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(#17) He Must Have Been Dead and Buried

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If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#17) He Must Have Been Dead and Buried [audio]

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Mythicists and skeptics attempt to debunk Jesus in a number of ways, from the dismissal of the Scriptures to dubious conspiracy theories. Last time (Day 16) we dealt with the argument that Jesus never existed at all, which turns out to be a really poor historical position. However, many of the arguments deal, not with the existence of Jesus, but with a skeptical look at His death and burial. If one desired to undercut the resurrection, he might argue that, yes, there was a Jesus, but He was never crucified. Or, he was crucified, but didn’t die and was never buried. The empty tomb was a hoax because the body was never there from the beginning. The more popular twist on this, however, is to contend that Jesus was put in the tomb, but He was still alive. This is often called the “swoon theory.” It is the argument that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, but went into some kind of deep subconscious state or coma and later revived.

Let’s work our way through this theory, for it is the one you will most likely encounter:

  1. What do we know from the historical documents?
    • We addressed some of this last time, but there are sufficient non-biblical historical records that attest to the fact that Jesus was crucified. Tacitus even mentioned that Jesus was crucified at the hand of Pontius Pilate. Josephus, in the Arabic version, writes that Pilate had condemned Jesus to death. Thallus (via Julius Africanus) speaks of the earthquake and darkness that followed the crucifixion of Christ. The record of His death is referenced by Lucian, Mara Bar-Serapion, The Acts of Pontius Pilate (via Justin Martyr), Phlegon (via Origen), and the Jewish Talmud. 
    • The death of Jesus in the biblical record is explicit. All four Gospels attest to His death: “He gave up His spirit” (Matthew and John); “breathed His last” (Mark and Luke) as well as the rest of the New Testament in too many places to list. 
    • The reality is that, by the best of historical literary standards, Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate and sentenced to death by crucifixion.
  2. Historical understanding of Roman crucifixion
    • The Roman method of execution was by crucifixion. The Persians invented it in 300BC but the Romans perfected it. They executed thousands this way, some say in the hundreds of thousands. It was cruel. It was horrific. It was meant to elicit deep fear and dissuade anyone from disobeying Roman authority. Our word excruciating comes from the Latin, excruciare, “out of the cross”.
    • If you have never read a medical and physiological description of crucifixion, you should probably do so, with the caution that it will make you sick.
    • Cicero called crucifixion the “extreme and ultimate punishment of slaves” and the “cruelest and most disgusting penalty.”
    • Josephus called it “the most pitiable of deaths.”
    • The Roman soldiers put under orders to execute criminals were professional at doing so.
    • This was the Roman method of capital punishment. To insist that someone could go through this and still be alive would be like someone arguing that “Ted Bundy” survived the electric chair and is still alive, or “Timothy McVeigh”, who was executed by injection, survived and is still running around. This borders on the incredulous.
  3. Evidence of death
    • Not only was Jesus sentenced to death and then crucified, there are also historical descriptions that confirm He died. When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus to make sure He was dead, both blood and water flowed out of the wound. Some physicians believe this is a clear indication that Jesus’ heart had burst. Either that or the soldier, skillfully and purposefully, pierced Jesus’ heart. When the soldiers came to break the legs of the three crucified to hasten death (they would then no longer be able to push up to get a breath of air), they did not break the legs of Jesus because He was already dead. Again, this was ascertained by the professional executioners who knew when someone was dead (reread the spear). The documents tell us He breathed His last and gave up His spirit; His body was wrapped according to burial customs; He was laid in a tomb; a large stone was rolled over the door and sealed; and a guard of solders was posted outside.
    • When one then adds the vast evidence of all of the resurrection events, including the earthquake, the guards fleeing, the angels, etc… I don’t know how much evidence one needs, but it is more than compelling. It is overwhelming.
  4. Common sense issues
    • To think that someone could survive a Roman execution is grasping at straws. If you think one could survive crucifixion and then be wrapped in layers and layers of linen cloth mixed with 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh and not suffocate, you are now grasping at more than straws. Add to this that Jesus was first scourged (leaving most people near death and disgusting to even describe) and then crucified and then pierced with a sword (most likely into the heart). Add also that He was wrapped like a mummy and then laid in a cold tomb with a heavy stone over the entrance that was both sealed and guarded by professional Roman soldiers. Well, if after all of this, one still glibly maintains that Jesus was not only NOT dead, but then somehow able to get up and escape, one has simply entered into some logic twilight zone.
    • When Joseph of Arimathea came to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus to bury, Pilate first summoned the centurion to make sure He was dead, which the centurion confirmed. It is without any reason at all to believe, first, that the centurion would get it wrong or, second, that he would put his own life on the line by confirming an execution death if it were not true.
    • Nor would it make sense that Joseph and Nicodemus could spend a few hours with the body, carrying it and wrapping it, when rigor mortis is setting in, and somehow be fooled that the body wasn’t dead. 
    • And, maybe more so, it wouldn’t make sense at all that the post-resurrection, radical changes we see in the women and the disciples would have occurred if the death of Jesus was faked. Which leads us to the next…
  5. Ethical issues 
    • The swoon theory requires that Jesus was a most despicable liar and deceiver. He would have been lying to Magdalene, to the other women, to Peter, to Cleopas and His companion, to the disciples, to James and to the 500+ gathered on the mountain. This requires us to take a horrific leap from everything we have seen and heard from the life of Jesus to then say that He lied about His resurrection and that all of His appearances were nothing but a wholesale scam.
    • We would also have to either discount the record of the angels or say that they were also lying (that is hard to imagine) or that the women were lying and never saw them at all.
    • This would mean that both the women and the disciples were all part of a truly evil plot to deceive the world. And if so, many of them would have to have defended this lie up to and through their own executions.

There is another argument. It is the “substitution theory”. This position is mainly derived by some from the Qur'an which teaches that Jesus was real, a prophet, but it wasn’t Jesus that was crucified. Some then say that it was someone else on the cross, not Jesus—a substitute. This, in itself, would be quite extraordinary that someone would be willing to go through the horrible scourging and despicable death by crucifixion in order to propagate a lie. Even if it were someone else being forced to go through this, surely, we would have heard them denying that they were Jesus throughout the horrible process. Not only that, but you are still left with the empty tomb to explain as well as all the ethical issues we listed above, including that Jesus predicted His death many times and then faked it instead. There are also common-sense issues one of which is how can Jesus be tried and sentenced in front of the High Priest, chief priests and everyone else and no one just happens to notice that it is not Jesus? Or, how in the world did someone make a switch with Jesus under the command of the Roman soldiers? From the time Jesus was arrested until the time He was taken down from the cross, He was never out of the control of the authorities. And can anyone in their wildest dreams imagine that Jesus’ mother, at the cross, didn’t know that they were nailing someone else up there? Is she not able to discern the voice of her own son?

These, again, are desperate notions that expose the fact that we are not dealing with evidential problems. Instead, we are dealing with heart problems. When you are in conversation with your neighbor and they offer some of these theories, recognize the real cause and deal with it appropriately and wisely, with fervent prayer and grace.

 

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(#2) The Seal Was Broken
 If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then (#2) The Seal Was Broken [audio] We don’t spend much time talking about the seal that was placed upon the tomb, but I think it is significant. Here is the historical record: The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27:62-66) The account states that the chief priests and the Pharisees “made the tomb secure by sealing the stone…”.  This seal was most likely several ropes that were drawn across the stone and then affixed to the tomb walls with a soft clay imprinted with some symbol of authority. It was also likely that the ropes were sealed at their juncture in front of the stone. In this way, no one could move the stone or the ropes without breaking the dried clay and destroying the “seal” affixed upon the clay.  The seal was there to “put on notice” that no one was to mess with the tomb. Rome could deal quite nastily with those who did so. Now, this doesn’t mean much to us today, for we are long past the norm of using “seals” as they were utilized in ancient times. but in those days, a seal was inviolable[1]. It represented authority, authenticity, and finality. No one messed with a seal. In the book of Esther, when King Ahasuerus issued the order to save the Jews, he commanded them to “seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.” (Esther 8:8) When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, “… a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel." (Daniel 6:17) In the vision concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, the Scripture says: And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” (Isaiah 29:11) The permanence of a seal against all who were unauthorized to break it was an inviolable part of their world.  It becomes even more apparent when John is caught up to heaven and there beholds the scroll with seven seals. John weeps because there was “no one worthy to open the scroll or to look into it” (Revelation 5:4). Of course, we find that the Lamb, “standing as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6), was worthy to break the seals. And when each of those seals were broken, great calamity came upon the earth. Seals in the Scripture mean something. And John had wept, because the seal represented an inviolable wall to anyone who did not have the authority to break it. Seals show authority. They show authenticity. And they show finality for all except the one who had the authority to break them. And so, we now come back to the tomb. The seal, whether it was a Roman seal or the High Priest’s seal, represented a fixed closure that no one was allowed to breach. When it was set upon the tomb, there was a finality, a stamp of ultimate authority, that said, “This tomb is closed.” Ah, but God is not subject to the laws or seals of man. I can imagine that when the earth began to shake and the stone was rolled aside, that those clay seals with the authority of man impressed upon them broke into a thousand pieces and lay as trash littering the ground. If Jesus rose from the dead, then the seal of man, meant to keep Him in the grave, had been utterly and completely destroyed. But there is one more thing that must be mentioned regarding “seals”. It is important to note that God has given us this detail in the record to help substantiate the reality of the accounts of the empty tomb and the risen Lord Jesus. But it also brings our minds to something quite wonderful. In John 6:27, Jesus said: Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” If God seals something, it is sealed! In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) “… it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:21) This is God’s seal of authority, authenticity, and finality. You are His, sealed with His guarantee. Oh, my, dear brothers and sisters in Christ! How deep is the steadfast love of God that He should do such mighty things to secure us to Himself and then tell us that He has put His own seal upon you and me? As David writes: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” (Psalm 139:6) [previous] [next]     [1]Inviolable /ĭn-vī′ə-lə-bəl/: never to be broken, infringed or dishonored; unassailable; secure from violation or assault or trespass
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If Jesus Rose from the Dead, then... (#0)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important truth claim in a biblical worldview. It is the key apologetic for Christianity. It is the most important event in history. The implications of the Resurrection are so deeply woven into the fabric of our Christian faith that it is important for us to continually embed its truths into our heart and mind such that it becomes an ever-present reality. To do this, I would like for us to ponder fifty compelling arguments and implications that are true if Jesus, indeed, “rose from the dead.” We will look at these, one a day, over the next seven weeks. This will take us through Ascension Day and Pentecost. The latter two are important days of remembrance following the Resurrection and we will highlight them. But more importantly, I want to help people contemplate, on a daily basis, over a sustained period of time, the tremendous significance of the Resurrection. We will do this by considering not only the many proofs, but also the many deep implications. I would encourage you to do this as devotions with your spouse or as a study for your small group and then engage in a healthy discussion (suggested questions will be provided in the daily email). My prayer is that God will use these days to increase faith within the Body of Christ and our ability to provide a "neighborly apologetic" to those who are open to hear as the result of the relationships we are building with them. Paul states that without the resurrection, our faith would be in vain and we would still be lost.  “… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”      1 Corinthians 15:17 This is not a minor statement, and it should cause us pause, for it puts this unique historical event into sharp perspective. Without the Resurrection, we are hopelessly lost. We are without a true faith and we are unforgiven, still condemned in our sins. We should probably read that verse over several times before plowing forward. It is easy for me, and possibly you, to treat Easter as another Christian holiday marked by multiple, and possibly extensive, preparations. Church choirs rehearse diligently and on overtime, special services are prepared (think Good Friday and sometimes Sunrise Services), thousands of lilies are tended and provoked to bloom at the right time and are purchased to line sanctuary rails, special meals are planned and prepared and joyously consumed, treasure hunts are created, painted eggs are hidden and Easter baskets are filled with chocolate bunnies, peeps, and who knows what else the market has, and will, come up with.  The point here is that just like Christmas and Thanksgiving and every other holiday, including birthdays, anniversaries, and the multitude of “take-your-boss-to-lunch” kind of days, they are preceded with much preparation, happy execution, and then forgotten except to toss the wrappings into the trash and press on with life as usual. When I was at the White House, the annual “Easter Egg Roll” on the south lawn was a big deal with weeks of preparation, followed immediately by a massive clean-up and the Secret Service hustling folks out of the “compound”. The next day, it was impossible to find any evidence that there had been anything going on. For the Resurrection, however, Paul implies that it is something so critical to our faith that it should be an ever present reality. The astounding cry, “He lives!” should be ongoing, not a one-and-done holiday. Certainly, "We serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today," as the famous hymn states, is an astounding, continual reality. I believe it is important for us to frequently ponder and meditate upon the deep implications that the tomb was really, truly empty and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is absolutely true. So, we will look at not only these implications, but also the apologetic propositions and the incredible truths that logically follow this unmatched historical assertion. We will generally lay down the apologetic arguments first and then deal with the implications. And hopefully, after working your way through all of this, you will have imprinted these implications and truths deep in your heart such that they will help you with your walk into the darkness we call future. Because it is the Resurrection of Christ that stands not only at the forefront in the apologetic reality of who Jesus is and what God has done for us, but also the enduring hope we have in Christ. As another famous hymn states: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." [Next: It Would Have Shaken Everything]
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