Connecting Point: Resurrection Hoax?

Over the centuries those who are skeptical of Jesus Christ, and

specifically his resurrection from the dead, suggest that his

followers perpetrated a major hoax. For the Christian we understand that Christ’s resurrection is a hinging factor for all we believe; because if Jesus did not rise from the dead, our hope is unfounded.

What’s a person to do? I would suggest like other biblical apologists that we look at the evidence and examine the case like a crime scene. First, looking at Christ’s direct teachings, we discover that in Mark 8:31 Jesus says “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Even his disciples had a difficulty

understanding. However, following his resurrection, Jesus appeared too many believers, including some of the 1st century apostles,

(1 Corinthians 15:4-8). So, Jesus foretold this event would take place.

Second, the testimony of the 1 st century Christians has stood the test of time. Women, including Mary Magdalene, were eyewitnesses the day after the crucifixion of Christ’s body not being in the tomb. In that era women were unaccepted as witnesses. But, the apostles accepted the energy and the first-hand testimony of Mary Magdalene as amazing news. If you were going to make a story up in that time period, you wouldn’t use the eyewitness account of women, especially Mary whose reputation was suspect. Wouldn’t it be best, to fabricate the resurrection of Jesus story with more prominent men? I appreciate that God choose to incorporate everyday people, including women.

Third, the Jewish authorities were very concerned about news about the resurrection of Jesus so they paid off some of the Roman soldiers. “While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So, the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day,” Matthew 28:12-13.

Sometime before 165 A.D. Justin Martyr, whose entire folio of work is accepted as a foundation for numerous cultural insights, reinforces the resurrection account of 1 Corinthians 15:50. In addition, Tertullian, who has been called the father of Latin Christianity and who was a prolific writer, reported of these events. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillas, a Roman historian, refers to Christ’s crucifixion as well.

Roman authorities took considerable pride in killing their opposition. Some skeptics suggest that Jesus never died and passed out while on the cross. But that possibility does not match with brutal historical

accounts of Roman flogging and crucifixion. Flogging alone killed many people.

If Jesus did not rise from the dead all of Christianity is lost. On the other hand, if Jesus rose from the dead as he said he would, we have hope for the resurrection of our bodies after death (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Our life here is temporary, but, considering eternity, we understand that Jesus is the Savior of the world!