Today when we want to know if something really happened, we question the witnesss. The people who saw something happen provide excellent eyewitness accounts for events.
The apostles saw Jesus die. They put him in a tomb because He was dead. They hid in fear because He was dead. They were dismayed because He was dead. Fast forward three days and you have some happy camper apostles. What changed? They didn’t but the circumstance changed. They saw a risen Christ and ended up recording their stories in the Bible. Matthew Mark and John were all witnesses of this. Paul had an encounter with the risen Jesus. Much of the New Testament was written by these four men. There were also many others who witnessed the risen Christ, but four witnesses in a courtroom would be sufficient. It didn’t stop there.
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:6
There weren’t THAT many people who witnessed the signing of the US Constitution, but we believe IT happened.
History records Jesus rising from the dead. Historians record facts. It happened. Here’s one account:
“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man…He was the Christ. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing among us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him.”
– (Historian) Josephus
Romans were expert executioners. They believed Jesus was dead after an examination. They poked His side to be sure and then moved on. Even there was a statement by one of the soldiers present:
And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:39
Was means dead. Breathed his last means dead. Big oopsie. He realized what they had done! These guys beat Him so severely that He couldn’t even carry His own cross. They had to enlist a bystander.
Fast forward three days and what do you have? More eyewitnesses that SAW a risen Christ and came out of their hiding place and started preaching boldly. They endured beatings and martyrdom, but would not recant their stories.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3
That was written by John. He saw Jesus. He heard Jesus.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2 Peter 1:16
Oh yeah that Peter. He also was an eyewitness. He wrote it down.
Fast forward 600 years and you get a crazy religion with all kinds of lies about what happened. Throughout the years a lot of fake religions popped up and said untrue things about the resurrection. History recorded it. God’s word recorded it. Fake religions will burn up, but the Word of God will endure forever.
“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man… But for this Book, we could not know right from wrong…Take all you can of this Book upon reason, and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a happier man.”
Abraham Lincoln
Following Jesus 