The foundation of the Christian faith and the Church’s existence is Christ. His life, His death, and most importantly His resurrection are the core of the Church’s being. To the man who wants to discredit and destroy Christianity and the Church, Christ Himself would be the obvious target. Though some people have tried to argue that Christ did not exist, such arguments are easy to refute. The existence of the New Testament, as well as historical accounts from Josephus Flavius and other historians of the day, prove that without a doubt Christ was a real man. Most skeptics and opponents of the Church have instead turned their attention to debating the validity of Christ’s resurrection, the catalyst of salvation.
There are various arguments against the resurrection of Jesus. Some say that the women went to the wrong tomb, though this is highly unlikely as they saw Jesus be placed in the tomb (Matthew 27:57-61). Others say Jesus did not actually die. This argument is very weak, as Jesus was confirmed dead by a professional executioner, blood and water gushed from his side unmixed which is a known medical sign of death, and Jesus would not have been able to escape from the tomb let alone live inside of it for three days. Others say it was an illusion caused by the severe stress the women were under, though that does not explain His physical appearance to over five-hundred other people.
The most common argument against the resurrection was used within days of the event, that is the theory the disciples stole Jesus’ body. The pharisees paid the Roman soldiers who were guarding the tomb to say that the disciples came and stole the body as they slept, and this story is repeated to debate the resurrection even today (Matthew 28:11-15). To skeptics, atheists, and opponents of Christianity, this story seems very reasonable. A group of men whom had followed this teacher sought glory by way of falsely resurrecting their master. It was, to skeptics, a lie formulated by proud men for the sake of being right.
Yet, the disciples are actually the greatest evidence for the resurrection. These men were very much cowards. When the Sanhedrin arrested Jesus, the disciples quickly fled. They then watched the crucifixion proceedings from a distance. When Peter was confronted by those who recognized him as a disciple of Christ, he denied it adamantly, swearing even on his own life (Matthew 26-69-75). When the crucifixion had been completed, the disciples hid together in a locked room in abject terror of the Jews and the religious leaders (John 20:19). These terrified men had witnessed the death of their leader at the betrayal of one of their own. The last thought in the mind of the disciples was Jesus’ promise of resurrection, especially since they had not even understood what He had meant (Luke 18:34). To preach a resurrection that had not happened would have been absurd, as they would have subjected themselves to extreme persecution for the sake of a lie in which they gained nothing. The establishment of the Church did not bring the disciples riches, power, or security, the usual motives for a lie. Instead, it brought them poverty, servanthood, and martyrdom. To even begin preaching a false resurrection would require stealing Christ’s body. This would have involved confrontation with Roman soldiers who were posted to vigilantly guard the tomb. These soldiers would not be asleep at night, either, as the loss of the body would have meant certain execution for them.
How did this band of eleven different men, paralyzed by terror, become courageous proclaimers to the resurrection of the most controversial figure in history? It is simple, they saw the resurrected Christ. The Son of God, in His majesty and glory, replaced the fear which gripped the hearts of the disciples with freedom from the power of man and sin, and courage to speak the truth. Christ did not appear to a few or even a dozen people, but over five hundred. Witness accounts prove that Jesus did rise from the grave, and the courage of the disciples to proclaim this until their dying breath is undebatable evidence of the resurrection. Even the historian, Josephus Flavius, was convinced, “for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him;”
The truth of Jesus’ existence is undebatable. His death on the cross is proven by medical science. His resurrection is proven by over five-hundred witnesses, historical documents, and the Scriptures written by witnesses. You must either believe that Christ is God, and He has defeated death, or you must believe that a band of eleven cowardly men eagerly suffered brutal deaths for the sake of a profitless lie.
Source for Josephus Flavius: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/josephusjesus.html
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