![]() |
Q&A: How can I answer people who question how Jesus’ resurrection is possible and if the Bible is reliable?
Many theories but one truth
Critics have tried many times to put Jesus back in the tomb. The swoon theory claims that Jesus only fell unconscious on the cross but then woke up in the tomb. If this is true, one would need to assume that Roman soldiers, whose job was killing, didn’t know what dead really was. They pierced Jesus’ side, and water and blood flowed out—a clear sign he was dead. Also, Jesus, brought to within an inch of his life, would have had to have the strength to roll the stone away without the Roman guards noticing him.
Another attempt to explain the resurrection is the mass hallucination theory. It suggests that all 500-plus people to whom Jesus appeared had the same hallucination. But there is no such thing as mass hallucinations where everyone sees the same thing. And hallucinations are not contagious.
We could keep listing theories, but the one thing that all these theories have in common is that no shred of evidence supports a single one of them.
Now, I am going to be honest. Why do I believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Because the Bible says so. The Holy Spirit, working through his Word, has convinced me of its truth. “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
The Bible is historically reliable
It is important to point out that the Bible is historically reliable. Books have been written about this, but here are just a few points:
Eyewitness testimony. 1 Corinthians states that more than 500 saw Jesus at one time (15:6)! The gospels were widely disseminated and received as credible when thousands of people were still alive who could have discredited them if untrue.
Embarrassing details. The gospel writers included embarrassing details, like the disciples refusing to believe the women who first saw Jesus alive. If you were making up a story, you would portray yourself in a favorable light.
Many details. When a person is lying, they give as few details as possible. The more detail you provide, the more ways your lie could be exposed.
No collusion. When you read the four resurrection accounts, you realize that they are quite different (not conflicting, but different). It shows the authors did not try to deceive people by making their accounts identical.
Martyrdom and exile. Church history says that all but one apostle were gruesomely killed for their testimony and John was exiled for his eyewitness. Why would these men die for a story they made up?
With God all things are possible
Jesus predicted his own resurrection from the dead. Since Jesus is God, is it so unbelievable that the one who created and sustains all things could raise a body from the dead? If I told you that I was going to die and rise again, you would rightly think that I’m crazy. But what if I did it? You’d have to believe, and you also would believe other promises I made.
Certainly I’m not God, but Jesus is. He rose. What does that mean for you? Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). This promise of Jesus is true. That means all of his promises are true. He really does love you, he has forgiven you, he is with you, and he has a place in heaven for you.
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Author: David Scharf
Volume 108, Number 4
Issue: April 2021
- Q&A: Do parts of the Bible teach works righteousness?
- Q&A: How can I overcome my struggle with lust and pornography?
- Q&A: How should I help my child struggling with same-sex attraction?
- Q&A: Should Christians pray to saints?
- Q&A: Is anger sinful?
- Q&A: How can parents encourage adult children who wander from the faith?
- Q&A: Does the doxology belong in the Lord’s Prayer?
- Q&A: Is God fair?
- Q&A: When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” what are we praying for?
- Q&A: How can I better manage what God has given me this year so that I glorify him?
- Q&A: What are ways to glorify God besides singing in church?
- Q&A: I have no special gifts, and I mess up all the time. Does God really need me?
- Q&A: How do I overcome the feeling that my life has no purpose and I don’t make a difference?
- Q&A: My friend died and was not a professing Christian. What do I say to the family?
- Q&A: How can my mother and I forgive my father for being unfaithful and causing my parents to divorce?
- Q&A: Why were demon possession, gifts of healing, and gifts of tongues more prevalent in biblical times?
- Q&A: Is Christianity the only religion that gives the certainty of heaven?
- Q&A: If people go to hell, isn’t it their fault because God gave them free will and they rejected him?
- Q&A: Why are the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension important for the disciples and for us?
- Q&A: Can you explain Jesus’ words to the wailing women he met on his way to be crucified?
- Q&A: What if spouses don’t “love” each other anymore?
- Q&A: Is it wrong to have a cross with Jesus’ body on it?
- Q&A: Is our time of grace really unchangeable?
- Q&A: I know that we are saved by grace apart from works, but how can it be that easy?
- Q&A: Are there degrees of glory in heaven as a reward for good works?
- Q&A: Do Lutherans take the Bible literally and teach millennialism?
- Q&A: Are there different interpretations of the Bible?
- Q&A: How can we be sure the Bible includes what God originally gave us?
- Q&A: Why does it seem like Christianity is so negative?
- Q&A: How can I explain how Jesus’ resurrection is possible and if the Bible is reliable?
- Q&A: Is it okay to live together if we are planning to get married?
- Q&A: How is the Bible God’s Word?
- Q&A: Were we “created to make a difference”?
- Q&A: Am I being judgmental if I point out someone’s sin?
- Q&A: Do I need to read the Bible to have a relationship with God?
- Q&A: Can a Christian vote for a political candidate who supports abortion?
- Q&A: Does God really care?
- Q&A: Does it really matter how God made the world?
- Q&A: Does God send people to hell?
- Q&A: Is death natural?
- Q&A: How can I forgive and forget?
- Q&A: Does God help those who help themselves?
- Q&A: How can we say that the Old Testament God is the same as the New Testament God?
- Q&A: Is Jesus the only way to get to heaven?
- Q&A: Doesn’t God want me to be happy?
- Light for our path: Does God hate us?
- Light for our path: What kind of comfort can you give someone when a loved one commits suicide?
- Light for our path: What does a submissive wife in a Christian marriage look like?
- Light for our path: Is it a sin to want to die from a terminal illness?
- Light for our path: What advice can you give about applauding in church?
- Light for our path: Can you please explain Matthew 5:20?
- Light for our path: What is karma?
- Light for our path: Can the devil personally be tempting me and a lot of other people at exactly the same time?
- Light for our path: Does the word Easter refer to Ishtar, the Babylonian fertility goddess?
- Light for our path: What role does emotion play in contrition?
- Light for our path: What does the white stone in Revelation 2:17 mean?
- Light for our path: Is the cross symbol now anti-Christian?
- Light for our path: Were Joseph and Mary engaged or married when Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy?