I’m torn on how to answer to this one. Whether I should tell you what I think or tell you what Strobel said in his books or use the points made by Habermas & Licona in The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Whether theirs or mine, it’s all stuff from previous posts with only a little new info. What I decided was to give you the key points that led me to believe in the Resurrection as a real historical event. I would point out that my opinion & $5 gets you a mocha latte at Starbucks. You may forget what I said, but don’t forget the $5 if you want the coffee.
What I really wanted was an answer that I could give people in 60 seconds or less. If it generates more questions, that’s okay, because then you can give more details. Really my argument is just a restatement of 2 things we’ve already discussed.
1. The disciples 100% believed they had seen the resurrected Christ – 11 ancient sources attest to their willingness to suffer & die for their beliefs if you include Paul & James the brother of Jesus. James was a skeptic before the crucifixion & ends up listed as a witness of the risen Jesus, becomes a leader in the church in Jerusalem & dies for his faith. Saul changed from a persecutor of christians into the christian Paul. He went from killing christians to dying as one. Paul said he had seen the risen Jesus. What else could make James & Paul do an about face & die for what they had not believed in or even violently opposed? Liars make poor martyrs.
2. Passing out on the cross is like passing out underwater – Stop moving, stop breathing, die in the time it takes to drown. The victim has to push & pull upward for each breath. If he stops moving, he stops breathing & dies in the amount of time it takes an unconscious person to drown. What is that? 5-10 minutes? Jesus had at least that much time to die. The guards were crucified if anyone survived. They waited on the other 2 to die & then broke their legs at the end of the day to speed up their deaths. Can’t breathe if you can’t push up for the next breath. Although Jesus might have passed out on the cross, he did not pass out & revive in the tomb.
Did this logic make me fall down on my knees, repent & ask to be saved? Uuh, not exactly. I ran thru it in my head a few thousand times, but I’d been a skeptic for too long. It did make me doubt my doubts & make me want to learn more. Have read thru the Bible cover to cover now & about a dozen books. As time went on my doubts weakened & my faith grew. Maybe this information will do the same for you, your doubts & your faith.
So where does a skeptic go from here? If you want a quick taste of the case made by Gary Habermas & Michael Licona in The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, you can read my summary. Their book is short, but dense with information. For easier reading I’d recommend Cold Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace, Lee Strobel’s Case for Christ or his newer Case for the Real Jesus.
Case for Christ reads like a mystery novel & details Strobel’s journey from atheist to believer. I was not ready for the Believe + Receive = Become a child of God ending, though. I did have a hard time putting it down & finished it just after 3am on a Friday nite. I can remember it easily, because while I was pondering it all I realized it had just been 6/5/04 3:21a like a countdown to a rebirth of my faith.
Case for the Real Jesus is an updated version of sorts that drops some autobiographical info & minor topics in favor of adding some newer information. It was worth the read too. Cold Case Christianity is another atheist to believer story written by a cold case homicide detective who applied his skills to the Gospels. If I had to recommend just 1 book, it would probably be Cold Case Christianity. If you want to try some of the New Testament, start with 1 Cor. 15. It’s very short. My favorite gospel is probably Luke, but I’ve got more bookmarks in John.
As you read there will be lots of questions that occur to you that you can’t answer. Just ask for God’s help in understanding. I think Jesus would approve. In Matthew 7:7-8, he said:
“Ask & it will be given to you; seek & you will find; knock & the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; & to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Have a happy Easter & may God always bless you with help for your doubts!
Matt Rhodes, April 2014
Leave a Reply