Is Christianity true? (the Resurrection - Part 7)

This blog is part of my series titled “Is Christianity true?” The series addresses four common objections to the truthfulness of the Christian worldview, namely concerns about: (1) the trustworthiness of the Bible; (2) the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection; (3) the compatibility of faith in God with modern science; and (4) the incompatibility of Christian truth claims with those of other worldviews.

HISTORICAL FACTS CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION - FACT #3

William Lane Craig (reprinted with permission (see Appendix C, “More Than Your Business Card”))

JESUS’ POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES

“On multiple occasions and under various circumstances, different individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead. This is a fact which is almost universally acknowledged among New Testament scholars, for the following reasons: 

1. The list of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection appearances which is quoted by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:5–7 guarantees that such appearances occurred. These included appearances to Peter (Cephas), the Twelve, the 500 brethren, and James. 

2. The appearance traditions in the gospels provide multiple, independent attestation of these appearances. This is one of the most important marks of historicity. The appearance to Peter is independently attested by Luke, and the appearance to the Twelve by Luke and John. We also have independent witness to Galilean appearances in Mark, Matthew, and John, as well as to the women in Matthew and John. 

3. Certain appearances have earmarks of historicity. For example, we have good evidence from the gospels that neither James nor any of Jesus’ younger brothers believed in him during his lifetime. There is no reason to think that the early church would generate fictitious stories concerning the unbelief of Jesus’ family had they been faithful followers all along. But it is indisputable that James and his brothers did become active Christian believers following Jesus’ death. James was considered an apostle and eventually rose to the position of leadership of the Jerusalem church. 

What would it take to convince you that your brother is the Lord, such that you would be ready to die for that belief?

According to the first century Jewish historian Josephus, James was martyred for his faith in Christ in the late AD 60s. Now most of us have brothers. What would it take to convince you that your brother is the Lord, such that you would be ready to die for that belief? Can there be any doubt this remarkable transformation in Jesus’ younger brother took place because, in Paul’s words, “then he appeared to James”? Even Gerd Ludemann, the leading German critic of the resurrection, himself admits, ‘It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ.’”

And right up to the present day, many people report encountering the person of Jesus Christ. Of course, unlike the experience of his first followers, they do not claim they saw Jesus in his resurrected body. However, in light of the impact of these events, they might as well be! In my case, it was the words “I am alive” that I heard in a church in my mid-thirties that convinced me of the truth of the resurrection. Only years later did I become aware there was solid historical evidence supporting the resurrection.

Next week, Fact #4, the original disciples’ belief that Jesus was risen from the dead despite their having every predisposition to the contrary!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash