One type of evidence that most legal systems around the world recognize is that of eye-witness testimony. If either side in a court case can produce some witnesses who, under oath, can testify that they saw something pertinent to the case, that is usually rather good for their side. One eye-witness is good. Two or three are even better. How about a dozen? That would be great, and most juries would be favorably impressed with that. What if in a legal case, the defendant was able to produce over 500 eye-witnesses? Our Scripture from the Epistles this week, takes a look at the case for the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul has to say.
Even as early as the days of the Apostles, there were some people going around the churches, claiming and teaching that Jesus had not really bodily risen from the dead. This was in addition to the Jews, both Pharisees and Sadducees, who denied that Jesus had risen from the dead. There are some preachers today who falsely proclaim that the resurrection is only figurative or spiritual, not a true bodily resurrection. Throughout chapter 15 in I Corinthians, Paul gives a strong defense of the reality of the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
As our Scripture passage begins, Paul tells us that belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is absolutely indispensable to one’s salvation (vs. 1-2). Anything less than that will put your faith in vain. Paul continues on, reminding the Corinthian believers that everything that he, along with the other Apostles, taught them was backed up with references from the Old Testament Scriptures (vs. 3-4). He never taught anything that was just his own opinion. Everything Paul preached to them came with Scriptural references to back him up, including his preaching on the resurrection.
In addition to having Scriptural evidence for the resurrection, something that the Old Testament prophets which the Jewish people in this time revered, Paul also pointed out that there were many eyewitnesses to this fact. First Jesus was seen by Peter (here called by the name “Cephas”). Then He was seen by the other twelve apostles (vs. 5). Paul then gave the testimony that Jesus was seen by over 500 people at least one time between His resurrection and His ascension (vs. 6). He said that most of these witnesses were still alive at that time, though a few had since died. Jesus was also seen by James (vs. 7). Most Bible scholars believe that this James was one of the Lord’s brothers, who did not believe Him during the three years of His ministry, but after the resurrection came to faith. James was also the author of the Epistle by that name. Then in verse 8 Paul related how he, too, saw Jesus physically after the resurrection, an event that occurred on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-8).
Here we have over 500 witnesses who saw Jesus alive in the flesh after His death on the Cross and His resurrection. This wasn’t just one or two. If that were all there were, one might say that they reported this because they were His friends, or perhaps were coerced into saying that. With numbers like that giving eye-witness accounts that they saw Him, along with the many prophecies given in the Old Testament, there is no reason to doubt the truth of the resurrection.
There are four vital truths that Paul teaches us here in this Scripture. First is that Jesus Christ died for our sins (vs. 3). This is the substitutionary and propitiatory sacrifice needed for our salvation. Propitiation means the atoning sacrifice, the taking of the punishment due for our sins. Secondly, Paul teaches that Jesus was buried (vs. 4). That is evidence that Jesus truly died, not just passed out. Except in old horror stories, nobody buries someone who is alive. Thirdly, Jesus rose again. He returned to life and remains alive today (vs. 4). Lastly, Paul stated that all of this was done according to the Scriptures. The facts of the Gospel were predicted in the Old Testament, and were each fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ.
If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would think that the enemies of Christianity would have found even just one reliable witness to say that they had seen the dead body of Jesus after the claims that He had risen. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Sanhedrin claimed that the disciples came and took the body of Jesus, and hid it somewhere. If that were the case, with all of the money and resources those groups had, one would think that they would have found the body, brought it out, and proclaimed the apostles all liars. But they never did find or produce the dead body of Jesus. Nobody has, because Jesus did truly rise from the dead!
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