Here are TEN quick reasons why nobody can really, rationally deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is absolutely plausible…
1. Nobody expected it—not even His closest followers.
2. Nobody would have invented it—The cleverest fiction writer wouldn’t have contrived this story, and least of all a bunch of uneducated, perplexed disciples.
3. Nobody would have believed it—unless it was undeniable. 1st century culture was just as unlikely, or more so, to believe in a bodily resurrection as any skeptic is today.
4. Nobody could deny it in the first century—there were over 500 living eyewitnesses who testified to the truth, and many source witnesses and records that substantiated the facts.
5. Nobody would die for a lie—Jesus’ disciples and followers radically reversed their abandonment of Him and ultimately went to the death for their belief. Would you do that for what you knew was a lie?
6. Nobody would worship their own brother—Jesus little brother James was a skeptic, until Jesus appeared to him after resurrection. Then he became a worshipper of Jesus.
7. Nobody would have convinced Saul—Saul was the sworn arch enemy of Christianity, and perhaps the least likely person to ever believe. He was a radicalist, committed to exterminating Christians. But He became a believer after seeing Jesus.
8. Nobody can explain the explosion of Christianity—Powerful empires, persecution, threat, imprisonment, death—nothing could stop Christians from believing and telling others. Legends can’t be created that quickly, and legends don’t convince so many people, so radically, so immediately.
9. Nobody can argue millions of changed lives—over 2,000 years, millions have believed in Jesus and followed Him, validating His life within them and His real work in their lives.
10. Nobody could deny its prophetical fulfillment—in hindsight, it is clear—Jesus death, burial, resurrection was foretold hundreds and hundreds of years earlier. (See Isaiah 53 and 54.) Many times God gave record as to what would happen, when, how, and why.
Is Jesus’ resurrection believable? Absolutely! In a court of law, the body of evidence is BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT!
One missionary asked a formerly Muslim man, “Why did you become a Christian?”
He said, “It’s like this. I was journeying down the road of life, and came to a fork. I didn’t know which way to go, but there were two men there. One was dead and stayed dead, one was dead and came back to life. Which one would you ask for directions?”
We can celebrate with confidence—we have not followed a fable, we have followed the TRUTH!
2 Peter 1:16 “16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
Acts 1:3 “3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”
