Bible students are aware of the significance of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul wrote that everything we believe is dependent upon the truthfulness of this event. If it is not true, then our faith is vain. (1 Cor. 15:13-19.) No more powerful statement of admission could be made. On the other hand, if Jesus arose from the dead (as Christians believe), then we have hope. This hope is real and grounded in historical events. It means much more than a wish or a chance. It is a biblical hope. A hope that saves.

"For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (Rom. 8:24-25.) "If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Cor. 15:19.)

Think with me about some possible arguments against the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is helpful to try to see things through the eyes of others who disagree and to seek answers to those objections. Just this week, I was reading some good articles about life and faith by a Unitarian minister. He quickly showed his doubts about heaven and a better world beyond this one. He said concerning heaven, Don’t count on it! But why not? Why shouldn’t we count on the resurrection from the dead to a better life?

This is a possible objection to believing in the resurrection of the dead today. But if it is valid, then we must also deny a multitude of other things and events in history that we have not seen or experienced. We did not witness the Creation of the world, or the Flood of Noah’s day, or hear John the Baptist preach, or see the crowds gather to listen to Jesus. Does it mean that these things are not so? We have not witnessed most events in history, yet we believe that they occurred. In fact, human beings are eyewitnesses to only a very small number of significant events.

The truthfulness of an event does not and cannot depend upon my first-hand knowledge of its occurrence. It is not logical to reject a possible event because you did not personally witness it. Peter spoke these words to the house of Cornelius:

"Him (Jesus) God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead." (Acts 10:40-42.)

I was not there at the dawning of the world, but angels were and they rejoiced. I did not see the giving of the Law, but Moses can testify that it happened. I did not see the crossing of the Red Sea, but the priests of Israel can verify that it is so. I did not see the suffering of the Savior, but the mother of Jesus did. I did not see Him after he arose, but all the apostles did and over 500 brethren at once beheld Him. (1 Cor. 15:5-8.)

Many people believe only the things for which they can logically and physically give some explanation. This person got well because of the antibiotics that the doctor prescribed. This person walked again after being paralyzed because of the physical therapy that they received. The sun seems to rise in the east and set in the west because the earth rotates around the sun. Tornadoes and hurricanes happen because. . . . Science in time answers every puzzle and difficulty, some believe.

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, there is no known explanation as to how such might happen. In the Valley of Dry Bones, Ezekiel 37, how do the dry bones start shaking and coming together? Who puts the sinew back in its place? How does living flesh form around the bones? What principle of biology explains how the dead body starts breathing again?

I am glad that there is no human explanation to the resurrection. Some try to tell us that Jesus was not really dead when he was placed in the tomb and that he just revived after he rested awhile! But that is not an explan-ation for how it occurred, it is a denial of his death and resurrection. I am glad that the whole explanation for the resurrection rests upon divine power. It is true that there is no earthly explanation for it. Man could not have accomplished it. It could not have happened on its own. The resurrection occurred by the power of God.

". . . and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (Rom. 1:4.) "Jesus answered and said, You do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." (Matt. 22:29.)

Some may object to the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead because many others in history have made similar claims. Many kings, who have desired worship from their subjects, have claimed to have been virgin-born. Some religious leaders have claimed a resurrection and ascension to heaven, as Christians believe about Jesus Christ. For example, Muslims believe that Mohammed ascended to heaven from the area of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. In order to ascend, one must be raised.

Obviously, in our world there is much deception and falsehood. Such is from Satan in an effort to weaken the truth. In the days of the apostles and prophets of God, there were sorcerers who bewitched the people. The false claims and demonstrations of the sorcerers did not make false the miracles of the disciples of Jesus. They, in fact, made the genuine miracles and deeds more evident. Even Simon the sorcerer knew that Philip was really doing what he only pretended to do. The real is self-evident to those who discern wisely.

There is so much more that can be said about the false claims of others that have claimed a virgin birth, a resurrection and ascension. However, the most direct answer that I would give is this one---those events fit into a larger picture and context. They do not exist alone. Those miraculous things fit into the overall historical context of the promised Messiah. It is precisely for this reason that God patiently worked out the scheme of redemption. The genealogy of Jesus is given in Scripture. He is the One who came from the Father above. (John 16:28.)

The things do not fit in with anything in the life of a king, or a Caesar, or Mohammed in the deserts of Arabia. These were all sinners who died and whose bodies lie buried in ancient tombs.

Some might argue that the events of Jesus life are too far removed in time and place for us to know for sure what happened. It is like an old crime scene where there are no longer any clues. How can we know for sure what really happened?

This argument confuses time and the role of eyewitnesses. We cannot go back in time to witness the event for ourselves. The only question that remains is what the nature of the eyewitness reports. Are they reliable? Do we have adequate evidence to believe? We have four gospel accounts from different witnesses. In addition, we have five other writers of books of the New Testament confirming their words. Thousands of others during forty days also saw and heard Jesus preach again after his resurrection.

Those forty days after his resurrection were extremely significant days. It was not just a couple of hours, or a few days, but forty days in which thousands saw him.

"(Apostles) to whom also he showed 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." (Acts 1:3.)

Concerning the time factor, we need to consider the following facts. We have an abundance of historical information dating back to Abraham’s day, approx. 2000 BC. We can date historical events rather accurately back to this time. We know that people were writing in Moses’ day, approx. 1500 BC. (Some have denied that people could write then.) The historical record is abundant from Jesus’ day. We have over 5000 fragments of New Testament documents. In addition, there is no such thing as "a pre-historic period." There is no such time in which men could not talk and write. This exists only in the minds of evolutionists who deny the creation of man. The events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are not so far removed from our day! We hear the voices of witnesses speaking clearly through the centuries.

It is true that long after a popular leader’s death untrue stories will be told and repeated. Things will be added to glamorize the person’s life. The French skeptic, Ernest Renan, draws a beautiful picture of Mary Magdalene in her love and grief fancying that she saw her longed-for Lord. Then, he imagines that she tells the disciples in Galilee and they believe her. Renan asserts that the belief in the resurrection grew up as a myth.

One thing that we know about myths is that a story begins and over time develops into a full-blown story with all the details. But remember that Jesus foretold that he would arise on the third day. From Caesarea Philippi, he began to tell his disciples what would happen to him. (Matt. 16:21.) There was no time for a myth to grow. From Jesus’ death unto the resurrection, less than 30 hours passed. The apostles being Galileans had all gone home and left Judea. Only those living nearby remained.

The reports of the eyewitnesses agreed with what Jesus said would occur. This was not a myth, but rather a fulfillment of what Jesus foretold.

In a homicide, before anyone can be convicted, it is important to have a deceased body. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead could be disproved immediately if his dead body could have been found. That would have stopped the preaching that Jesus arose from the dead. But there Jesus was preaching around Jerusalem and Galilee for forty days after his resurrection. Instead of a dead body, they had a live one.

But note the following about the claim that Jesus’ body was misplaced. Remember that there was a lot of interest in Jesus’ tomb because he made the claim that he would rise again in three days.

Jesus was buried in tomb belonging to a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimethaea. Surely, Joseph knew the location. He could have easily have led them to the tomb.

The Romans were in charge of the tomb where Jesus was laid. They placed a Roman seal on the tomb so that it could not be opened except by the authority of the Roman government. The right tomb was identified by the Romans.

The women knew the right place because they brought spices to give him a proper burial. Does anyone think that his mother Mary would not have followed and known where they laid the body of her son? All mothers know the exact location of where their children have been laid.

We could also ask, Who had an interest in pointing to the wrong tomb? Only the disciples. But if they did so and tried to mislead the authorities and people, they would have been immediately defeated in their effort. The Jews and Romans knew the right tomb.

If Jesus did not arise, the disciples and Mary would have marked the tomb of Jesus in his honor. But there was not a marker placed there until 326 AD by Queen Helena. During the reign of her son, Constantine, a cathedral was built over the site of the tomb. Why did they wait for 300 years to mark the place of his body? Because his body was not there.

Perhaps the strongest argument against the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is indifference and a lack of interest in the subject. But the more intense the questioning, the more people examine the evidence, and the more the facts are heard, the evident it is that our Lord arose from the dead on the third day. There are no credible arguments that can be lodged against the belief that Jesus our Lord arose from the dead. There are many denials and expressions of unbelief. There exists doubts. But there also exists the voices of hundreds of witnesses from the first century who said, I saw and heard him!