IDHEF Chapter 12 - Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

1. C. S. Lewis wrote, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." Do you agree or disagree with that statement Why?

(Responses will vary.)

2. Of the twelve agreed-upon facts about the Resurrection (see IDHEF, pages 299-300), summarize the three you think are the most important to showing Christianity is true. What do these facts mean for Christianity? How could you use them in a discussion with a friend?

(Responses will vary.)

4. How does a theory differ from evidence? What makes a theory credible?

A theory is an idea about what happened; while plausible, it must be supported by strong reliable evidence before it can considered credible.

8. Why is God careful not to overwhelm humans with miraculous displays of His power? (See IDHEF, page 322.)

Because God is infinitely powerful, He must be careful how He reveals His power to humans lest He infringe on our free will. If the purpose of this life is to allow us to freely make choices that will prepare us for eternity, then God will give us convincing evidence, but not compelling evidence of His existence and purposes.

5. Fill in the chart below, summarizing the five alternate theories discussed here and listing facts that refute each theory. Alternate theory What the theory claims Facts that refute it. A. Hallucination theory: The disciples hallucinated Jesus' resurrection. B. Wrong Tomb theory: The disciples went to the wrong tomb. C. Swoon theory: Jesus didn't really die D. Stolen Body theory: The disciples stoleJesus' body. E. Substitute theory: A substitute died in Jesus' place on the cross.

Hallucination theory: 1. Groups cannot share hallucinations. 2. Jesus appeared to many people on many different occasions over a 40-day period 3. Jesus proved He was flesh-and-blood by eating and being touched Wrong Tomb theory: 1. If they had merely gotten lost, the Jews and Romans would have immediately corrected their mistake 2. Going to the wrong tomb doesn't explain how Jesus appeared to so many people 3. It wasn't the empty tomb that convinced the disciples, but Jesus' appearances. Swoon theory: 1. His friends and enemies believed He was dead (including professional Roman executioners) and the accounts of Jesus' final moments have been medically confirmed to be fatal 2. Jesus was embalmed with over 75 pounds of spices by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus 3. It is highly improbable that a crucifixion "survivor" could have lasted alone for three days 4. A broken, bleeding Jesus couldn't have moved the stone and wouldn't have convinced anyone that He had risen from the dead 5. Does not explain Jesus' appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus 6. Contradicts non-Christian accounts of Jesus' death Stolen Body theory: 1. Means the disciples willingly perpetuated a hoax (after they snuck past the elite Roman soldiers guarding the tomb) and later died for it 2. Means someone/something else later appeared to Paul 3. Means all the early church father and several non-Christian historians lied (or were deceived) Substitute theory: 1. First seen 600 years after Jesus, this theory lacks any corroborative evidence. 2. Means that all eyewitnesses—friend and foe—were mistaken/deceived about who died on the cross. 3. Means that even the substitute's tomb was found empty.

A. Using 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, briefly explain why Jesus' resurrection is so central to Christianity.

Jesus' miraculous resurrection is without doubt the central fact of Christianity, for Christ was not raised from the dead, then our faith is useless and false, and we are shown to be the most pitiable of all men. If Jesus did not have the power to rise from the dead, then we cannot trust anything He or His disciples taught.

7. Briefly explain why the first three points of context for the miracle of the resurrection help us conclude that it actually happened.

Miracles are possible in a theistic universe—because we live in a theistic universe, miracles are possible; therefore it would not be unusual for a miracle to be used to confirm the word of God through a man of God to the people of God. Ancient documents predicted miracles—because ancient documents predicted miracles to accompany the arrival of the Messiah, we shouldn't be surprised to learn that Jesus performed miracles. Eyewitnesses saw miracles happen—because we have reliable eyewitness testimony to the fact that miracles happened during Jesus' lifetime, we can known beyond a reasonable doubt that those miracles actually occurred.

3. All the evidence we've studied points to the conclusion that the New Testament writers were careful historians and trustworthy witnesses. Why then do people continue to look for alternate explanations?

Most often those who ignore the facts and cling to their belief that the Bible is inaccurate and untrustworthy do so because they do not want to submit their lives to God's authority.

B. Briefly explain why . . .

The New Testament story is not a legend (see IDHEF, page 300) because its documents 1) were written well within two generations of Jesus, 2) told the stories of those who personally witnessed the events of His life, 3) were corroborated by non-Christian sources, and 4) contained references to over thirty prominent historical figures of the day. The New Testament story is not a lie because the writers 1) included embarrassing details about themselves and Jesus, 2) related the events with divergent details, 3) included difficult and demanding teachings, 4) were careful to distinguish between their words and the words of Jesus, and 5) ultimately suffered persecution and death rather than renounce their beliefs. The New Testament story is not an embellishment because the writers 1) were meticulously accurate with historical details, and 2) related several theologically significant miracles without dramatizing them for effect.

9. How do the miracle claims of other religions compare to the miracles described in the New Testament? (See IDHEF, page 323.)

The miracle claims of other religions cannot compare to the miracles described in the New Testament; they lack the characteristics of biblical miracles as well as the corroborative historical evidence.

6. Why is it implausible that the resurrection story was copied from pagan resurrection myths? (See IDHEF, pages 311-312.)

Unlike myths, the New Testament resurrection story is backed up by eyewitness evidence. It also cannot explain the empty tomb, the testimony of non-Christian sources, or the willingness of the disciples to die for their beliefs. None of the so-called similar myths believe that the god returned to life in his original body, nor did they include details such the incarnation or the virgin birth. Finally, even if roughly similar myths predated Christianity, it does not logically follow that they influenced the Resurrection account.