events would transpire in the way they did. None of them appears to have expected the death of the one they considered to be the Christ, let alone his resurrection. The disciples had been greatly distressed (Mt. 17:23) by Jesus speaking about his death and resurrection. After the transfiguration they were questioning what this rising from the dead might mean (Mk. 9:10). They understood none of these things, and we are specifically told that This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said (Lk. 18:34). 134 Reference Mary Magdalene Jno. 20:11-18 The women Mt. 28:8-10 Two on the road Lk. 24:13-35 Peter Lk. 24:34 The disciples Lk. 24:36-49; Jno. 20:19-23 The disciples including Thomas Jno. 20:24-29 The disciples by the lake Jno. 21 Paul Acts 9, 22, 26 Cephas; the twelve ; five hundred at once; James; Paul As the events unfold their surprise is palpable and their fear of a future unknown is tangible. They all left him and fled from the garden after the arrest party came (Mk. 14:50). They were meeting in rooms with the doors locked for fear of the Jews (Jno. 20:19). All these actions are inconsistent with a group of men who expected a triumphant victory over death. Thus any argument to say that the disciples were borne along by their own expectations falls as a historical hypothesis; the reality of the resurrection as prophesied remains the only credible alternative for a group emboldened to preach. 1 Cor. 15:5-8 (see below) The impact of the resurrection in changed lives The change in the life of the individuals connected with Jesus remains, for many today, perhaps the most powerful and instructive witness to the fact of the resurrection, a change that is caused by knowing that The Lord has risen indeed (Lk. 24:34). The power of this knowledge can be assessed in very human terms. We can see the impact it had on the life of Simon as the most prominent example of someone transformed in his emphasis in life by the reality of the resurrection. The one who wept at his own denial of the Lord he professed (22:61,62) had had his sorrow turned into the joy. This was the joy prophesied by the Lord in the upper room: Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy (Jno. 16:20). What a transformation! The resurrection changed everything. A crucified teacher was now a resurrected Lord. A master shamed by the curse of the Law was now glorified by the power of God. The resurrection changed everything for Simon Peter, and his personal witness is an example to all. The power of the gospel is in the fact of the resurrection, and everything in New Testament teaching is based upon this foundation. The outworking of this truth, motivating them to work for a Master who was risen indeed, the change in the lives of the disciples, is the final, and most personal, great abiding witness The Testimony, June/July 2010

5 to the veracity of the resurrection of Jesus that the Scriptures record for us. Men, like Peter, who had been afraid became bold (Acts 4:13,29,31) to preach an unpalatable message (2:14-40; 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 5:29-32; these speeches are worth reading solely in the light of the change that had occurred in Peter). Men who were full of sorrow became full of joy in the knowledge that their Lord was alive. Men who were loaded down by sin became free by acknowledging that a life of serving, as their Lord had served, was a life worth living, even if they suffered for it (5:40,41). This is a pattern for us. This is still a message which should change us as individuals, based as it is on the resounding clarity and truthfulness of the Scriptures. This witness of the motivation of the men of Galilee in spreading a perilous new thing which endangered their lives lends weight to the truthfulness of their utter belief that these things had indeed happened. And the impact of the resurrection on the lives of individuals did not stop at Jesus immediate disciples. Those hardened against the very thought of Jesus as Christ were transformed. There is the change in James the brother of Jesus, who during Jesus lifetime had considered him to be beside himself. Also there is the life of Saul the Pharisee, the resolute enemy of the faith, who is transformed into Paul the apostle of the Gentiles and unswerving advocate of the resurrected Lord. The evidence in both the Old and New Testaments of the resurrection is substantial. It defines the hope of the gospel and stands as the motivation of all that the early church did. Its prominent place in the teaching of the Gospels and Epistles stands as eternal witness to the truth of both the event as a fact and, more importantly, the eternal impact it can have and should have on us as individuals: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Col. 3:1-4). The Testimony, June/July