Do We Have Eyewitness Testimony of Jesus’ Death, Burial, and Resurrection?

Do We Have Eyewitness Testimony of Jesus’ Death, Burial, and Resurrection?

Witnesses of Jesus
Who were the witnesses to Jesus’ execution, burial, and resurrection?

“[The Gospels] were written down thirty-five to sixty-five years after Jesus’ death . . . not by people who were eyewitnesses, but by people living later”—Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millenneum, 2005, pages 44-45, by Bart Ehrman

“There is not a sentence concerning Jesus in the entire New Testament compare by anyone who had ever met the unwilling the unwilling King of the Jews”—Jesus and Yahweh, 2005, page 19, by H. Bloom

These are common claims today, which are popularly believed by many. On the other hand, New Testament Bible writers tell a very different story.

“They were handed down to us by those who were eyewitnesses”—Luke 1:2 NIV

“They used eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples”—Luke 1:2 NLT

“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty”—2 Peter 1:16 NIV

Much importance is given today to eyewitness reports, but what about New Testament Bible writers? These writers claim to either be eyewitnesses, or to use eyewitness testimony, in much of their writings. Who, and what, should we believe about all of this?

Many non-believers, skeptics and critics, do not doubt the existence of the historical Jesus. It is the miracles, and most importantly, his death and resurrection that they deny. But the Bible contains much evidence that should be examined by any honest-hearted skeptic, especially if they are truly open-minded enough to give it a fair chance. To assist with this, let’s take a look at the witnesses to Jesus’ execution, burial, empty tomb, and resurrected state.

The placement of witnesses is very important in proving things. Police reports give much importance to eyewitness statements. Many local news programs are titled “Eyewitness News.” The Gospels and letters (such as 1 Corinthians) were all written independently. There were no “rules,” such as requiring strict chronological listing of all witnesses of Jesus in his resurrected state. The writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and 1 Corinthians made true and accurate statements in their books. There are no false statements, even though there are divergences. Divergent accounts are not tantamount to contradictions, as some critics and skeptics assert. In fact, virtually identical accounts would be highly suspect to be collusion, so the divergences actually are a testimony to Biblical accuracy.

Notice the similarities among the four Gospel accounts:

  1. There are named witnesses at Jesus’ execution site Friday afternoon.
  2. There are named witnesses at his burial Friday near dusk.
  3. There are named witnesses at his newly emptied tomb around sunrise on Sunday morning.
  4. There are named witnesses of Jesus in his resurrected state (including 1 Corinthians, but excluding Mark, because Mark ends at 16:8. Verses 9-20 are spurious additions).
  5. There are unnamed, anonymous witnesses in each of the above categories.

Witnesses of Jesus – Named and Anonymous

Witnesses to the execution of Jesus, his burial, his empty tomb, and his resurrected state are included in all four of the Gospels, and 1 Corinthians. Below is a chart listing the witnesses to each of these events for each Gospel account, followed by the witnesses described 1 Corinthians:

Matthew (Matthew 27:55-28:20)

When/Where Witnesses
Execution site ·         “Many women” who had followed

·         Jesus from Galilee

·         Mary Magdalene

·         Mary mother of James and Joseph

·         Mother of Zebedee’s sons

·         “The centurion and those with him”

Burial ·         Mary Magdalene

·         The other Mary

·         Joseph of Arimathea

Empty tomb ·         Mary Magdalene

·         The other Mary

In resurrected state ·         Mary Magdalene

·         The other Mary

·         The eleven disciples

 

Mark (Mark 15:40-16:8)

When/Where Witnesses
Execution site ·         “Women” who “had followed him and cared for his needs”

·         “Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem”

·         Mary Magdalene

·         Mary mother of James the younger and Joseph

·         Salome

·         The centurion “who stood there in front of Jesus”

Burial ·         Mary Magdalene

·         Mary the mother of Joseph

·         Joseph of Arimathea

Empty tomb ·         Mary Magdalene

·         Mary the mother of James

·         Salome

 

Luke (Luke 23:47-24:52)

When/Where Witnesses
Execution site ·         “All those who knew him”

·         “The women who had followed from Galilee”

·         “The centurion, seeing what happened”

Burial ·         “The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee”

·         Joseph of Arimathea

Empty tomb ·         “The women” and “the others”

·         Mary Magdalene

·         Joanna

·         Mary the mother of James

·         Peter

In resurrected state ·         Two disciples, one named Cleopas

·         The Eleven

·         Simon Peter

 

John (John 19:25-21:24)

When/Where Witnesses
Execution site ·         Jesus’ mother

·         His mother’s sister

·         Mary the wife of Clopas

·         Mary Magdalene

·         “He [John] who saw this”, who is also “the disciple whom he (Jesus) loved”

·         “The soldiers”

Burial ·         Joseph of Arimathea

·         Nicodemas

Empty tomb ·         Mary Magdalene

·         Peter

·         “The other disciple” (John)

In resurrected state ·         Mary Magdalene

·         The disciples (without Thomas)

·         The Disciples, including Thomas

·         At Sea of Galilee (7)

o   Simon Peter

o   Thomas

o   Nathaniel

o   The sons of Zebedee – James and John

o   Two other disciples

 

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

“Christ died”

“He was buried”

“He was raised on the third day”

When/Where Witnesses
Resurrected state ·         Cephas (Peter)

·         “The Twelve”

·         “More than five hundred… at the same time”

·         James

·         All the Apostles

·         Paul

 

Approximate Order of Jesus’ Resurrection Appearances

Sometimes the exact timing of events is of major importance, and sometimes it is not. With some events, the events themselves are of major importance, not the exact time of those events. This was especially true of ancient times, long before precise clocks, and instant global “breaking news.”

The Bible documents Jesus’ resurrection as a fact of major importance, but who saw him first is not. However, it is possible to approximately construct the order of Jesus’ resurrection appearances from the Bible itself. Please see the following chart:

 

Appearance Place Time Source(s)
Empty tomb (preliminary) Jerusalem Resurrection Sunday Matthew 28:1-10

Mark 16:1-8

Luke 24:1-12

John 20:1-9

To Mary Magdalene Jerusalem Resurrection Sunday John 20:11-18
To other women Jerusalem Resurrection Sunday Matthew 28:9-10
To two disciples going to Emmaus Road to Emmaus Resurrection Sunday Luke 24:13-32
To Peter Jerusalem Resurrection Sunday Luke 24:34

1 Corinthians 15:5

To 10 disciples in upper room Jerusalem Resurrection Sunday Luke 24:36-43

John 20:19-25

To 11 disciples in upper room Jerusalem Following Sunday John 20:26-31

1 Corinthians 15:5

To seven disciples fishing Sea of Galilee Some time later John 21:1-23
To eleven disciples on a mountain Galilee Some time later 1 Corinthians 15:6
To more than 500 Unknown Some time later 1 Corinthians 15:6
To James Unknown Some time later 1 Corinthians 15:7
To his disciples at his ascension Mount of Olives 40 days after resurrection Acts 1:3-8
To Paul Damascus Road A couple of years later Acts 9:1-19

Acts 22:3-16

Acts 26:9-18

1 Corinthians 15:8

We can see from the above that there were plenty of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ execution, death, burial, empty tomb, and resurrected state. In fact, the evidence for Jesus’ execution, death and resurrection was so strong that Jewish leaders bribed guards at Jesus’ empty tomb to spread the lie that: “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep” (Matthew 28:13 NIV). This reflects their desperate attempt to explain why Jesus’ body was missing and presupposes the empty tomb. No other competing burial story even exists.

The Gospels and 1 Corinthians are not based on “myths” (1 Timothy 1:3,4 NIV), as critics and skeptics claim, but on “accurate information” (Acts 23:15,20 NIV), “the truth” (Galatians 4:16). 

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