The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the distinguishing feature of the Christian faith. It brings a great contrast to founders and leaders of other religious systems who died and remain in the grave, because Christ is alive today.

Years ago on a nationwide radio quiz program, the master of ceremonies asked a group of boys, "Who in your opinion is the greatest living person today"? Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and other greats were mentioned. One boy answered, "Jesus Christ." The master of ceremonies objected, "But Jesus Christ isn't living today." The boy replied, "Please sir, my Sunday School teacher said that Christ died, was buried, and rose again from the grave, and is alive today in heaven." There was silence over the airwaves for a few breathtaking seconds, and then the master of ceremonies replied, "Son, I believe you are right."

Founders of world religions share the same fate as the rest of us. They die and are buried. Their tombs are often revered and even worshiped. Pilgrimages are made to their grave sites. But the fact remains that they are dead and gone. Their death demonstrates that even though they may have been great, they were like the rest of us — human.

Christianity stands on the resurrection of Christ. Essentially we are carrying all of our eggs in one basket. We must agree with Paul that if Christ did not rise, then all preaching is not only vain but actually false. Our faith is vain. We are yet in our sins. Additionally, we have no hope beyond the grave. Truly, we would be of all people "most miserable" (I Cor. 15:12-19).

Did Christ actually rise from the dead? Where is the evidence? Sir Robert Anderson, who for many years was head of the famous Scotland Yards, testified that there is no event in human history which is supported by such incontrovertible evidence. Actually, one of the amazing facts, as you study the record in the gospels and the Book of Acts, is that every conceivable objection and argument, every false notion and idea which unbelieving men have advanced through the centuries, was anticipated and is fully answered. It seems as though the Spirit of God looked down the corridors of time, anticipated all objections men could raise, and answered them with certain and sure facts.

The word "resurrection" in the New Testament invariably refers to the resurrection of the body; i.e., a physical resurrection. The Bible knows nothing about a "spiritual" resurrection. The conversion or regeneration of a person to faith in Christ is never spoken of as a resurrection but rather as a quickening or a new birth. Further, resurrection also involves the transformation of the body into a final, eternally glorified state. Thus, Lazarus and others who were raised from the dead by Christ were not resurrected in the true sense of the word, for they died again. Their bodies will be resurrected together with every other believer in Christ. The foregoing distinction is important, for there is much loose talk about the resurrection of Christ. Many say that it is not important to believe that Christ bodily arose from the tomb. The significance of the resurrection, they say, is that the spirit, the ideals, and the teachings of Christ with their tremendous influences are with us today.

A moment's reflection will disclose the danger as well as the emptiness of such talk. Many of us have parents or loved ones who have preceded us in death. We respect and appreciate the example of their lives, their testimonies, and the memories we cherish of them. How ridiculous it would be to say that such memories of loved ones constitute their resurrection from the dead. Such a declaration would be regarded as sheer nonsense. Yet, oddly enough, when such a statement is made by a theologian regarding Christ, it assumes an aura of truth.

The point is that Christ rose bodily from the grave. It was not a spirit, a phantom, a ghost or a vision of some sort which appeared to Mary Magdalene and the disciples. Christ had a body that could be touched, one that was real and recognizable. It was a body with a mouth that could speak and eat. It was a human body but in a resurrected, perfected, and permanent state. Let us summarize the evidence for Christ's resurrection:

II. Christ’s Resurrection was prophesied

Repeatedly Christ said He would die and rise again. At the commencement of His public ministry, He said to the Jews, after cleansing the temple, "Destroy this temple" (obviously referring to His body), "and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19-21). He said, "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:40). A number of times He told His disciples that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be mocked, spit upon, and shamefully handled, killed, and then rise again after three days. He said, "I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18). To the foregoing could be added the testimony of Old Testament prophecies.

The point is that the resurrection was not an add-on, or after-thought, created by the disciples in their despair after losing the One they hoped was their Messiah. Instead, the resurrection was an integral, essential part of Christ's life and ministry. His purpose in coming to earth was to die — and rise again.

It is amusing to watch the reactions of the disciples to Christ’s predictions. Once they heard Him say the word "death," they seemed to shut down, because they never seemed to catch the next part, "and be raised again the third day." On one occasion after Christ foretold His death and resurrection, Peter rebuked Him, "This shall not be unto Thee" (Matt. 16:22). Why would Peter make such an issue out of it? Because it was so contrary to his idea and the ideas of the disciples who had visions of a great kingdom being set up with themselves as chief administrators.

Almost as amusing is to observe the reactions of Christ’s enemies. They clearly understood His predictions. After Christ was buried, they asked Pilate to secure and guard the sepulcher because they said, "that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again" (Matt. 27:63).

Accordingly, the resurrection was a planned, prophesied, and programmed event, which excludes any charge of skulduggery or fraud by the followers of Christ for having invented the idea of a resurrection years later. The truth of the matter is that the resurrection of Christ was in the planning stage before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20-21).

All four gospel writers testify to the fact that Christ physically died and that His death was a supernatural one.

A. The testimony of the centurion. "When the centurion who stood facing Him, saw that He so cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39). What impressed the centurion? It was undoubtedly the loud cry of Christ. It was not a feeble whisper, but a vigorous, strong shout, followed by the bowing of His head to signify the end of life. It should be noted that Christ did not die of physical exhaustion. He did not "expire." He did not die of a broken heart as one song writer has sentimentally written. He died as no man has ever died, deliberately, at the precise moment He had chosen.

B. The testimony of Pilate. When Joseph requested Christ's body, Pilate marveled that He had already died. Crucifixion was a slow, agonizing death. It usually took two to three days for the victim's life to ebb away. The quick death of Christ caused some suspicion on Pilate's part. Accordingly, he first checked with the centurion, who verified Christ's death (Mark 15:43-45). Pilate was satisfied that Christ had died and released the body.

C. The testimony of the soldiers. It is significant that Christ did not receive the "normal" treatment from the soldiers. It was customary for them to break the legs of crucified ones. This produced shock in the body and hastened death. But Christ's legs were not broken. The reason was that they had determined that He already was dead (John 19:31-33).

To make certain beyond any possible doubt, one of the soldiers pierced Christ's side with his spear, resulting in the flow of blood and water (John 19:34). Medical authorities state that it is likely that the membrane of the heart was pierced.

These Roman soldiers were experts in death. We can be sure that they made all prescribed examinations, checking pulse, breathing, etc., to satisfy themselves that death had occurred. The fact that they were satisfied that Christ was dead, the fact that Pilate was satisfied, the fact that the Jewish leaders were satisfied, all indicates that Christ actually died. The Roman Government is clear proof. To allege that Christ swooned or even faked His death, and afterwards was resuscitated by His friends, or that He was buried still alive and later freed Himself from the tomb, is preposterous.

Despite their brevity, the gospels go into considerable detail regarding the burial of Christ. Pilate, after satisfying himself of Christ's death, gave custody of the body to Joseph of Arimathaea, a wealthy man, and a member of the Sanhedrin. He was a man of unquestioned integrity. He was an "honorable" counselor (Mark 15:43). He was a "good" and a "righteous" man (Luke 23:50). Joseph was assisted by Nicodemus, also a member of the Sanhedrin. They were prominent men who occupied positions of authority. They wrapped the body in linen with myrrh and aloes, in accordance with Jewish custom. The weight of the spices was considerable, about seventy pounds. The procedure was to wrap the body in linen bands from the armpits down to the ankles, with a napkin bound over His head and face. The large quantity of myrrh and aloes had the effect of cementing or gluing the linen cloth to the body. It would have been difficult for anyone to have tried to unwind the linen. In fact, for a live man to have even raised himself into a sitting position or to stand after the cementing process had taken effect would have been next to impossible.

Matthew tells us that the body was laid in Joseph's own tomb, which was nearby. Haste was required because it was nearing 6:00 P.M. when the Jewish preparation day began. We should also observe that in addition to Joseph and Nicodemus a number of women were present, such as Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, who saw where Christ was laid (Mark 15:47). A stone was rolled to the door of the tomb, described by Matthew as a "great" one, Mark says it was "very great."

Think of the evidence here: (1) the men were buried Jesus were trustworthy. They wanted to do things right. (2) Jesus was buried in a well known location, in a tomb right beside Golgotha, the place of crucifixion, a rather unusual thing for a crucified "criminal." Most were either left on the cross or dumped into a common unmarked grave. But this was Joseph’s grave, the grave of a well-known person in Jerusalem, because he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body in Israel. He was one of the rich and famous in Jerusalem. And probably most people would have known the location of his tomb. (3) He was wrapped up in seventy pounds of linen and spices and burial cement. (4) A huge stone was rolled in front of the opening of the tomb.

In addition, a rather curious incident occurred the next day when the chief priests and elders requested authority of Pilate to secure the grave until the third day to prevent theft of the body since Christ had predicted He would rise on the third day (Matt. 27:62-66). Thus Roman troops were added to the tomb scene. Understand that this guard was not just 2 or 3 men lounging around with wooden spears wearing mini skirts. A Roman guard unit was a 4 to 16 man security force. Each man was trained to protect 6 feet of ground. The 16 men in a square of 4 on each side were supposed to be able to protect 36 yards against an entire battalion and hold it. We can be certain, of course, that in taking such pains to seal and guard the tomb, the Chief Priests and Elders made absolutely sure that the body was actually in the tomb before they sealed it. It is well to note that the death and burial of Christ were never called into question either by the foes or friends of Christ.

The evidence is clear. Christ actually died. His body was placed and secured in a known location. People knew where the body was and the leadership was determined to protect it.

The simple fact is that the tomb in which Jesus Christ was buried is EMPTY! A number of women, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome, were first at the sepulcher very early or the first day of the week with spices for the purpose of completing the anointing of Christ's body. They had no expectation whatsoever of finding the tomb empty. On their way they were perplexed as to who would roll away the stone. To their consternation, they found the stone rolled away. Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John this unbelievable news. The other women proceeded to the tomb where they were informed by an angel, "He is not here, for He is risen as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matt. 28:6).

Peter and John, upon hearing Mary's report, ran to the tomb, entered it, and observed the phenomena of the linen clothes in which Christ had been wound, and the napkin originally about His head, lying in a separate place (John 20:5-8). What they saw were grave clothes, hollowed out with the appearance of a cocoon. Obviously, this could not have been the work of a grave robber. No one intent on stealing Christ's body would have troubled himself to unwind and re-wind the wrappings. It would, of course, have been humanly impossible to remove the body of Christ and to leave the linen wrappings intact, or to restore them to their original condition. The only possible conclusion was that Christ must have risen through them.

The head napkin was found in a separate place indicating an orderly departure from the tomb. John says that he and Peter saw all of this evidence and "believed." The evidence pointed clearly to a supernatural act.

Matthew 28:11-15 states that the Roman guards came into the city after the earthquake and the rolling away of the stone. They informed the Chief Priests of everything that had transpired. No questions were raised regarding their account. These religious leaders did not even bother to go out to the tomb to investigate the truthfulness of the story. They accepted the fact that Christ had disappeared from the tomb even though they could not officially admit it. It would have destroyed their position. Instead they bribed the guards with a substantial amount of money, instructing them to say that Christ's disciples came by night and stole the body while they, the guard, slept. Think of the weakness of that story: (1) the guards should have been executed for sleeping on the job; (2) how does one know what is going on while sleeping?

It is apparent from the testimony of the disciples journeying to Emmaus (Luke 24) that the report of the empty tomb became front page news that very day and was the subject of everyone's conversation in Jerusalem. Picture the excitement that swept Jerusalem as people heard the details of the empty tomb, the Roman soldiers, the grave clothes, the people who met Christ, even the saints that arose that day and appeared to many in the city (Matt. 27:52-53). It must have been a wild day in Jerusalem!

One of the most convincing forms of evidence is that of an eye witness. The testimony of one reliable eye witness carries much weight. The witness of two or three has always been regarded as establishing a fact. At least ten appearances of Christ are recorded during which He appeared to many. At one such appearance over 500 eye witnesses bore testimony that they saw Him. Here is the list.

A. Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18). Mary initially identified Christ by His voice and then by sight. Incidentally, an individual's voice is as unique and characteristically personal as his fingerprints. Police departments today can identify "voice prints," even when the individual attempts to disguise his voice. Mary Magdalene's sorrow was instantly changed to ecstatic joy when she recognized that she had seen Christ alive.

B. Mary, the mother of James, and Salome (Matt. 28:8-10). These women not only recognized Christ, but worshiped Him.

C. Peter (Luke 24:34; I Cor. 15:5). No details are given about this meeting. But it is significant that our Lord would personally appear to the one who had denied Him three times.

D. Two disciples traveling to Emmaus (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32). Emmaus was about seven miles from Jerusalem, a two-hour walk. Christ joined the two apparently soon after they left Jerusalem and accompanied them all the way to Emmaus to their home. They were supernaturally kept from recognizing Him. During the walk, Christ expounded to them the Old Testament prophecies concerning Himself, resulting in their hearts burning within them. They recognized Christ in the breaking of bread in their home, after which He immediately vanished. They were so excited that they immediately ran back to Jerusalem to report the appearance to the apostles.

E. Ten apostles, Thomas being absent (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25). The two Emmaus disciples found the apostles gathered together behind closed doors. It appears that this was a called meeting, probably by Peter, to discuss the appearance of Christ to him, as well as other astounding events of the day. Suddenly, during the reporting session, Christ appeared, causing terror and fright. He showed the unbelieving disciples His hands and feet, and He invited them to touch Him. To further convince them that He was not a spirit, He asked for and ate a piece of fish and some honeycomb.

F. The apostles, Thomas being present (John 20:26-31; I Cor. 15:5). It was at this meeting that Thomas, convinced beyond any doubt, acknowledged Christ as "My Lord, and my God."

G. Seven apostles beside the Sea of Galilee (John 21). After a night of useless fishing, a stranger on shore suggested that they cast the net "on the right side of the boat." After catching 153 large fish, John identified the stranger as "the Lord." Upon returning to shore, "none of the disciples dared ask Him, who art Thou, knowing that it was the Lord" (John 21:12).

H. The apostles and more than 500 brethren (Matt. 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:6). The "Great Commission" was given on this occasion.

I. James, the Lord's half brother (I Cor. 15:7). No details are given, but this may have been the beginning of genuine faith on James' part as well as Christ's other half brothers and sisters.

J. Apostles just prior to the ascension (Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:3-12).

K. Other appearances. Luke states that Christ was seen by the apostles over a period of forty days and taught them concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). This language suggests that there were many other appearances of which those listed above are merely samples. These appearances furnished the disciples with "many infallible proofs." Christ did not appear to any unbelievers after His resurrection.

A. The overwhelming number. One or two appearances would have carried considerable weight. There were numerous such appearances.

B. The time period. These appearances occurred immediately after the resurrection, beginning on the same day He arose. They were confined to a period of forty days and ceased immediately upon His ascension.

C. The length of the appearances. Christ’s appearances were not momentary. He spent hours with His disciples. For example, the appearance to the disciples on the way to Emmaus probably lasted up to two hours or more.

D. They were not visions. Practically all of the appearances were in the day time. They could not, in any event, have been dreams or visions. For example, men who saw Christ on the evening of the resurrection day, to say nothing of over 500 on the day of His ascension, could not have all dreamt the same dream at the same time or have had the same "trance-like" experience.

E. The appearances were unexpected. People were not engaged in extended periods of meditation or prayer, asking God to show Christ to them. His resurrection was furthest from their thoughts. They were engaged in ordinary pursuits of daily duties, such as fishing, traveling, working, etc., when Christ appeared to them. Further, they had to be convinced against their own wills that He was indeed Christ.

F. The disciples recognized Him. At each appearance Christ was readily identifiable as the Christ Whom they had known before His death. His features, appearance, and characteristics were the same. Mary identified Him by His voice. His hands and side were marks of identification. He could not have been an impostor. The disciples could not have been mistaken. Thomas, the most incredulous of the group, was positively convinced. It is impossible that more than 500 witnesses could have been deceived.

G. He performed miracles. This was evidence to the disciples that He was the same supernatural Lord they had known. For example, He appeared in their midst through closed doors. The eyes of the two Emmaus travelers were "holden so that they did not recognize Him." He caused the seven disciples at the Sea of Galilee to catch 153 large fish, which must immediately have brought to their remembrance a previous similar catch made while Christ was with them (Luke 5:1-11). When they came to shore they saw a fire with fish and bread, reminding them of the feeding of the multitudes on two different occasions (John 21:9).

One of the most amazing stories in the Book of Acts is the rapid, almost wildfire spread of Christianity. From a beginning of only 120, who met in the upper room at Jerusalem before the Spirit's descent, the converts to Christianity were numbered in the thousands and millions by the end of the first century.

At Thessalonica the complaint was, "These that have turned the world upside down are come here also" (Acts 17:6). The apostles, particularly Paul, spread the gospel to just about the ends of the known world by that time. Consider the qualifications and characteristics of the apostles as preachers of the gospel.

A. They had first-hand knowledge of the facts. Peter and John, standing before the Sanhedrin, said, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20). It is well to note the constraint on the apostles — they felt a compulsion to speak as witnesses.

The principal subject of the apostles' preaching was Christ's resurrection: "This Jesus hath God raised whereof we are witnesses" (Acts 2:32). "With. great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 4:33). Peter termed himself as a "witness of the sufferings of Christ" (I Peter 5:4).

In addition, these disciples preached the resurrection in the very city in which it occurred and within fifty days after its occurrence. If Christ had not risen, the Jewish leadership could have stopped their preaching by taking everyone to the tomb. But they couldn’t. The apostles never made any effort to prove the resurrection. It was always preached as a known and recognized fact.

B. The apostles were men of integrity. It is difficult to question their absolute honesty and truthfulness because there is not the slightest evidence that they were hypocrites. All motives for hypocrisy and deception are completely lacking.

What motivates men to hunt for gold, to explore the North Pole, to hazard their lives in climbing mountains, or to thirst after the position of President of the United States? Primary answers are the desire for riches, popularity, fame, prestige, and power. All of these motives are lacking in the apostles. They devoted their energies, time, and even life itself to make the gospel known. They gained no money. Peter said to the lame man at the temple door, "Silver and gold have I none" (Acts 3:6). Even though members of the early church sold their homes and property for the cause of Christ, none of it found its way into the apostles' pockets.

The apostles suffered and died for their message. Men do not die for lies. It is hard enough to persuade them to live and die for the truth. It is inconceivable that Peter, James, John, and the other apostles could for thirty years or more have preached a message which down in their hearts they knew was a fraud. We say it is an impossibility. They could not have been deceived or deceived others so consistently. The only fact which satisfactorily accounts for the apostles' conduct is the literal resurrection of Christ.

C. The apostles were intelligent men. While most of them may have been unlearned and uneducated, they were all men of native intelligence. Matthew the Publican was a successful businessman and undoubtedly adept in detecting fraud or methods of evading payment of taxes. He must have been skillful at evaluating people. Peter, James, and John were hard-headed, resourceful businessmen, successful at the fishing business. Thomas was a questioner and a skeptic at times. He demanded positive evidence before he would believe. Paul was a brilliant, zealous young man, earnestly trying to stamp out the new religion called Christianity, which he regarded as such a threat to Judaism. He was educated at the feet of Gamaliel. It was only his personal encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road that could explain his complete turn about into a burning zealot for Christ.

It is contrary to logic and reason to think of a group of cowardly, fearful, discouraged disciples concocting the story of Christ's resurrection and then preaching it in the very city where He had been condemned and nailed to the cross. There is no logical or reasonable basis upon which the testimony of these apostles can be rejected. Such testimony would be admissible before a court of justice today, which requires only that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word will be established. We must receive their testimony, and having received it, we must believe it. To reject it is to say that the apostles were liars or deluded men.

D. Numerous miracles accompanied the apostles' preaching. This fact is significant, for God in effect validated and authenticated the preaching of Christ's resurrection by miracles, signs, and wonders. A man, lame from birth, was healed by Peter and John (Acts 3:1-11). Many signs and wonders were wrought, including multitudes healed merely by the shadow of Peter passing over them (Acts 5:12-16). Stephen did great wonders and miracles (Acts 6:8). Many were healed by Philip at Samaria (Acts 8:5-8). Numerous miracles accompanied Paul's preaching wherever he went. Obviously these miracles were not performed through the power of the disciples — or Satan. All of these miracles were confirmatory of the fact that the message of the resurrection was indeed the truth, and its preaching was being validated by God Himself.

It is interesting that in the preaching of the apostles, the empty tomb was never mentioned as a piece of evidence. They didn’t have to argue for it because everyone accepted it as true. The fact was so well known that it was superfluous to even mention it. The apostles emphasized the fact that they were eye witnesses of what had happened.

What do people do when they reject the testimony of the apostles? How do they explain the presence of an empty tomb when it was so well guarded?

A. The Swoon theory. Proponents say that Christ never died. He swooned or lapsed into unconsciousness. Everyone thought He was dead. Medical knowledge was limited in those days, and so they buried an unconscious, but live man. Some even go so far as suggesting that Christ had a co-conspirator at the foot of the cross. At a given signal, such as when Christ said, "I thirst," this conspirator passed up to Him a drugged drink, which enabled Him to feign death. The friends of Christ, after gaining possession of the body, could have resuscitated it and somehow nursed Him back to life, hid Him, and then later produced Him as having risen from the dead.

Or Christ could have revived and by superhuman strength managed to roll away the stone and overpower or elude the guards. He could then have reached the home of a friend, where He would announce Himself as having risen from the dead.

The weakness of this theory lies in the facts. Christ died. And if, somehow, He didn’t, He could not, humanly speaking, have survived the cold nights in a Palestinian tomb without food, water, or medical treatment. He could not have raised Himself from the stone slab. He could not have rolled away the massive stone, and He could not have overpowered the guard.

The theory presupposes Christ to have been a fraud. Also, it regards the disciples to be dishonest, as well as the women, Joseph of Arimathaea, Nicodemus, and others. Such a conclusion seems to be completely alien to their characters.

B. The Theft theory. The disciples came by night, overpowered the guard, and stole the body. Or they could have stolen the body while the guards slept. After all, the Roman guards themselves maintained this view. But the theory can only be maintained with an ignorance of the professional abilities of the Roman guard along with an overconfidence in the unprofessional abilities of the disciples for theft. It is a story that cannot be supported by the facts. The disciples were not dishonest men. At this point, they were cowards and could not have mustered up courage to steal the body. Further, why steal a body? Only to bury it again? And die for a lie? Motivation to steal the body was completely lacking among them.

C. The Twin brother theory. Christ had a twin brother, who always stayed in the background. He was a quiet, reserved fellow. Three days after Christ died, this twin came forth and announced that he had risen. Obviously, this theory ignores many of the facts.

D. The Lettuce theory. The gardener of Joseph's tomb had planted lettuce in the garden. Many people came to the tomb, walking all over the planted lettuce seeds. This so irritated the gardener that he himself moved the body to another tomb. One must conclude that the inventor of this theory was desperate to find some explanation. There is absolutely no basis for it in the record.

E. The Wrong-tomb theory. There were probably many tombs, and the women simply visited the wrong tomb. They met a young man, a gardener, who asked, "Who are you looking for?" They replied, "Jesus of Nazareth." "Not here," he answers. "See the place where they laid him — probably pointing to another tomb. The frightened women misunderstood and said one to another, "Did you hear that? Christ isn't there. He must have risen." Everybody else after that went to the wrong tomb.

Again, this is a theory which cannot stand examination. Joseph's tomb was a special one, located in a private burial ground near the crucifixion site. There is no suggestion that there were other tombs nearby. It is unlikely that a gardener would have been at work at such an early hour of the morning. Even if it were possible that the women went to the wrong tomb, shall we say that Peter, John, and others fell into the same mistake? Is it conceivable that even Joseph of Arimathaea could not find his own tomb? Remember that these women carefully observed where Christ was buried so that they could return to complete the anointing process.

F. The hallucination theory. The disciples thought they saw Christ. They so grieved over His death that they became mentally distraught. In such a psychotic state, coupled with physical exhaustion, one can see almost anything he yearns to see. This theory is probably mentioned more often than others.

As stated above, Christ's numerous appearances could not have been visions or hallucinations. He appeared for lengthy periods of time to the disciples, over 500 on one occasion. He positively identified Himself as Christ by His voice, His hands, His feet, and His side.

This argument is based on the idea that any one of hundreds of possibilities might explain Christ's resurrection. "Is it just possible that Christ swooned on the cross and did not actually die?" There was actually a case mentioned by Josephus of a crucified man who was turned over to his friends for burial. They detected life in him and began to work on his body. Although he began to breathe, they could not revive him, and he died. "But," says the unbeliever, "isn't it possible that friends of Christ could have revived Him after His crucifixion?"

Our reply to the "isn't it possible" argument is that evidence is never based on possibilities. Evidence consists of facts. A prosecuting attorney must present facts to the court which are of such a number and of such weight as to convince the judge beyond reasonable doubt that the accused man did in fact commit the crime with which he is charged. Such proof is not of the mathematical variety or the kind that says two plus two makes four. It is, however, proof of such a nature and of such quantity and weight that will satisfy the average person and make him certain that a particular act or event did occur. Judges and juries find offenders guilty and sentence them to imprisonment based on such evidence.

The "isn't it possible" argument contains no proof. It rejects the facts with the assumption that something else happened. That’s not wise. God encourages us to consider the facts. And in the case of Christ's resurrection, the facts are overwhelmingly clear.

The resurrection is the supreme vindication of Christ’s identity and teaching. Is He God? Not if He is still dead. Did He speak truth? Not if He promised He would rise from the dead and didn’t. It all comes down to the question: "IS CHRIST ALIVE OR IS HE DEAD?" If Jesus Christ is alive, it would be foolish not to believe Him and turn to Him for Salvation. And if He's dead, it would be foolish to believe in Him. There's no in-between. It's all or nothing. And the Resurrection is the key.