by The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fundamental, cardinal doctrine, and to deny it is to deny the heart of Christianity. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” Three verses later he says again, “if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” These verses are our doom without the resurrection. Paul goes on to answer our hopelessness in 15:19-20a, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead…”
Josephus, 1st century Jewish historian, stated, “There appeared Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was a doer of amazing deeds, a teacher of persons who receive truth with pleasure. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when Pilate condemned him to the cross, the leading men among us having accused him, those who loved him from the first did not cease to do so. For he appeared to them the third day alive again, the divine prophets having spoken these things and a myriad of other marvels concerning him. And to the present the tribe of Christians, named after this person, has not disappeared.”
Edward Blaiklock, 20th century secular professor of Classics at Auckland University stated, “My approach to the Classics is historical. And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of ancient history.”
Paul gave us a clear biblical perspective while Josephus and a Blaiklock gave historical perspectives. Now think about it logically:
- Why during the 1st century were there no documents disproving the resurrection other than writings that Jesus’ body was stolen?
- Why did those who were against Christianity post guards to make sure Jesus’ body was not stolen from the grave?
- Why would disciples die horrific deaths for believing the resurrection if they stole his body? This would be insane, and if insane enough to die for a lie, there should be much documentation on how crazy they were after Jesus’ death, but none exist.
Believe it or not, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a real and true event, and absolutely necessary for salvation (Romans 10:9).
