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Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

March 31, 2021 By Jennifer H. Yates Leave a Comment

31 Mar

For many years I took for granted that the resurrection of Jesus was an actual historical event. It never occurred to me that we would have good historical evidence to corroborate the Bible’s detailing of events. I just believed by faith without considering the actual implications of a bodily resurrection.

But over the last few years, I have desired to better understand what I say I believe. For someone who struggles with questions, being told to “just have faith” is not helpful. They need to understand what they are putting their faith in. And we should be able to tell them, especially during a holiday that celebrates a miraculous event that defies the natural laws of the universe.

I’m not saying that we don’t know that Easter is about the cross instead of the eggs and the Savior instead of the bunny. I’m just saying that maybe this year we should meditate a little more on what we really believe and why we believe it.

This past year, we have had a little time to think about what the resurrection of Jesus really means. In the wake of tragedy, sickness, and quarantines, we now turn our attention to an event that brings hope to every situation–even death.

Because without the resurrection of Christ, our faith means nothing.

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

1 Corinthians 15:14, NIV

In other words, everything we believe as Christians (our faith) rests on one event: the resurrection.

Do we really believe it? In a world of “you be you” and “own your truth,” do we really even believe that Jesus’ heart stopped beating on the cross, that He was wrapped and laid in a tomb, and that hours later His heart began to beat again, and He walked out of that tomb alive?

Or do we just say we believe it but really harbor some intellectual doubt? Because if this season has become focused on hunting eggs and buying new clothes with a passing glance at a special service on Sunday, I have to wonder what we really believe.

After a year of social distancing and online worship, the cultural focus is beginning to shift back to Reese’s Eggs and beach vacations. Have we been changed by this past year’s events?

Will we get into the Word at home with our families and talk about the power of the resurrection? Will we allow the Holy Spirit to confirm these truths in our hearts in a way that makes this holy day really about Jesus and not about us?

Will we meditate on the cross of Christ and the power of His resurrection to make us new? Will we allow the hope of Christ to carry us through difficulties and share that hope with others?

That’s how the early church responded.

How do we know? The best verification for historical documents is early evidence and eyewitness evidence. We have both.

Even if we use the latest dates that critics all agree on, we have early evidence for the resurrection. We know Jesus’ death took place around AD 30. The latest dates for the Gospels would be around 60 for Mark, 80 for Matthew, 85 for Luke, and 95 for John.

Even with the later dates, that’s very early for historical documentation. (Compare Alexander the Great’s historical testament coming 280 years after his death.)

But even earlier than that, we have the church creeds found in the New Testament. We have to remember that 70-90% of Jesus’s followers were illiterate.

The early church creeds contained the Gospel message as a way to know what they believed through oral tradition. Here’s an example:

“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you have received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Paul says here that he had passed on (when he first visited Corinth in 51) what he had received (prior to that), and then he shares the creed. This creed, which proclaims the life, death, resurrection, and appearances of Christ, had to at the very least date back to before AD 51.

I don’t know about you, but my son was born 25 years ago. I still recall every detail of his birth. Likewise, the resurrection of Christ would have been a major event in their lives that they wouldn’t have forgotten.

Add to that the fact that Paul received that creed probably when he visited Jerusalem after his conversion on the road to Damascus, and we have a creed proclaiming the life, death, reaurrection, and appearances of Jesus within a decade of the event.

For the early church to declare less than ten years after Jesus’ death that He was risen from the dead and seen by over 500 people is significant. Many of those people were still alive to dispute the church’s claims, but they didn’t.

Some scholars agree that the creeds date even further back than that, probably to within five years of the resurrection. And all historians will agree that early dating is one of the most significant factors in verifying the reliability of a text.

The second is eyewitnesses. Again, most of these eyewitnesses were still alive and could testify to Jesus’ resurrection, and they did. That’s how the church grew. That’s why they were willing to die for something that could easily have been disproven if it were not true. They were there. They knew it was true.

Those are the facts. But along with those facts, we also have our faith in God. We have our testimony of what He has done in our lives. We once were lost and dead in our sins, but we have been given new life through the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over death, hell, and the grave.

Do you remember what your life was like and where you were headed apart from Christ? Do you remember what He saved you from and how He has made you new? Do you remember the price He paid to give you the new life you now have?

This season, let’s forget the bunnies and cantatas and candy. Instead, we can spend this week remembering the cross of Christ. We can reflect on what Jesus has done for us in His life, death, and resurrection.

Let’s remember that His resurrection is what brings us hope and share that hope with those around us.

And let’s be sure we know what we believe and why we believe it, because this holy day is about the resurrection of Jesus.

And if we believe that to really be true, our celebrations of it should never be the same.

Facts taken from my notes in a live lecture with Dr. Gary Habermas, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University.

Want to learn more about the historical and cultural context of the Bible? Check out my FOCUSED 15 Bible Study Club here.

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Filed Under: Holiday devotions Tagged With: Bible studies for Women, Christian devotional for women, faith, Holiday deovtion, Jennifer H Yates, Jennifer Hayes Yates

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About Jennifer H Yates

About Jennifer H Yates

Hey, friends! I'm Jen--wife, mama, and empty-nester. I love to write, read, and drink coffee, especially with friends.

I've found that many women struggle to find time and focus to grow their relationship with God through studying His Word. I encourage and challenge women with practical strategies and helpful resources for quality study in as little as fifteen minutes a day.

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"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel--the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:1-4, NIV).
All of Scripture, all of history, all of time has been about Jesus Christ, Son of God. 
Do you know Him? You can. His life, death, and resurrection are historical fact. All so that you could know Him and have eternal life.
Jesus loves you! ❤

"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee fo
"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Luke 23:55-56).
Can you imagine the horror these women had witnessed? Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others had followed Jesus and helped support his ministry (Luke 8:3).
Now all their hopes had been crushed as they stood at a distance and witnessed Jesus' agonizing death on the cross (Luke 23:49). His own mother had to stand by helplessly as her son cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46).
As we women often do, they looked for a way to still serve Him, even in His death, by preparing His body for burial. Sometimes, it's the little things.
When our hearts are breaking and we think we can't take another breath, sometimes we need something in our hands--a burial spice, a casserole, a text that says I'm here.
We can't make the hurt go away, but we can channel it into something useful, something hopeful, something comforting.
As they rested on the Sabbath, I'm sure they anticipated the opportunity to see Him one more time, to minister to Him once more with the spices and perfumes they had prepared.
Hearts crushed, hands open.
Grieved but grateful. Resting but ready.
Because if there was anything they knew for sure, it's that Jesus was no ordinary man. And when hearts are turned toward Him, anything can happen.

God never called us to “blind” faith. We may b
God never called us to “blind” faith. We may believe without seeing, but faith is being sure and certain of what we don’t see, not what we don’t know. ⁠
The Israelites had historical facts on which to base their faith. That’s why God constantly told them to remember what He had done and tell it to their children. Their faith was in what they knew to be true, even though they didn’t always see it with their own eyes. ⁠
We, too, have facts on which to base our faith. The Bible is historically accurate and verified. If ever we needed to know what we believe, it’s now.⁠
⁠
Click link in bio to read post.⁠
⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus

It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like mo
It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like most women, when I do get still, my mind is still going 90 mph. I’m so distracted by all the preparations for the day. Sounds a little like Martha, who, by the way, is the one who invited Jesus over in the first place. But like Martha, I have felt the Lord’s gentle rebuke. He wants me at His feet. And really, that’s where I want to be. It’s not about time and focus. It’s about heart and desire. The rest will come. ❤️ #growingyourfaith #jesusfirst #wordbeforeworld #seekhimfirst #javawithjesus #womenintheword

Do you really want to grow your faith? What we fee
Do you really want to grow your faith? What we feed the most is what grows the most. 🍽️⁠
⁠
What are you feeding?⁠
⁠
Click the link in my bio to read this week's post.⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus ⁠

Learning so much at the She Writes for Him virtual
Learning so much at the She Writes for Him virtual writers’ conference and getting inspired to help more women grow their faith! #shewritesforhim2021


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