The Case For The Resurrection - Matthew 28:6

"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said..." Matthew 28:6

Other religions do not necessarily rise or fall upon a single historical event, but Christianity does. As Paul says to the Corinthians, "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless..."(I Corinthians 15:17). So the resurrection is of paramount importance to the Christian faith. It is also one of the key issues that sets it apart from all other major religions. None of the founders of the world's great religions ever claimed to be God, but Jesus did (see Mark 14:61-62), and all the other founders of world religions are dead and buried. Only Jesus claimed He would rise from the dead in three days, and did. Can we prove this? Not in the sense that it can proved so definitively that no human can deny or disbelieve it. But yes, in the sense that it can be proven far beyond reasonable doubt.

In their book, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Gary Habermas and Michael Licona explain that there are five "minimal facts" about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. "Minimal facts" are based on data that is "...granted by virtually all scholars on the subject even skeptical ones." These five minimal facts are:

1. Jesus' Death by Crucifixion
2. The Disciples' Belief That Jesus Appeared to Them
3. The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the Persecutor
4. The Conversion of James, the Skeptic
5. The Empty Tomb

Habermas and Licona explain that these five minimal facts form a compelling argument for the resurrection that cannot be explained away. That doesn't mean that people don't try, or that people have to believe, but what it means is that our faith in Christ is not a blind or even an unreasonable faith. It is built on a very solid, logical and historical foundation, but it is still faith. It requires a measure of belief beyond the evidence. We still have to step out and say, "I believe in the resurrection", because it is unique in the history of mankind. Nothing like it has ever occurred before or since. This fact can lead a person to either doubt it or embrace it. We have to decide for ourselves. Just in case you were wondering, I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now more than ever. I strongly encourage you to do so as well. No issue is more important in the entire universe. Happy Resurrection Sunday!