The Empty Tomb
“And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?” This is quoted from the gospel of John chapter seven, verse twenty six. Jesus was a man who performed various and unexplainable miracles, and who also claimed to be “One with Christ.” He created unrest among the Pharisees, who struggled for power and authority when Jesus and His teachings started to spread among the nations. The Pharisees planned many attempts to capture and destroy Jesus, but they never prevailed. The reason for this is explained in the gospel of John chapter seven, verse thirty, “At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour has not yet come.” …show more content…
He takes the two questions; did Jesus die on the cross? And did he appear to people three days later? Through the accounts of the Bible, we can answer yes to both of those questions—which Habermas says, makes your case (Strobel 64). Paul was an apostle of Jesus, and in his letter to Corinth, he says that he personally saw the resurrected Jesus two separate times. 1 Corinthians 9:1, “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (New King James Version). And in 1 Corinthians 15:8, “Last of all he appeared to me also.” What is also very interesting is that all of the disciples tell the same story of the resurrection, the same gospel. They could have easily changed parts of it to fit their needs, but they all stick to the same story which creates credibility. There is also a lot of speculation about Jesus’ appearance to 500 people after he was resurrected. Some ask “Where would this take place to fit so many people?” Matthew tells us it was on the countryside in Galilee. Within almost thirty years of the resurrection, Paul is talking about the 500 witnesses and says that ‘most of them are still alive, and if you don’t believe him you can ask them’ (McDowell). There is one more important reason that proves the resurrection did happen. There would have been “hostile witnesses” during the time of Jesus’ appearance. A hostile witness is defined as a witness who is antagonistic to the party calling them, and being unwilling to tell the truth, may have to be cross-examined by the party. Saul of Tarsus would be the last person you would believe to be a follower of Christ. He hated and murdered Christians, but when Jesus appeared to Saul; his life was completely changed and he was later to become the apostle Paul. Paul would have been the number one hostile witness, but even he was changed
“And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?” This is quoted from the gospel of John chapter seven, verse twenty six. Jesus was a man who performed various and unexplainable miracles, and who also claimed to be “One with Christ.” He created unrest among the Pharisees, who struggled for power and authority when Jesus and His teachings started to spread among the nations. The Pharisees planned many attempts to capture and destroy Jesus, but they never prevailed. The reason for this is explained in the gospel of John chapter seven, verse thirty, “At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour has not yet come.” …show more content…
He takes the two questions; did Jesus die on the cross? And did he appear to people three days later? Through the accounts of the Bible, we can answer yes to both of those questions—which Habermas says, makes your case (Strobel 64). Paul was an apostle of Jesus, and in his letter to Corinth, he says that he personally saw the resurrected Jesus two separate times. 1 Corinthians 9:1, “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (New King James Version). And in 1 Corinthians 15:8, “Last of all he appeared to me also.” What is also very interesting is that all of the disciples tell the same story of the resurrection, the same gospel. They could have easily changed parts of it to fit their needs, but they all stick to the same story which creates credibility. There is also a lot of speculation about Jesus’ appearance to 500 people after he was resurrected. Some ask “Where would this take place to fit so many people?” Matthew tells us it was on the countryside in Galilee. Within almost thirty years of the resurrection, Paul is talking about the 500 witnesses and says that ‘most of them are still alive, and if you don’t believe him you can ask them’ (McDowell). There is one more important reason that proves the resurrection did happen. There would have been “hostile witnesses” during the time of Jesus’ appearance. A hostile witness is defined as a witness who is antagonistic to the party calling them, and being unwilling to tell the truth, may have to be cross-examined by the party. Saul of Tarsus would be the last person you would believe to be a follower of Christ. He hated and murdered Christians, but when Jesus appeared to Saul; his life was completely changed and he was later to become the apostle Paul. Paul would have been the number one hostile witness, but even he was changed