In 1979 Leslie, a spiritually confused agnostic, was greeted at her new condominium door by Linda, a neighbor with a plate of cookies. That developed into a friendship that eventually led to Leslie becoming a Christian. Not because it was pushed on her, but because she saw an unexplainable peace in her neighbor. As she explored that peace, she discovered a belief and eventually a relationship with the Jesus of the Bible. The problem was, her husband Lee was an avid atheist who hated the concept of God. When he was told, his reaction was not only anger, but fear, and a determination to save her from this “delusional lifestyle.” Knowing the foundation of Christianity was the resurrection, he set out to prove it was a hoax. He believed if he could disprove the resurrection, her whole new faith would crumble. As a sharp investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune, Lee put those skills to work. For two years he grilled experts, pored over historical documents, and examined the evidence in an effort to disprove the resurrection of Jesus. The problem was… he couldn’t. Instead of myths and legends, he found facts and evidence. On November 8th, 1981, Lee confessed he was wrong, repented, and started living for Jesus. What started as a quest to disprove the resurrection became the New York Times bestseller The Case for Christ. As we finish up this series on why we should believe the Bible, this story shows how real the evidence for Christ actually is. I am a firm believer that those with an open mind who truly examine the evidence for themselves will often come to the same conclusion that Lee Strobel and many others have reached. What was it that convinced Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell, Gilbert West, Frank Morison, and so many other atheists or skeptics to turn to God after denying Him well into adulthood? The overwhelming evidence for the resurrection is one of the main reasons. Paul tells us:
“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14)
So it is essential that we not only believe in the resurrection, but that it actually took place — otherwise Christianity as a whole is pointless. But what evidence is there that Jesus was raised from the dead, and how can we believe it? That is what we will explore in this post. As a skeptic, my first problem is likely going to involve questions like: How can we trust a 2,000-year-old miracle claim with sources written decades after the fact, all by believers making some pretty crazy claims that seem to require blind faith? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking through those very objections — the same ones that Lee Strobel and the other skeptics wrestled with — and I believe they deserve honest answers. Here is the conclusion I’ve come to: The resurrection is the best logical explanation that fits the facts. While it may not be 100% conclusive in a courtroom sense, it was more than enough to convince Lee Strobel and many other former skeptics… and it’s convinced me as well.1. The Dramatic Transformation of the Disciples One of the first and strongest pieces of evidence we need to consider is the dramatic transformation of Jesus’ disciples. These were ordinary men — fishermen, a hated tax collector, and common laborers. They had left everything to follow Jesus. But when He was arrested, they all scattered and fled (Matthew 26:56, Mark 14:50). Peter, the boldest of the bunch, swore he would never deny Jesus… yet he did it three times before the rooster crowed (Matthew 26:69-75). When Jesus was crucified, these men were defeated, depressed, and hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jewish leaders (John 20:19). There was zero boldness. Just pure fear. Then, just weeks later, something completely changed. These same men marched into the streets of Jerusalem — the very city where Jesus had been publicly mocked, beaten, and executed — and boldly declared, “Jesus is risen from the dead!” (Acts 2:14-36, Acts 4:1-20). They were willing to be beaten, imprisoned, and killed for that message. What changed? I believe the only thing powerful enough to cause that kind of 180-degree turnaround is this: They had seen the risen Jesus. Chuck Colson put it this way:
“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one of them was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world — and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”
The hard truth is this: Men don’t willingly die for a lie they know is false. Even most skeptics will admit that the disciples genuinely believed they had seen the risen Jesus. The only question left is — were they right?2. The Radical Transformation of Paul (Saul)Another powerful piece of evidence is the complete 180-degree turnaround of the man we know as the Apostle Paul. Originally named Saul, he was a zealous Pharisee who absolutely hated Christianity. He saw the early church as a dangerous threat and worked aggressively to destroy it. He was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58–8:3), approving of his murder, and was heading to Damascus with official letters to arrest more believers when his life was dramatically interrupted. Then everything changed. While traveling on the road to Damascus, a bright light from heaven flashed around him, and he heard the voice of Jesus Himself saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:3-5). From that moment on, the man who once persecuted the church became its boldest defender. Paul went from hunting Christians to preaching the very message he once tried to stamp out. And he paid a heavy price for it. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, he lists the incredible suffering he endured for the gospel. Why would a man like Paul make such a drastic change and then willingly suffer so much for the rest of his life? He had nothing to gain and everything to lose. The only explanation that makes sense is that Paul genuinely believed he had encountered the risen Jesus — and that encounter was so powerful and real that it completely transformed him. If he didn’t really see the risen Jesus, then how do we explain such a total and costly turnaround?3. The Empty Tomb Finally, let’s look at the empty tomb. Why does it matter so much? Because several quirks about it actually point toward its reliability. First, the Jewish leaders never denied that the tomb was empty. Instead, they spread the story that the disciples had stolen the body (Matthew 28:11-15). They were so concerned about this possibility that they asked for Roman guards to be placed at the tomb. Yet we’re supposed to believe that a group of scared disciples snuck past trained Roman soldiers, rolled away a massive stone, moved a rotting corpse, and disappeared without a trace — all while the guards slept through the entire thing? Roman soldiers didn’t fall asleep on duty. That was punishable by death. The story the Jewish leaders put out simply doesn’t hold up. Another detail that makes the story ring true: Women were the first witnesses. In first-century culture, a woman’s testimony was considered so unreliable it wasn’t even accepted in court. If the early church was inventing this story, they would never have led with women finding the empty tomb first. That detail is embarrassing. The only reason to include it is because it actually happened. If the tomb had not been empty, the simplest way to shut down the resurrection claim would have been to open the tomb and show the body. The Jewish leaders never did that — because they couldn’t. Skeptics have offered many theories over the years to explain the empty tomb, but they all have major holes. The empty tomb by itself doesn’t prove the resurrection. But it perfectly fits with everything else we see: the transformed disciples, Paul’s radical conversion, and the explosive growth of the early church. These three pieces of evidence — the dramatic transformation of the disciples, Paul’s radical conversion, and the empty tomb — are not the only reasons people have come to believe in the resurrection. There are others, such as Jesus’ multiple appearances after the crucifixion, the willingness of early martyrs to die for their faith, and the explosive growth of the church despite heavy persecution. None of us were there, so we can’t “prove” the resurrection in a scientific or courtroom sense. All we can do is examine the evidence that remains and decide which explanation best fits the facts. For me, after looking at the historical evidence and seeing what God has done in my own life and in the lives of others, I’m willing to take the leap of faith that God calls us to make. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only explanation that truly makes sense to me. I believe it’s the same conclusion Lee Strobel and so many other former skeptics eventually reached. And I believe it can be the same for you too. Thank you for reading this. As always, I would encourage you to spend time in His Word, in prayer, and in the fellowship of other believers. And if you haven’t visited already, I would encourage you to come visit our little church on the hill — it’s worth the drive.
Bro. Jason
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