Every once in a while, I pass a car with a “Question Authority” bumper sticker, which seems like a great description of our current culture. With so many scandals, investigative reports, and “fake news” items, many of us aren’t just questioning authority, we’re questioning everything.
The inspiration for those bumper stickers is often identified as Timothy Leary, a controversial psychologist from the 60’s, although some attribute the original thought to the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates (see, question everything). Coming on the heels of Watergate, the controversy of the Vietnam War, and the social unrest of the 60’s, questioning authority probably seemed like the right thing to do. We seem to be living in a similar cultural climate today and our doubts aren’t limited to authorities. There’s a whole lot of doubting going on.
Questioning Easter
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, and many people have doubts about that event as well. An event that is based on someone who was dead coming back to life is an event that invites suspicion (despite our love for zombie movies and TV shows). It’s a supernatural event and our natural minds are bent toward doubt when it comes to things we can’t explain. Even some of the main characters in the Easter story doubted, or at the least, they didn’t understand. Judas betrayed Jesus in part because he doubted Jesus was who he hoped he was. Peter’s doubts caused him to deny that he even knew Jesus, even though he was one of Jesus’ closest followers. When Jesus was arrested, His disciples scattered and ended up hiding behind locked doors. One of his followers, Thomas, even got “doubting” for a nickname. The gospel of John tells us that when Jesus had died on the cross, a man named Joseph asked for permission to take his body and put it in a tomb. Joseph, John tells us, was a, “secret disciple,” of Jesus because he feared what others would think. Another man, Nicodemus, helped Joseph with his task, and Nicodemus was famous for meeting with Jesus at night so no one else would know. So many of those who actually witnessed the Easter moment wrestled with doubt.
So why do so many people (over 1/3 of the world’s population) claim the title of Christian, which is based on Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? What evidence is there that it actually took place and isn’t just well-crafted mythology? Here are some of the compelling reasons for us to believe that the resurrection is real and faith in Jesus is well-placed.
The Evidence
An Empty Tomb
First, there is the empty tomb. Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb, a large stone was rolled in front of the opening, and the door was sealed. Then Roman soldiers were sent to guard the tomb so no one could steal the body and claim resurrection. But after three days, the tomb was empty and the door was open. So what happened?
Some claim the disciples did come and steal the body. But to do so they would have had to overpower a contingent of Roman soldiers and break the seal of the Roman government. Sounds like a stretch for a group who ran away at the first sign of trouble and tried to deny even knowing Jesus. Maybe the soldiers fell asleep, and the disciples stealthily stole the body. It’s pretty tough to quietly move a two-ton boulder and sneak past a detachment of guards.
Another theory is that the Jewish and Roman authorities hid the body. But that would have been counterproductive. If you want to prove that Jesus was still dead, the best way would be to point to his body, not an empty tomb.
Some also claim that maybe Jesus wasn’t really dead, just passed out and that after a few days of rest in the tomb, he broke out. Based on the description of Jesus beating before the cross and the nature of his wounds from the cross, this seems like a long shot at best.
Eyewitness Accounts
Second, there is a record of eyewitnesses. People who saw Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, and touched Jesus after his resurrection. The first witnesses to see Jesus were a group of women (which was an unlikely group for people to trust at that time because women were not even allowed to testify in court). There there were more and more and more people who saw Jesus. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, the rest of the disciples (including “Doubting” Thomas), and then more than 500 people at one time. These people shared what they had seen for the rest of their lives and none of them recanted or confessed to being part of a conspiracy, which leads us to the third reason: the disciples’ transformations.
Change of Hearts
The transformation of the disciples is powerful evidence of the resurrection. When Jesus was arrested, tried, tortured, and crucified, his followers fled. The biblical authors tell us that in the days after the crucifixion, Jesus’ followers were hiding behind locked doors, assuming they were next. There was doubt and denial, not faith and courage, in that crowd. And yet, just a few weeks later, those same disciples would stand in the public square and declare Jesus’ resurrection to thousands of people.
What happened? Did they find courage somewhere? Did they come up with a good story? Did they get their stories straight? Something had changed them. What could cause this huge change, other than coming face-to-face with the resurrected Christ?
None of the eyewitnesses or disciples ever changed their story. Ultimately, Jesus’s disciples would die for their beliefs. They would be beheaded, crucified, cut in half, and put to death in many cruel ways. But they never changed their story and they never took it back. Some people are willing to die for their beliefs, but no one will die for something they know is a lie. Conspiracies don’t hold up. Especially when they involve hundreds of people.
An Invitation to Explore Your Doubts
This Easter, I want to encourage you to turn your doubts about Jesus from a stumbling block into a stepping stone. Instead of letting them keep you from investigating who Jesus is, let your doubts propel you forward into looking for the truth. Maybe you thought that Easter was for the true believers. For the people who had gotten answers to all their own questions, or who decided to “just believe.” But I believe that Jesus is big enough to handle your questions and even your doubts. This Easter, doubters are welcome at Journey Church. Don’t let your doubts keep you from looking into the empty tomb. When you do, you can experience the hope of the resurrection.
Join us this year for one of our Easter services to learn more about the hope we have because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Details can be found on our Easter page.