Ann H LeFevre
  • Home
  • Ready for the Road Ahead
  • Images & Ink
  • Recommended Resources
  • About
  • Store
  • Behind the PIcture

Proof of the Resurrection

4/15/2022

0 Comments

 
            Jeff and I were not huge television watchers when we had one.  We watched sports and informative shows more than anything else.  We rarely watch the latest shows or fads when it came to TV viewing.  However, there was one show that always entertained us and that was Mythbusters.  The premise of this show was to examine a cultural or historical "myth" by scientific methodology to either prove or disprove whether its claim was true or not.  One of my favorite episodes involved the myth that elephants are afraid of mice.  The hosts headed off to a wildlife preserve somewhere in Africa to run the actual test.  Surprisingly the results indicated that elephants are at least respectful of mice in that they very cautiously avoided the little critters when one crossed their path.  The evidence was not conclusive, but there was some sort of evidence nonetheless.

            Within our culture there is embedded a full-scale belief that if something can be scientifically proven then it is worth believing.  At the same time, and often in conflict with this, is the belief that one's experiences also offer a valid way of gauging whether or not something is true.  What has been lost through the years is the validating of truth with empirical evidence that is relying on observation or experiment, guided by practical experience, and not theory, to verify or prove that something is true.  Of all the impossible things to prove the resurrection would certainly be a target to discredit through any one of these methods.  But Christ's physical resurrection is crucial to Christianity.  No other faith makes the claim that God rose from the dead.

            Through the centuries many theories have been concocted to explain how Jesus did not rise from the dead.  Some believe the resurrection to be part of a hoax and others believe it is purely the stuff fairy tales are made of.  But when the Gospel accounts are read and history is examined, there is evidence and then some to the contrary.  Take, for example, Lk. 24:36-48.  Luke being a trained doctor would most definitely be interested in physical evidence to prove his point.  In this passage he records that Jesus presented physical evidence of His suffering to the disciples and then invited them to touch Him.  "A spirit does not have flesh and bones," Jesus states.  And as if to drive the point home, Jesus proceeds to ask them for something to eat.  Each Gospel writer makes a point of noting that Jesus had a physical body after the resurrection (Mt. 28:9; Mk. 16:6-7; Lk. 24:39; Jn. 20:20) and Luke records in the Book of Acts that Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection "alive" for a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3) offering them "many convincing proofs and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God."

            Not only did Jesus present Himself physically to the disciples, Scripture also records that there were other witnesses of Christ's bodily resurrection.  The most notable testimony of this is Paul's list in 1 Cor. 15:5-9.  Paul states that "appeared to Cephas (Peter) and the twelve" (v.5), then more than 500 witnesses in verse 6, to James and all the "apostles" (those sent out to proclaim the Gospel) in verse 7, and finally to Paul himself (v.8).  Many of these witnesses died for the wonderful news they proclaimed.  The fact that they considered this point worth dying for argues from a practical perspective that Jesus physically rose from the dead.  There are not too many people who will die for a myth (although they might have fun making a TV show around proving or disproving them!).

            Likewise, had the resurrection been added to the Gospel at a later date to bolster support for the teachings of Jesus, there were enough people alive in the first century of church growth, who had also been around at the time of Christ’s death and resurrection, to contest its truth if it had been a lie.  And finally, the disciples themselves are “living proof” that the resurrection was indeed a physical one.  Their transformation from doubting and clueless followers of Jesus to outspoken champions of the faith also demonstrate that their faith in a risen Lord was not a whimsical fantasy, but a fully trustworthy and proven fact. 

            People had doubts about the resurrection of Christ almost immediately after that great event.  People still have doubts today.  But the same confidence that propelled the early believers to take the Gospel to the "ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) because they knew the resurrection to be a provable fact, can be shared by us today.  The documentation of Christ’s death and resurrection in Scripture is trustworthy so that we too can boldly proclaim our faith in the Risen Lord (Col. 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 3:15).  The resurrection not a myth!

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Faith & Seeing

    Ready for the Road Ahead began as a bulletin insert in 2010 and has since grown into a weekly on-line Bible lesson.  I love to teach and have taught in both church and school settings.  I hope these articles will both encourage and equip you as you follow Christ.

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn

Proudly powered by Weebly