JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB – EVIDENCE OF HIS RESURRECTION?
Critics of the Bible claim that there is no evidence of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Could Jesus’ empty tomb possibly be evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
“But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’ ‘Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.'” (Acts 2:23-29 NLT)
David died, was buried in his tomb and his remains are still there for anyone’s inspection, Peter was saying. His quote of Psalm 16:8-11 might seem like he is just talking about himself, but his remains still being in his tomb prove this not to be the case. It would have to be about someone whose remains are not left in their grave.
“But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.” (Acts 2:30-31 NLT)
Jesus died, was buried, but his body is missing. Anyone in the audience could have refuted this, if it had been false. The audience Peter spoke to that day included, not just believers, but also some skeptics. (Acts 2:14,15)
“Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!'” (John 20:1-2 NLT)
Jesus’ tomb could be easily be inspected and his body paraded throughout Jerusalem and vicinity to show everyone that this message of Jesus’ resurrection was false, had that been the case.
“Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, ‘You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.'” (Luke 24:18 NLT)
All Jerusalem and vicinity had heard the news about Jesus’ highly public execution within a just the first couple of days, the news spread so rapidly.
“‘God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” ‘So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!'” (Acts 2:32-36 NLT)
The account about Jesus’ trial, public execution, burial, and missing body could have easily been falsified, or verified. Peter, speaking under direction of the holy Spirit ties these events into Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled, giving powerful evidence that Jesus’ empty tomb was evidence of his resurrection.
“At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. ‘How can this be?’ they exclaimed. ‘These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!'” (Acts 2:5-11 NLT)
Jews from all over the Roman Empire, seven weeks afterward, by now had heard the news, and many had crowded back into Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Pentecost.
“Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ … Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation!’ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” (Acts 2:37,40,41 NLT)
The truthfulness of Peter’s words about Jesus’ resurrection is so undeniable that about 3,000 did something drastic they had not planned for that day–they got baptized as Christians!
We today have all this and much, much more evidence that Jesus’ empty tomb is evidence of his resurrection!
16 thoughts on “JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB – EVIDENCE OF HIS RESURRECTION?”
Although it is commonly claimed by Christian scholars that Jesus was removed from the cross on the first day before sunset and then buried in a tomb which belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, and this tomb was then found to be empty by women on the third day, this claim has been undermined by modern secular scholars like Bart Ehrman. The better explanation is that Jesus was removed from the cross after the first day there and was thrown into a common burial pit by the Romans.
I have found a very good video which destroys the tomb claim. Here is the citation:
Who Remembers Where we Put Jesus? (William Lane Craig response). By Paulogia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE7mRcNB7pk
Be sure to watch the entire video.
Your video offers no evidence in support of Ehrman’s specific theory that Jesus’ body was thrown into a common burial pit. The 4 gospels, Acts, and 1 Corinthians say that he was buried, by being “laid in a tomb” (Acts 13:29 NIV).
Additionally, it is extremely unlikely that such a story, if fabricated, would place women at Jesus’ tomb as witnesses of his burial, and the first witnesses of the tomb being empty, since women were not viewed as valid witnesses.
Also, in Matthew 28:11-15 Jesus’ worst enemies admitted the tomb was empty and bribed the soldier guards to lie about the reason the tomb was empty. The fact that “this story is still told among the Jews to this day” (Matthew 28:15 NRSV), many years later, Matthew reports, is proof Jesus body was buried in a tomb that suddenly became empty on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
Your video does not provide any provable evidence to contradict the scriptures. The only thing it provides is speculations..
BA: Your video offers no evidence in support of Ehrman’s specific theory that Jesus’ body was thrown into a common burial pit.
GW: False. Paulogia presented evidence that it was most common for the Romans to leave the corpses on the crosses for days and then to dispose of their bodies either by burning them or throwing them into a common pit. He gave his citations for this evidence. So, the claim in the Gospels that Jesus was treated differently is improbable and the story was probably fabricated to retain some respectability for Jesus.
GW: Pilate would not have been nice to Jesus and his followers and would not have made an exception to the typical body disposal policy.
GW: Apparently, Joseph of Arimathea, if he existed at all, was not present at the trial of the Sanhedrin when Jesus was found guilty, and so Pilate would not have listened to any appeal he made to receive the corpse because that transfer would have gone against what the Sanhedrin had requested. That supreme Jewish group knew what crucifixion entailed, and it wanted the worst punishment for Jesus – including the humiliation of no proper burial.
BA: The 4 gospels, Acts, and 1 Corinthians say that he was buried, by being “laid in a tomb” (Acts 13:29 NIV).
GW: Yes, it is likely that one person fabricated the tomb story and then others repeated it. Also, as the video showed, 1 Corinthians did not say how, where, or by whom Jesus was buried. He could have been buried in the common pit.
BA: Additionally, it is extremely unlikely that such a story, if fabricated, would place women at Jesus’ tomb as witnesses of his burial, and the first witnesses of the tomb being empty, since women were not viewed as valid witnesses.
GW: False. It is very likely that the fabricated story would place women at the tomb. Why? Because the women, not the men, were said to be present at the crucifixion and would thus have the opportunity to observe the aftermath of the crucifixion. If a fabricator had them following the corpse to the tomb, then he is going to have them knowing where the tomb is and being the first to find the tomb open and empty. Isn’t this obvious? Yes, I think so.
BA: Also, in Matthew 28:11-15 Jesus’ worst enemies admitted the tomb was empty and bribed the soldier guards to lie about the reason the tomb was empty. The fact that “this story is still told among the Jews to this day” (Matthew 28:15 NRSV), many years later, Matthew reports, is proof Jesus body was buried in a tomb that suddenly became empty on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
GW: This entire story of the guards at the tomb is most likely another fabrication. If a major detail or story is only mentioned in one Gospel, as is the case here, it can be discarded or ignored. Also, there is no independent report from the Romans, the Jews, or the Sanhedrin about any guards at a tomb.
BA: Your video does not provide any provable evidence to contradict the scriptures. The only thing it provides is speculations.
GW: False. I mentioned the evidence already. As Paulogia says, we have two conflicting hypotheses about what happened to Jesus after he died on the cross, if he did die. We will probably never know for sure what happened. Bart Ehrman’s and Paulogia’s hypothesis is just more probable. There are two many factors pointing against the traditional tomb hypothesis. Paulogia destroys William Lane Craig’s defense, point by point. Masterful takedown.
GW: I suspect that one or two disciples had grief hallucinations of Jesus and then somebody fabricated the tomb story to reinforce the idea that Jesus had come back to life.
GW: There are other possibilities which we have discussed. One is that Jesus corpse was put in the tomb and friends of the family stole it and took it to Gallilee to be buried near other family. Another is that Jesus recovered from a coma while in the tomb and was helped to leave by friends or family.
GW: I wish we had a time machine and could travel back to the crucifixion and watch the aftermath. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Of course, if God did exist, he could enable us or anyone else to travel back in time and see what happened. In fact, that is exactly what HE would have already done. It hasn’t happened. Therefore, God does not exist. There are so many valid arguments against the existence of God.
Your video offers no actual evidence to support its speculations about Jesus’ death and resurrection, only “probabilities.” Specific events, such as Jesus’ death and resurrection, do not work on probabilities, but on facts.
“Pilate wondered if he were already dead, and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. The Joseph . . . laid it in a tomb”—Mark 15:44,45 NRSV
The four Gospels and Acts all independently testify to this fact.
BA: Your video offers no actual evidence to support its speculations about Jesus’ death and resurrection,…
GW: False. You just don’t understand or accept the evidence which was presented. Paulogia presented citations for reports of the typical crucifixion practices of the Romans. This is evidence against the hypothesis that Jesus was placed in a private tomb.
BA: only “probabilities.”
GW: By the use of reason we USE evidence to judge probabilities! There is nothing wrong with that.
BA: Specific events, such as Jesus’ death and resurrection, do not work on probabilities, but on facts.
GW: Once again, by the use of reason we USE facts and evidence to judge probabilities that specific events occurred. Another fact from which we judge the resurrection of Jesus to be super-improbable is that there has never been a well documented case of anyone coming back to life in about 110 billion opportunities!
BA: “Pilate wondered if he were already dead, and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. The Joseph . . . laid it in a tomb”—Mark 15:44,45 NRSV
GW: From past cases of crucifixion Pilate knew that it was unlikely that Jesus was already dead after such a short time on the cross. He was no dummy. The centurion was just guessing that Jesus was probably dead, but he could not know this without taking Jesus down from the cross and examining him closely. It is possible that the centurion gave a false report either because he made a mistake in judgement or because he was bribed. Also, as we discussed before, it would be unlikely that Pilate would give the corpse to Joseph since he was not the head of the Sanhedrin and apparently was not even present for the meeting when Jesus was found guilty. Also, Pilate would not make an exception to standard practice just for the criminal Jesus.
BA: The four Gospels and Acts all independently testify to this fact.
GW: False. Acts does not claim that Jesus was buried in a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Also, these five sources are not independent at all! For example, we know that Matthew and Luke used Mark.
GW: Your whole case is on shaky ground anyway since there are no first-person, author-identified, low-bias, promptly written, eyewitness reports about any event in the life of Jesus and its aftermath. All you have is stories. In a court of law these stories would be cast out because they are hearsay or rumors. Where is God? He could clear this up pretty easily, if he existed. He hasn’t and he doesn’t.
False. The gospels and Acts are based upon solid testimony by “eyewitnesses” (Luke 1:1-3).
False. You don’t know that. Luke was not an eyewitness. He admits that. Where is your report from a verified eyewitness of Jesus? You don’t have even a single one.
Because truth was important to Luke, he relied heavily on eyewitness accounts. Christianity doesn’t say, “Close your eyes and believe,” but rather, “Check it out for yourself.” The Bible encourages you to investigate its claims thoroughly (John 1:40; 21:24; Acts 17:11,12), because your conclusion about it is a life and death matter!
Luke admits he wasn’t an eyewitness, true. He said, “many have undertaken to compile a narrative the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write down” (Luke 1:1-3 NAB). Luke says those before him used eyewitness accounts to write about Jesus, and he also apparently used them in his account, written after he himself had investigated everything thoroughly.
BA: Luke admits he wasn’t an eyewitness, true.
GW: Yep. We agree on that point.
BA: He said, “many have undertaken to compile a narrative the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write down” (Luke 1:1-3 NAB). Luke says those before him used eyewitness accounts to write about Jesus, and he also apparently used them in his account, written after he himself had investigated everything thoroughly.
GW: Yep, “Luke says…” Why should we believe what Luke says? He does not name any eyewitnesses of Jesus on whom he has relied to produce his narrative. And no reports from eyewitnesses have ever been found and confirmed. And Luke writes decades after Jesus in a language which Jesus and his followers did not use. To substantiate any miracle, Luke’s account is worthless! It would be thrown out of court as hearsay, rumors, mere speculation, or fabrication, just like the other Gospels.
False. The facts prove otherwise. Of the 1600 epitaphs that were in Judea in the 300 BCE to 500 CE period, 70% were in Koine’ Greek, 12% in Latin, and 18% in Hebrew/Aramaic, the same 3 languages Pilate used on the sign above Jesus at his execution (John 19:20 NRSV). In Jerusalem itself, 40% of the extant inscriptions from the 1st century are in Koine’ Greek. See the Wikipedia article, “the languages of the New Testament.”
BA: False. The facts prove otherwise.
GW: False. The facts support my position.
BA: Of the 1600 epitaphs that were in Judea in the 300 BCE to 500 CE period, 70% were in Koine’ Greek, 12% in Latin, and 18% in Hebrew/Aramaic, the same 3 languages Pilate used on the sign above Jesus at his execution (John 19:20 NRSV).
GW: Even if that were true, so what? The Gospels were written in Greek, whereas Jesus and his followers spoke Aramaic (possibly Hebrew). You are missing the point. None of the Gospel writers was an eyewitness of Jesus.
BA: In Jerusalem itself, 40% of the extant inscriptions from the 1st century are in Koine’ Greek. See the Wikipedia article, “the languages of the New Testament.”
GW: That doesn’t matter. You are missing the point.
No, you’re wrong. As shown by the facts noted in the Wikipedia article, Koine’ Greek was commonly spoken (and read in the eastern Roman Empire, including Palestine). There is no doubt that Jesus and his followers read and spoke Koine’ Greek, which was even commonly spoken in the city of Rome by 1st century Jews. Matthew and John were Jesus apostles and eyewitnesses, and recorded their recollections under God’s inspiration (John 19:35; 2 Timothy 3:16). Peter shared his eyewitness accounts of Jesus with Mark, who wrote it down (Mark 1:1; 1 Peter 5:13; 2 Peter 1:16-19). Luke used eyewitness reports of Jesus in recording his gospel (Luke 1:1-3)..
BA: No, you’re wrong.
GW: No, you’re wrong and I am right.
BA: As shown by the facts noted in the Wikipedia article, Koine’ Greek was commonly spoken (and read in the eastern Roman Empire, including Palestine).
GW: That could be true, but it doesn’t matter to the point we are discussing. Jesus and his followers probably spoke Aramaic (or Hebrew), but the Gospel writers, who never observed or met Jesus, used Greek in their writings. Did you ever watch Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ”? To be authentic he had the actors who played Jesus and his followers speak Aramaic.
BA: There is no doubt that Jesus and his followers read and spoke Koine’ Greek, which was even commonly spoken in the city of Rome by 1st century Jews.
GW: I doubt it. Present quotes, citations, and links to support this improbable claim of yours.
BA: Matthew and John were Jesus apostles and eyewitnesses, and recorded their recollections under God’s inspiration (John 19:35; 2 Timothy 3:16).
GW: Nope. The authors of the Gospels of Matthew and John are anonymous and there is no good evidence that they were eyewitnesses of Jesus. You are just mistaken on the facts. Do they write in the first person? Do they say “I saw Jesus…”? Do they identify who they are within the texts? No, No, and No. All you have is unverified stories.
BA: Peter shared his eyewitness accounts of Jesus with Mark, who wrote it down (Mark 1:1; 1 Peter 5:13; 2 Peter 1:16-19).
GW: Nope. You don’t know this. If you believe that those verses support your outlandish claim, then quote them and tell us the version you are using.
BA: Luke used eyewitness reports of Jesus in recording his gospel (Luke 1:1-3).
GW: Who were they? Where are their own reports? We’ve been over this. The evidence does not support Luke’s claim or yours.
Mel Gibson was a filmmaker. We saw his “Passion” film. There were numerous inaccuracies. His actors using Aramaic doesn’t prove anything. Check out the Wikipedia article for more facts about Hebrew being the primary language spoken by Jews in Palestine in the 1st century. See the same article about Greek being spoken by Jews all over the 1st century Roman Empire. Bible Authenticity is site of Biblical facts, not a debate site. If you don’t like it, we’re sorry.
All extant manuscripts attribute writership to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Early church writers also do the same. Internal evidence indicates the same.
Papias, around 130 CE attributes writership to Mark. Justin Martyr, circa 150 CE, says Mark recorded “the memories of Peter.” Why would they invent a lie that the rather obscure New Testament character wrote the Gospel bearing his name recording Peter’s memories? Such thinking is nonsense!
Regarding Luke, it is highly unlikely that such a Greco-Roman literary work would have been published anonymously. The heretic Marcion acknowledged Luke as the author, circa 130 CE.
BA: Mel Gibson was a filmmaker.
GW: He is still a film maker, actor, director, author, and Christian.
BA: We saw his “Passion” film.
GW: We did also. Overall, I thought it was a good film, even though I am not a Christian.
BA: There were numerous inaccuracies.
GW: Some, but not numerous. The fact that Jesus and his followers spoke Aramaic was accurate.
BA: His actors using Aramaic doesn’t prove anything.
GW: Straw man. I never said it proved anything. But I have said that my Holocaust argument does prove that God does not exist.
BA: Check out the Wikipedia article for more facts about Hebrew being the primary language spoken by Jews in Palestine in the 1st century. See the same article about Greek being spoken by Jews all over the 1st century Roman Empire. Bible Authenticity is site of Biblical facts, not a debate site. If you don’t like it, we’re sorry.
GW: According to Ehrman and many other Biblical scholars, Jesus and his followers almost certainly spoke Aramaic. They trump your Wikipedia source. Those are the facts. If you don’t like the facts, we’re sorry.
BA: All extant manuscripts attribute writership to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
GW: Maybe. But that hardly means that the writers actually had those names, or that they wrote in Hebrew or Aramaic, or that they were ever eyewitnesses to Jesus. What author himself would write a title like “The Gospel According to Mark”? The titles (all like that) were almost certainly added by another person, editor, or compiler. And it was probably the same person since all four titles have a similar format.
BA: Early church writers also do the same.
GW: They have made the same mistake as you have made.
BA: Internal evidence indicates the same.
GW: Completely false! The writers do not identify themselves within the texts.
BA: Papias, around 130 CE attributes writership to Mark.
GW: How would he know? Did he interview Mark? Where is the report of the interview? The author of Mark would be dead long before 130 CE. Duh.
BA: Justin Martyr, circa 150 CE, says Mark recorded “the memories of Peter.”
GW: Oh, so the author of Mark was not recording his own memories of his own observations of Jesus? Yes, that’s what I have been saying all along. How would Martyr know anything about this? Did he interview Mark? Where is the report of the interview? The author of Mark would be dead long before 150 CE. Duh.
BA: Why would they invent a lie that the rather obscure New Testament character wrote the Gospel bearing his name recording Peter’s memories? Such thinking is nonsense!
GW: Your thinking on this subject is nonsense! You are inventing a straw man argument. Who said that Papias and Martyr were lying? I haven’t said that. They were either ignorant, delusional, or just mistaken. Your argument here is similar to the common and fallacious argument of many Christian apologists who say “Why would the disciples die for a lie?” Simply ridiculous and soundly refuted.
BA: Regarding Luke, it is highly unlikely that such a Greco-Roman literary work would have been published anonymously.
GW: And yet, Ehrman and most unbiased NT scholars have concluded that it was published anonymously. The text itself does not identify the author.
BA: The heretic Marcion acknowledged Luke as the author, circa 130 CE.
GW: He had no better basis to draw his conclusion than did Papias or Martyr.
GW: So, the two main pillars of Christianity have been refuted. First, we now know that God does not exist. Secondly, there is no good evidence, reasons, or arguments to prove or even make probable that Jesus came back to life. Also, the western world is turning away from religion, particularly Christianity. A good book on this topic is “Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society” – May 9, 2023, by Isabella Kasselstrand (Author), Phil Zuckerman (Author), Ryan T. Cragun (Author).