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Day Three – How Can We Know the Resurrection Really Happened?

When it comes to sifting through the facts and subtle details of a situation and solving a mystery, there is none better than Sherlock Holmes. He is the icon of deductive reasoning, ruling out all the conclusions that do not fit the evidence and then arriving at the truth, however improbable it may be.

There is a sizable collection of evidence for the resurrection, both subtle and not so subtle. Looking back at 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, it must be mentioned that this passage is a very early creed that is quite conclusively dated to within three to eight years of Christ’s death.

This early date rules out the possibility that what it says is a product of a myth that developed long after the time of Jesus. The passage gives us three crucial points to investigate as evidence for the resurrection: Jesus’ death, an empty tomb, and eyewitnesses. 

How do these stack up? First, the scholarship of both skeptics and believers has concluded irrefutably that Jesus’ death by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans is the most knowable fact about His time on earth. Second, the empty tomb, a vital piece of evidence for the resurrection, is also on solid historical footing for multiple reasons. And finally, we come to the eyewitnesses who had, either individually or in a group setting, an experience that convinced them that Jesus had risen.

None of these points are much disputed, and there are many more pieces of evidence available. We are left, then, with the task of determining what explanation fits all the pieces together. There are alternate theories to explain away the resurrection, but none fit well. When it comes down to it, the best explanation is simply to acknowledge that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead.

Scriptures for Reflection:

1 Corinthians 15:3–8: One of the earliest creeds of the Christian faith. Includes a list of witness who could be questioned.

Matthew 28:11–15: The rumor that the disciples stole the body of Jesus is started.

Faith, we are told, “is the substance of things hoped of, the evidence of things no seen” (Heb, 11:1 NKJV). How does the evidence for the resurrection affect your faith?

Click here to download a infographic about the resurrection.