Did it really happen?

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With Easter approaching, and an abundance of films about Jesus and Christianity on television, and many other religious headlines and memes going around, I’ve had the opportunity to read quite a few social media comments – good and bad – about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. But the ones that really stick out to me are those who say – with confidence – that it did not happen. If someone is not quite sure about the resurrection story, I can understand that, but to know confidentally, without investigation, and without proof, that it simply did not happen, seems a little foolish, and unwise. The story of Jesus is one of the most known and re-told stories over the last two centuries. It would be equivalent to the “story of the century” when it happened back then. And for anyone who loves an investigative story or a captivating headline, this is one that is worth investigating thoroughly, just to be sure.  Because if one is so sure it did not happen, then there must be evidence of that as well.

The biggest claim from the skeptical comments I read is that it just isn’t logical. Being a very logically-minded person myself, I have to disagree with that statement. Most people have just not taken the time to look at the logic in detail. Professor Richard Swinburne of Oxford University is a scholar known especially for his aptitude in evaluating evidence. He writes in a book published by Oxford University Press that, based on the available historical evidence today, it is 97% likely that Jesus miraculously rose from the dead. (Taken from Ravi Zacharias’ book, “Jesus Among Secular Gods”). Even if you factor in an extra chance of error, those are still very good odds.  So let’s look at some of the logic of the resurrection.

Disclaimer
God cannot be 100% proven or disproven. Neither side (atheist or faith-based) can state 100% proof, so the atheistic argument that God cannot be proven is not a good one. God cannot be completely disproven either. There is evidence that suggests a creator, and other miraculous events have happened in life that science cannot explain. Much circumstantial evidence points heavily toward God as well, and cases have been won on circumstantial evidence before.

Establish a baseline
If you believe in God and that He created the universe and mankind, then anything else can be possible. Therefore it cannot be ruled out that Jesus was resurrected. It doesn’t matter if one believes creation took 6 days or happened over 6 billion years. If you believe it came from God, that there is a Higher Being, then anything else becomes a possibility. Given this much to be true, then the real skeptical question becomes, “Who is God and how much does He interact in our daily lives?” That is a completely separate philosophical question to be explored later, but it does not abolish the belief in God and the possibility of God’s actions. Yet, if you do not believe in any Higher Being or these basic statements about the creation of life, then there is no need to discuss Jesus’ resurrection. Your issue is not with the evidence of the resurrection, but with the idea of God itself. That also is a separate discussion.

The possibility of God’s actions
Assuming one does believe in the baseline of God or a Higher Being, and that God created the universe and mankind, and therefore anything else could be a possibility, then this becomes the measure for determining the rest of the stories in the Bible. A God that creates the universe and mankind can certainly create a virgin to give birth to Jesus, and a God that creates life in the beginning can certainly bring someone back to life. None of this is out of line with God’s possibility. Even the unexplainable things we sometimes observe in our own lives today lean toward this possibility rather than contradict it.

Two Hypothesis
Many well-meaning people believe in God and even in Jesus, but just not the actual resurrection. Even though we’ve established the possibility of God and that this is in line with what God could do, some people need more proof. I get that. So let’s look now at some of the evidence. There are only two realistic hypothesis to examine: either the disciples made up the story, or it is true. The story could not have evolved later as folklore because those who wrote the New Testament gospels and letters were eye-witnesses or first-hand accounts, and wrote them not long after it happened. It was not a story that evolved later.

Crucifixion
There were approximately 1/2 million Jews in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion due to Passover. Jerusalem was already a large city, but at Passover time, all Jews came to Jerusalem. Some people believe that Jesus was not even crucified, but that theory does have much credibility. What happened to Jesus instead? There were many accounts of Jesus’ healing and teaching, and large crowds followed him everywhere. He was a controversial figure at best. If he had not been crucified, these stories of Jesus would have continued. He would not have just disappeared, and his followers would not have just stopped following. There would have been some other story of his death or his continued life. But there isn’t.

Resurrection
Since it is very likely that Jesus was crucified, and historical evidence does support this, the real question is about the resurrection. Did it happen or was the body taken? No body was ever found, so it could not have been left in the tomb. If the disciples lied about the resurrection, which is the only other possibility, they would certainly not have invented a story the way they did. Let’s look at that story.

Witnesses
As the story is written in the gospels, the first-hand witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection were women. Women were not considered credible in that day. If the disciple writers were trying to convince people of a lie and make it believable, they would have used more credible witnesses.

Body
In order to make up the story, the apostles would have to steal the dead body and hide it where it could never be found – in a city of 1/2 million people and with Roman guards everywhere. These disciples had very little money and status, and therefore it would be very difficult for them to pull this off. It would also be the perfect crime – with eleven disciples all agreeing to it, even writing about it later, and eventually dying over it. This is very unlikely given our human nature. The easiest way to get away with a crime, is to do it by yourself. Multiply a crime by eleven people, and someone would have snitched.

Roman Guards
Even if the body could be stolen, how would they get it past the Roman guards? The counter-story to the gospels says that the Roman guards fell asleep while guarding the tomb. How would several guards all fall asleep at the same time and not hear the disciples moving a large stone from the tomb? If anything, the guards would have slept in shifts. And the penalty for a Roman guard to fall asleep would be for the entire unit to be burned. The Romans did not mess around with things like this.

No crime charged
Why weren’t the disciples ever charged with the crime of stealing the body or breaking the Roman seal on a tomb? This would have been punishable by death. If the Romans crucified Jesus for less of a crime, why not do the same to the disciples, and shut it down once and for all?

Tomb stone
The place of the tomb was recorded as being down a hill. The large stone that covered the tomb would have to be rolled up the hill and away from the tomb. Imagine the disciples trying to do this in the middle of the night with the Roman guards sleeping. It almost seems comical, and definitely not logical.

Burial Linens
The burial linens were recorded as still being in the tomb. If the disciples took the body, they would certainly have left him clothed out of respect. When Lazarus was reportedly raised from the dead by Jesus, he came out still bound in his linens. However, Jesus did not.

Luke
And finally we have Luke, the doctor and historian who wrote about Jesus’ life after Jesus was already resurrected. Luke never met Jesus, and was not a follower while Jesus was alive. He was a Greek, and had absolutely nothing to gain by documenting Jesus’ life. Yet, he had heard the stories after the resurrection, just like many others had. He investigated for himself, talking to eye-witnesses and gathering facts. As a result, Luke has given us one of the most beautifully written accounts of Jesus. In those days, there were no “best-sellers” and no attention-grabbing headlines or similar motives like we have today. For Luke and the disciples, they could not have possibly imagined the outcome of all of this. They were simply telling what they saw and experienced. And there were others too. James, the half-brother of Jesus, did not believe in who Jesus was until after the resurrection, and then he became a follower. Why?  What would have been his motive if it had only been a lie?

Back to basics and the possibility
Since we cannot fully discredit the claim that the resurrection could be true, it gets back to one basic statement: If you believe in God and that He created the universe and mankind, then anything else is possible. And why not?  Would God just create mankind and leave us here with no other miracles or great acts? Not likely. There is sufficient evidence, the probability does tip the scales, and it is not illogical. We can all decide whether we want to follow the life and teachings of Jesus, but to say it’s not logical or that it definitely did not happen, is simply not true. But when one believes in the resurrection, then it changes everything, and maybe that is the real fear of the skeptic. It means that death is not the final end. And it means that God does care about us, and that He does interact in our lives – which also answers that earlier philosophical question about who God is and how He interacts with us.

Want to investigate more for yourself? Here are just a few resources:

Youtube: anything from Ravi Zacharias, an atheist turned apologetic with numerous recognitions and honorary degrees, who speaks at many colleges and conferences.

Josh McDowell: any of his multiple books. Josh McDowell set out in college to disprove Christianity.

Jesus Booklet: from Godlife.com

In Jesus’ Words: One Unforgivable Sin (Mark 3:22-30)

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Jesus only mentions one sin that will not be forgiven – blasphemy against the Spirit.

Jesus warns, “He who is not with Me is against Me. Any sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” Matthew 12:30-31

This is a very specific statement from Jesus, so it is important, even life-critical, that we understand exactly what this blasphemy is and what it is not.  In this story about Jesus, the Jewish leaders or Pharisees are accusing him of being an evil spirit or the devil himself.  This is one of the biggest insults a person could say to Jesus, but insults alone are not blasphemy.  Insults or curses that are said in ignorance or unbelief against Jesus or the Spirit are not blasphemy.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a deliberate rejection from those who know Jesus’ claims are true, yet reject Him anyway.

These Pharisees could not deny Jesus’ claims and miracles to be true so they said He was from an evil spirit instead.  Their hearts were hardened, and they rejected Jesus even when they had the fullest possible revelation of who he was.  The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ and makes His truth known to us.  These Pharisees had that ultimate truth but rejected it, and that is why it was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (truth).

Rejection in ignorance or unbelief that later gives way to repentance is not blasphemy.

Saul of Tarsus’ conversion is a good example of this.  He was a murderer of Christians, and a hater of Jesus.  His sins could not get much worse than that.  But when the Holy Spirit (Jesus in Spirit) was revealed to him on the road to Damascus, he did not deny or reject it.  He embraced the truth, even when he knew what that meant in facing his past sins, and what it would cost him in changing his ways.  Paul was forgiven.

Blasphemy of the Spirit is a rejection of God and His truth, when you know exactly who God is.
It is the ultimate and final rejection of God. 

~ Jesus mentions one unforgivable sin ~
Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul in Him!” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons!”

So Jesus summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished!

“On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he will rob his house. I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

In Jesus’ Words: Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-3:6)

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God made the Sabbath for mankind, not the other way around. This next story of Jesus shows another example of Jesus’ deity as the Son of God, because here Jesus demonstrates authority even over the Sabbath. But before we get into the story, what does it mean to be the Son of God? This is where there can be much confusion. “Son of” means to be in the direct line of, or in this case, God. God does this by manifesting Himself into the human image of Jesus. Though it may sound strange at first, the Old Testament is filled with stories of God walking among the people, and other spiritual beings and angels not like us. It is actually right in line with God’s character and the rest of the Bible. And as the Son of God, Jesus was also the first to call God, “Father”, a concept that was not used prior to Jesus. It is just one more example of His deity.

~ Jesus Questioned About Working on the Sabbath ~
Mark 2:23 – 3:6

On the Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and His disciples began to make their way picking some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry— how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the sacred bread—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests—and also gave some to his companions?” Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Now Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed hand. In order to accuse Him, they were watching Him closely to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath. He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand before us.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

There are three similar-sounding titles for Jesus: “Son of God”, “Son of Man”, and “Son of David”. What is the difference and why three titles?

Like God, just one title for Jesus cannot cover all his attributes, but these are also three specific claims:
Son of God – in the line of God. God manifested Himself in the image of Jesus. God in the flesh.
Son of Man – only Jesus calls Himself this title. It refers to his humanity, and his ability to identify with our suffering and struggles.
Son of David – in the line of David. Jesus is directly descended from the genealogy of King David through Mary’s blood line, and his earthly father, Joseph, carries the legal line from tribe of Judah. This fulfills the prophecy from the early Israelites and King David’s time.

In Jesus’ Words: Why are you not fasting? (Mark 2:18-22)

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In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees required fasting twice a week for orthodox Judaism, even though the Old Testament law prescribed only one fast on the Day of Atonement. But Jesus was not doing this and some people questioned why not. Jesus went about teaching and healing and dining with people. Jesus brought life and joy with Him, not mourning.

Even today, our faith in Jesus should bring us joy, comfort us, give us hope. There may be times for fasting, but I believe they are rare. Unless it is done for all the right reasons and in private, then one is just merely going through the motions of a good diet or cleansing. Jesus came to replace the old, external traditions of rituals and self-righteousness, to give us new, internal traditions of repentance and grace! It is freeing, and it is joy! Don’t pour the new wine into old wineskins!

~ Jesus Questioned About Fasting ~
Mark 2:18-22

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

In Jesus’ Words: Follow Me (Mark 2:13-17)

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Do you remember that feeling when you got picked for the team in school? It probably made you feel happy or relieved. Or maybe you remember not getting picked, and it seemed to make your whole day feel even worse.  Everyone wants to belong somewhere, to know they have worth. We want to feel, that even though we might not be very good or have made some stupid mistakes, someone believes in us anyway, and likes the potential they see in us. Well, that’s exactly what Jesus did, and how he made people feel.

Jesus was known for dining with sinners and tax collectors. Tax collectors were in a category all by themselves and considered the biggest sinners of all. It would have been scandalous in those days to be seen with them, much less dine at their house. Now, Jesus was not hanging out with them to call out their sins or to prove his point, which he certainly had the authority to do. He was there for one thing: Follow Me! Jesus saw their potential over the bad. He was giving them a chance. They had been picked for the team!

~ The Call of Matthew, Dining with Sinners ~
Mark 2:13-17

Then Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught them. Then, moving on, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.

While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also guests with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew went on to follow Jesus the rest of his life, giving up his rich lifestyle. He wrote a book about Jesus’s life which became one of the four gospels. He went on to minister to Persia, Macedonia, Syria and Ethiopia to bring the good news to kings and sinners, and he never regretted that day he was picked or his decision to follow.