Fact Not Fiction! (Part 2)

TEXT:

‘Now let me remind you, brothers, of what the Gospel really is, for it has not changed—it is the same Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is squarely built upon this wonderful message’ (1 Corinthians 15:1 TLB)

THOUGHT:

The Apostle Paul had to write to the Corinthian Christians and correct a number of beliefs and practises that were circulating the church. One of these errors concerned the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and this is the gist of 1 Corinthians Chapter 15.

Paul used the word “That” a number of times in this chapter to emphasise the certainty of the resurrection, for faith in a risen Saviour is the bedrock of Christianity and something a person has to believe in order to be saved

In Part 1, we studied “That Word” (v2) which stressed the importance of the scriptures being the unchangeable Word of God. Then “That Christ died” (v3), confirming that Jesus is the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world and fulfilled those Old Testament prophecies.

Now we will consider two more “Thats” we can have absolute certainty about.

3. That Christ Was Buried – ‘And that He was buried’ v4

Down through the ages sceptics have asked this question, “Did Jesus really die on the cross?” They ask it because they cannot believe that anyone can be raised from the dead, so if Jesus appeared to His disciples alive, it meant He never died in the first place.

The New Testament records the following facts as proof that Jesus died and was buried because He really was dead.

• Jesus said He would be buried – ‘For as Jonah was in the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Messiah, shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights’ (Matthew 12:40 TLB)

Many times Jesus spoke to His disciples about dying. It’s natural to bury dead bodies!

• No record of anyone surviving crucifixion

They were put on the cross to die. The Romans devised crucifixion to kill people in an awful, agonising way. It was one hundred percent successful.

• The Jewish authorities asked for the death of Jesus to be speeded up

They did not want a dying Jesus to be still around during the Passover Feast, so they asked Pilate for the legs of those crucified to be broken, which would speed up their death. When the soldiers came to Jesus they found He was already dead and did not need to break His legs. This fulfilled the scripture, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken’ (John 19:36).⁵

• Jesus’ body was pierced by a spear

When the soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs, one pierced His side with a spear and out flowed blood and water⁶, exactly what happens to the body after death. This fulfilled another prophecy, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced’ (John 19:37).⁷

• Pilate released the body of Jesus to Joseph of Arimathea only after the Centurion confirmed he was dead – ‘Pilate marvelled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph’ (Mark 15:44-45)

Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so quickly, and would have made doubly sure He was dead before releasing His body for burial.

The Centurion knew that if Jesus had not really died, he could be executed in His place. The Romans were quick to exact punishment for not carrying out orders.  When Peter miraculously escaped from prison, all the soldiers guarding him were executed.⁸

When the Jewish authorities bribed the soldiers to say that His disciples had stolen the body of Jesus while they were asleep, they were quick to reassure them that if Pilate heard about it, they would be safe from any repercussions.⁹

• Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body ready for burial – ‘They took Jesus’ body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices’ (John 19:39-40 MSG)

They would not have embalmed Jesus’ body with nearly one hundred pounds weight of spices unless He was dead.

• Jesus’ body was buried in Joseph’s tomb – ‘Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance’ (Matthew 27:59-60 MSG).

The tomb he had cut out of the rock for the day of his death, Joseph used to bury Jesus. He then rolled a large stone across the entrance to guard the tomb.

All four of the gospel writers recorded Jesus as being dead and buried. Fact not fiction!

4. That He rose again – ‘That He rose again the third day according to the scriptures’ (v4)

Jesus predicted His death, burial and resurrection, ‘They will hand me over to the Roman government, and I will be mocked and crucified, and the third day I will rise to life again’ (Matthew 20:19-20 TLB).

This fulfilled the scripture, ‘For you will not leave me among the dead; you will not allow your beloved one to rot in the grave’ (Psalm 16:10 TLB). Peter confirmed this on the Day of Pentecost, ‘Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption’ (Acts 2:29-31).

Many times in the Book of Acts, it refers to the apostles as being witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. ‘And killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses’ Acts 3:15. Having seen Jesus die, they certainly needed absolute proof that He had risen from the dead. The Bible says they had this proof, ‘To whom He also presented Himself alive after His sufferings by many infallible proofs’ (Acts 1:3).

It was the words, “Jesus is alive today” that challenged my thinking and eventually led to me becoming a Christian just two days later!

So why were the Corinthian Christians doubting the resurrection of Jesus? Perhaps it came from Sadducees who had converted to Christianity. They did not believe in angels or a human spirit that can exist after death, nor a resurrection.¹⁰ It’s all too easy to hang on to wrong thoughts and traditions even after one has become a Christian.

It’s only our spirit that is born again; the carnal mind must be renewed with the thoughts of God. This is why it is so important to continually read the Bible, for it reveals God’s intentions for life.

I have said it before and will say it again now, “If I and the Bible disagree, I am wrong!” It is much better to take the Psalmist’s position, ‘Every law of God is right, whatever it concerns. I hate every other way’ (Psalm 119:128 TLB).

Endnotes:

⁵ Exodus 12:46             ⁶ John 19:34                 ⁷ Zechariah 12:10        ⁸ Acts 12:19

⁹ Matthew 28:11-15    ¹⁰ Acts 23:8