The Facts behind the Easter Story (Part II)

by Phil Hadley

You can read Part I of this article in the Kernow Youth archives

"But that doesn't prove Jesus died," said the sceptical student. "Is there any evidence that Jesus died and rose again?"

"Where shall we start?" I answered.

 In the British Museum there is a manuscript preserving the text of a letter written some time later than AD73. This letter was sent by a Syrian named Mara Bar-Serapion to his son Serapion. The letter mentions the death of Christ and asks what advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise king, for just after that, their kingdom was abolished. 

the "eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ."

In about AD52 a Samaritan born man called Thalles wrote an account of the history of the Mediterranean world. In it he mentioned Jesus being crucified, and tried to provide an explanation for the darkness which occurred at the same time.

Phlegon, a first century historian, mentions in his Olympiads (the title of his history) the "eclipse which took place during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ." 

Tacitus, a Roman historian writing in AD 115, wrote of "those who are commonly called Christians", and said that "Christus from whom their name is derived, was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius."

Lucian of Samosata was a satirist of the second century, who spoke scornfully of Christ and the Christians. He mentions Christ as "the man who was crucified in Palestine" and says the Christians "worshipped the crucified...and lived under his laws."

...for he appeared to them alive again at the third day.

Josephus, a Jewish general, living in exile in Rome, wrote towards the end of the first century a history of the Jews. He mentions Jesus and says he was "a doer of wonderful works... And when Pilate had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again at the third day."

So if secular history attests those facts, why not examine the Gospel writers? For together we are faced with a number of facts which are not disputed by either side - Christians or the authorities (Jewish or Roman).

 Jesus actually died. Pilate, the Roman authority, was satisfied his execution squad had done their job before he released the body for burial.  Jesus was buried in a solid rock tomb following Jewish burial customs.  A large stone was placed over the entrance.  A guard was posted on the tomb and the tomb was sealed.

Then 2000 years ago on that first Easter Sunday morning everyone was faced with some amazing, but again undisputed facts:

"If you are going to explain away the resurrection of Jesus, you have to explain those facts," I said.

"The disciples stole the body."

"A bunch of scared men who so thought it was their turn to die next they gone into hiding stole the body from a tomb that was closed with a heavy stone, sealed and guarded! Yeah, right!"

"The authorities took the body."

"But why? If they did, why didn't they produce it when they wanted to prevent the spread of Christianity. A rotten corpse dragged around Jerusalem in a cart would have killed off the early church. But they couldn't produce it because they didn't have it."

"The disciples went to the wrong tomb."

"So why didn't the authorities correct them?"

"The disciples hallucinated."

"Different people at different times all having the same hallucination? On one occasion Jesus appeared to a crowd of over 500. Anyway, it still doesn't explain all the facts. Besides, hallucinations usually happen to people wishing to see something and the disciples took some convincing."

"Oh, I don't know then," said the student.

"Why don't you include the possibility that Jesus actually did rise from the dead? It's the conclusion that all the evidence points to. It's the only one that sits comfortably with all the facts."

"But that would be incredible!"

"An event that would divide human history into BC and AD. An event that would cause people to rather die than deny. An event that still has the power to change lives 2000 years on. Incredible? Yes, but did it happen? Just don't throw your brains away when you answer that question."

There was a thoughtful silence. And then the bell went for the end of the lesson.