Tim Wildmon

AFA president

July 2010 – Giving an account for our belief in Jesus’ resurrection is an important key to defending the Christian faith against agnostics and atheists.

Many books have been written on this topic, for example Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. The evidence for the resurrection as a historical event is so strong that even Dr. Antony Flew, until recently a noted proponent of atheism, had to admit, “The evidence for the resurrection is better than for claimed miracles in any other religion. It’s outstandingly different in quality and quantity, I think, from the evidence offered for the occurrence of most other supposedly miraculous events.”

What I do know is borrowed extensively from my good friend Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries. Probe has one of the very best Web sites when it comes to apologetics (which means to intellectually defend the Christian faith in a scholarly manner), and I would encourage you to check it out at www.probe.org.

One help to remembering the overwhelming evidence for the bodily resurrection is to think of the ten A’s which Kerby says attest to the historical event:

1. Accurate predictions. Both the Old and New Testaments contain predictions of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Numerous times in the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples and the Jewish authorities that He would rise to life after three days in the earth. In John 2, at the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus told this to the Jewish leaders. It made such an impression on the disciples that verse 22 tells us, “So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”
2. Attesting miracles. Jesus’ resurrection was not a sudden miraculous cap to an otherwise unremarkable life. Jesus had consistently demonstrated His authority over the material universe, from turning water into wine, to walking on the water, to healing the sick, to raising Lazarus from the dead. His resurrection is consistent with the power He demonstrated during His earthly ministry.
3. Agonizing death. Jesus had numerous opportunities to avoid a fatal confrontation with the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities. No one is going to go through a Roman scourging and crucifixion as a hoax. Jesus submitted to the cross because it was necessary to pay for our sins and He knew that He had the authority to conquer death.
4. Angry authorities. After word of Jesus’ resurrection began to spread, the Jewish authorities wanted to put a stop to people believing in Him. Producing the body of Jesus would have been the best way to do this. Even with support from the Roman authorities, they were never able to produce a body.
5. Absent body. The chief priests set a guard around Jesus’ tomb to make sure the body was not stolen by his disciples. Those guards knew their lives could be at stake if they failed in their duty, but on the third day Jesus was gone. Once they regained their senses, the guards “reported to the chief priests all that had happened.” Why did they take this risk? Because they knew that there was no body to recover. No one has ever found any credible evidence that the body of Jesus was anywhere to be found on this earth.
6. Amazed disciples. After Jesus’ arrest, most of His disciples fled. It is clear from their reaction that they despised the cross and were not anticipating the resurrection. Two of his disciples did not recognize the risen Jesus even as He was teaching them the Scriptures related to Himself. Their skepticism and shock showed that they clearly were not part of some preplanned hoax.
7. Agreeing eyewitnesses. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over 500 people. They testified to His resurrection. We do not have a record of anyone disputing their testimony, saying, “I was there with them and it was a hoax.”
8. Apostolic martyrs. People don’t die for something they know to be a hoax. Yet, many of these eyewitnesses accepted death rather than deny the resurrection of Jesus.
9. Agnostic historians. Contemporary, non-Christian historians reported that Jesus was reputed to have risen from the dead and that his followers were willing to die rather than recant their belief in Jesus.
10. Attesting Spirit. Over the centuries, the Holy Spirit continues to convict nonbelievers and assure believers that Jesus is the risen Son of God.

Christians don’t have to believe in the resurrection in spite of the facts. Instead, we believe in the resurrection in light of the facts.

As I have done in the past, I am offering a free copy of More Than a Carpenter to anyone who requests one. It is a small paperback book which you can read in three hours. Just send an e-mail to twildmon@afa.net or write me at P. O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803.