Everything about Christianity revolves around the resurrection of Jesus. Paul made it abundantly clear that if Christ is not raised from the dead then we are still in our sins, and we are to be most pitied among men (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). If there is no resurrection from the dead, if Jesus did not die and rise again, then we are wasting our time. Since everything hinges on the resurrection, can you be sure that Jesus rose from the dead? We were not there to see it, and our observations tell us that dead men stay dead. Would you believe me if I told you my grandfather was raised from the dead? What if I told you I saw him with my own eyes? Therefore, why believe the biblical account?
Four facts of history need to be addressed. (1) Jesus lived in first century Palestine. (2) He was crucified by the Romans. (3) His tomb was found empty. (4) His disciples claimed He was raised from the dead. The fact of the matter is that no explanation fits the facts better than resurrection.
First of all, there is absolutely no reason to doubt the New Testament documents in terms of authenticity and accuracy. Second, if Jesus was not raised, then what happened to His body? A guard was placed there to prevent theft (Matthew 27:62-66). Some believe he fainted, but the Romans (1) were professional executioners and (2) ensured Jesus was dead when they stabbed him (John 19:31-37).
Some believe the tomb was empty because it was the wrong tomb. It has been over ten years since my dad’s parents were buried, and I know right where to find them; did they really forget over three days? There are probably a half dozen other possible explanations of what happened to His body, but the only one that works is resurrection. The fact of the matter is that “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible to be held in its power” (Acts 2:24).
