Can We Trust that the Resurrection Happened Part 3 of 3

Welcome to the third part of the Legacy Resurrection Series. In the first blog, we covered why the resurrection is important and examined the physical evidence for Jesus' death. In the second blog, we covered proof in favor of Jesus' tomb being empty. This blog will cover Jesus' post-resurrection appearances.

Trust that the Resurrection: The Appearances

There are several accounts of Jesus appearing after He died. Luke records Jesus appearing to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, although these disciples only recognized Jesus when they were eating together at the house they were staying. A few verses later, Jesus appeared again as the two disciples were telling the other disciples about Jesus appearing to them.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says that Jesus appeared to Cephas (Peter,) then the 12 disciples, then to a crowd of more than 500, then to James, followed by an appearance to all the Apostles, and finally, to Paul.

John tells us in chapter 20 that Jesus first appeared to the disciples. Thomas (Didymus) wasn’t present, so he didn't believe that Jesus had appeared. It was this unbelief that created the 'doubting Thomas' saying. Fortunately for Thomas, Jesus appears again eight days later with Thomas present and allows Thomas to touch the wounds on His hands and side.

The book of Acts also records Jesus appearing to Saul while on his way to Damascus to arrest some believers.

These various appearances meet the criteria of "multiple attestations". Luke is one source, written likely by Luke; 1 Corinthians a second, written by Paul; John a third source, written by John. We acknowledge that the book of Acts doesn't count as a fourth independent source because it was also likely written by Luke.

Trust that the Resurrection: The Conversions of Paul and James

There are objections to the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. So how can we trust that Jesus did appear? (If you would like more detail than space here permits, see the video series for evidence for the resurrection, found here.) One crucial point is that Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances account for the conversion of both Paul and James. Skeptics often overlook the significance of the conversions of James and Paul. Paul was a staunch persecutor of early Christians, and it's safe to say that he despised them. Ironically, it was during Paul's attempt to arrest believers that Jesus appeared to Paul. What could make a man so strictly opposed to followers of Jesus suddenly become an unabashed ally of the Christian movement? Significantly, Paul became an Apostle of the Church, the Apostle to Gentiles. He suffered beatings, attempted murder, shipwrecks, and was (quite likely) ultimately martyred for his faith. When Paul first converted, believers were afraid of him. (Think Ananias and the disciples, in Acts chapter 9.) What accounts for this radical change of heart? It only makes sense that Paul believed after meeting Jesus.

James, the brother of Jesus, was another example of someone who did not believe when Jesus was alive. He, along with the rest of Jesus’ siblings, thought Jesus was insane (Mark 3:21.) There is no evidence of James believing Jesus’ teachings before Jesus was crucified. As with Paul, James went from being a non-believer to a follower of Jesus; James even became the leader of the Church in Jerusalem. Paul refers to James as one of the three “pillars” of the faith. What would cause James to accept Jesus as Messiah after Jesus' death when James didn't believe while Jesus was alive? Could it be seeing Jesus after He was supposed to be dead? When someone accurately predicts their death, how they will die, and their return to life; and then appears to you after their death, fulfilling their prophecy, I imagine it would be convincing.

What About the Disciples?

As for the disciples, they went from deserting Jesus upon His arrest and hiding to bold evangelists. There are varying accounts of how many of them were martyred, but all the disciples were willing to die for their faith. Why take such a risk if they were lying? The only reasonable explanation is that they sincerely believed their message.

Celebrate and Teach with Confidence

The resurrection is the basis for our faith. We live in a world that tells us that believing in the Bible is no different than believing in fairytales. Society tells us that believing a man returned to life and never died again is silly. Taking the time to explore the evidence for the resurrection will give you and your children confidence that such a belief is reasonable.

This Easter, have some conversations about these topics and help your children fully understand the changes the resurrection makes in someone's life. Here are some tips on how to have that conversation:

1. Ask your child to share something they feel very strongly about. What would it take to change their mind? Consider talking about a person they don't like- what would it take for them to become friends? With older children, talk about politics or issues they see in society- what would it take for them to change their thoughts on an issue? Guide the conversation on Paul and James-how they felt before their encounter with the risen Lord and how they believed after. What accounts for that change? Would they make that change if it wasn't real? Would they change that much for something that they fabricated?

2. Look closely at Jesus' disciples in the different gospels. Talk about Thomas and his faith and doubt; talk about Peter and the others; how they ran from the garden and hid. Talk about "why" Thomas hid. Discuss how a resurrection may have been hard to believe. Talk about why the disciples ran and hid- was this bad? Understandable? Then move the conversation to their change of heart. Talk about what we see in Acts- their boldness, conviction, and wisdom. What changed for them? Discuss how their confidence in their faith came because they knew it was real. Move the conversation to talk about how they can live that as well.

This Easter season, use the opportunity to grow your faith and teach your children. Celebrate our risen Lord with trust that Jesus did what He said He would, died for our sins, rose from death, and will one day return to restore all things.