Did Jesus actually rise from dead?
Many people believe that Jesus was never raised from the dead. However, historical record indicates otherwise.
Lee Strobel help us understand how we can answer skeptics in regards to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Often, those who don’t believe in the resurrection say that the disciples stole the body from the tomb to fake the resurrection. According to Lee, there are several reasons why this theory doesn’t hold up.
“Number one, it doesn’t make sense that the disciples would steal the body. They didn’t have the motive, the means, and they didn’t have the opportunity.”
According to Lee, seven ancient sources confirm that the disciples lived lives of hardship as a result of proclaiming the Gospel.
“They didn’t have a motivation for stealing the body so they could continue to live these lives of deprivation and suffering.”
If Jesus hadn’t actually risen they would have known that it was hopeless and ceased to believe ending any persecution they may have encountered.
“Secondly, the fact that the enemies of Jesus said the disciples stole the body means they’re implicitly conceding that the tomb is empty.”
The enemies of Jesus admitted the tomb was empty but attempted to explain it away by blaming the disappearance on the disciples.
“In a backward way, it helps establish that the tomb of Jesus was empty because now even the opponents of Jesus are admitting it.”
Many skeptics believe that the disciples made the whole story up, in order to elevate their deceased leader. Once again, they would have been fools to proclaim that Jesus rose because they were essentially signing their death wish, something they would not have done if it wasn’t true.
