Why Easter Still Matters Today?
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”(Luke 24:5–6)
These startling words, spoken on that first Easter Sunday by angels to some of Jesus’ followers at his tomb, are truly remarkable and are the foundation upon which the Christian Gospel is established. The apostle Paul, who was transformed from persecutor to preacher after becoming unexpectedly convinced himself that Jesus rose from the dead, once said that if the claim for the resurrection is a lie, then the Christian faith is futile (1 Cor. 15:14).
This stunning miracle is the touchstone of biblical faith – Christianity stands or falls by it. So, can we have confidence in the trustworthiness of the resurrection or was it nothing but a tall tale about a conjuring trick with bones, as a former Bishop of Durham infamously claimed back in the 1980s?
The Evidence of the Empty Tomb
Tucked away towards the end of Matthew’s Gospel is an extraordinary verse.
Matthew 28:15 says: “And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.”
What story? The story that Jesus’ disciples came to the tomb during the night and stole Jesus’ body away. This is amazing, because this verse is proof that Jesus’ tomb was empty. Matthew was claiming that at the time he was writing his Gospel there was a story doing the rounds in the Jewish world that the disciples had become tomb raiders and had nicked the body from under the noses of the Roman guards to make it look like Jesus had really risen.
Now, here’s the thing – there would have been no need for an explanation for the empty tomb if the tomb hadn’t been empty! The very fact that this story was in circulation was evidence that the tomb was empty!
Possible Explanations for the Empty Tomb
So, if we accept the historical fact of the empty tomb, then we need to come up with a reasonable and satisfactory explanation for it. Here are the most common suggestions:
Did Jesus Really Die?
Some say Jesus didn't actually die – he passed out under the intense pain of his suffering on the cross and then later revived in the tomb, removed his grave clothes and escaped. There are multiple problems with this theory.
First, the Romans were experts in crucifixion and never made mistakes, and in fact even ran a spear into Jesus’ heart to make sure he was dead. Second, even if he somehow managed to survive being scourged within an inch of his life, nailed hand and foot to a cross for hours, and having his heart pierced, could he have then avoided suffocation in the tightly wrapped grave clothes, found the strength to move a two-tonne rolling stone from the tomb entrance, and unarmed fought off the Roman Guards before making his get-away? On balance I think we can be certain he was dead when he was laid in the tomb.
Was the Body Stolen?
Well, if he was really dead, then maybe someone did steal the body, just like the story Matthew referred to above. So, who may have done it?
The Disciples?
Maybe the disciples – but it is clear that despite Jesus telling them he would rise, they didn’t believe him and weren’t expecting it. They were hiding away for fear that they would be next to be arrested and crucified. The Roman guards were posted at the tomb to make sure no one tried to tamper with the body, and in the next few decades eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred for claiming that the resurrection was true. Would they have willingly accepted a painful unnecessary death knowing all along that they had stolen the body themselves? I doubt it!
The Authorities?
Well, if not the disciples, maybe the Jewish authorities stole the body? But it is difficult to imagine why they would do that, and even if they did, why didn’t they quickly put the resurrection rumours to bed by producing the body – it would have been the quickest, most effective way to kill the claims. But they didn’t because they couldn’t because they hadn’t!
The Appearances of Jesus
Of course, the appearances of Jesus very much alive after his death are also a problem for the body snatcher theory. He appeared on multiple occasions to a variety of people. Yet, he wasn’t a ghost – Jesus went out of his way to prove this by eating a fish supper with his disciples and allowing them to touch his wounds. Nor were people hallucinating – he proved this by appearing to over five hundred people at the same time (1 Cor. 15:6).
A Legal Perspective on the Resurrection
There is much more we could say, but let me land by quoting former Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, an expert in evidential arguments, who said this about the resurrection of Jesus:
“In its favour as a living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in the verdict that the resurrection story is true.”
Come, Join us to rejoice our Risen Jesus
So, may I wish you all a Happy and Blessed Easter for He is risen, and if you would like to meet the Risen Jesus personally and discover the difference the resurrection makes to our lives today, why not join us for worship on Easter Sunday at 10.30am, you would be very welcome!
Blessings.
