WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION? by William Boekestein for Core Christianity
Though age would be rapidly catching up with him, some people believe that Elvis Presley is still alive. Despite certified death certificates, a very public, photographed funeral, and no verified appearances after the date of his death, fans insist: Elvis lives.
How many people view the resurrection of Christ similarly to conspiracy theories about Elvis? Is there compelling evidence that Christ actually rose from the dead? Or, is the story repeated simply because people wish him to not be dead? The stakes are high. Without the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity is empty and those who adhere to the faith “are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Cor. 15:14, 19).
Here are seven reasons to believe in the resurrection, not as a wish, but as a historical event:
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1. Astonishing things happen.
Those who dismiss all things supernatural “naturally” oppose the plausibility of Christ’s resurrection. But honesty compels us to admit that our world, at many points, resists naturalistic explanation. Ruling out the possibility of supernatural phenomena is not a scientific exercise; it’s an act of faith. Unless we begin with closed minds that dismiss the supernatural and resist the power of evidence, we’ll have no constraining reason to doubt the resurrection. Paul’s question to the Roman skeptic Agrippa, is worth pondering: “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8).
2. Scripture is accurate.
If the Bible were a religious fable designed to persuade readers to trust in a made-up God, then why are certain (many!) events included? Why would the Bible record the utterly despicable actions of Jacob’s son Judah with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Gen. 38)? Why would Moses (Num. 20), Jonah (Jonah 1:3), and John (John 20:9) write about their own moral failures? God included these events in the Bible because they actually happened and played a meaningful role in the story of God’s redemption. The Bible was written by eyewitnesses, historians, and recipients of reliable oral tradition (cf. Luke 1:1–4), all inspired by God’s Spirit, to accurately summarize God’s rescue work (John 20:30–31).
3. Something altered the apostles’ lives.
The powerful change in the lives of Jesus’ closest associates is totally inexplicable apart from his resurrection. After Christ’s death, the disciples’ dreams were dashed. When the women explained that they’d seen Jesus alive, post-crucifixion, “their words seemed to [the eleven] like idle tales, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). Before Christ’s death, the disciples scattered. After seeing the death-wounds on Jesus’ living body, most of the disciples sealed their faith in Christ with martyrs’ deaths. Prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter lacked the courage to speak about Christ, even to a servant girl (John 18:15–18). Afterward he boldly preached Christ before thousands of critics (see Acts 2; cf. 1 Cor. 15:9–10). During his earthly ministry, Jesus’ own brothers “did not believe in him” (John 7:5). Yet two of them—James and Jude—later authored Bible books promoting the glory of the risen Jesus. Only the resurrection explains this change.
