Finding the truth about Good Friday

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Published on Sunday, May 15, 2016

By Linda Rioux

Logic is a systematic process of reasoning. It considers the facts and circumstances of a concept in a straightforward fashion in order to reach the best conclusion. We will  examine the history, evidence and people surrounding the resurrection of Jesus Christ,  just as one would do in a trial, and let this consideration bring us to a logical, reasonable verdict.

Fact: Jesus was buried in a new, specific tomb by two members of the Sanhedrin. The location of the grave was known to Jews and Romans alike. Priests and Roman authorities could not later say the tomb was not empty because it could be inspected. 

Fact: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemas, historically verified as having lived, asked Pontius Pilate for Jesus' body in order to bury it. After checking with the centurion who oversaw Jesus' execution to make sure He was really dead, Pilate gave the body to them, who then prepared it for burial. They washed Jesus' body, wrapped it in a shroud and placed it inside the tomb on the burial shelf. These actions were witnessed by Mary Magdalene and  Mary, mother of Jose. Inside the tomb Joseph and Nicodemas  took linen strips, wrapped Jesus' limbs and body from the feet to the neck and poured on 100 pounds of  myrrh and aloes. Then a napkin was placed over his head, in accordance with Jewish burial practices. The importance of this preparation cannot be underestimated; what it proves will be discussed later. 

Fact: The next day, the priests and Pharisees from the temple met with Pilate to remind him Jesus said He would rise from the dead in three days. They wanted Pilate to place a guard  at the tomb and make the grave secure. He agreed. Guards were set on duty and a huge stone was sealed. 

Fact: The tomb was empty by the third day. Who found it empty is very significant – it was the women followers of Jesus, not the male disciples who were cowering in a locked room fearful of being arrested themselves. In the first century, according to the historian Josephus, the testimony of women was regarded as worthless. It wasn't allowed in a court of law. If the empty tomb was a hoax, then the story would have had the women witnesses replaced with more credible male witnesses.  Priests accused the disciples of having stolen the body, while the women cried that they had taken the body and hidden it elsewhere. When the guards reported the empty tomb to the priests, they were bribed by the priests to say they had fallen asleep and the body was stolen during the night.  No other burial site was ever presented by anyone.

Fact: The characteristics of the stone sealing the tomb. It was huge, weighing tons, rough hewn and circular in shape. It had been rolled down on its angled  track so that its very size and weight  effectively covered the tomb entrance. It would have taken a group of strong men to roll the stone back up on its track so it would not roll back down and reclose the opening. The women who went to the tomb early Sunday morning were not strong enough; the  soldiers on guard duty would not have done it; the disciples never even thought of doing it because they were hiding and scared. The men were astonished when the women told them the tomb was empty. Who rolled away the stone? 

Fact: Eyewitness testimonies of Jesus' appearances in a resurrected body. Paul, dedicated persecuter of the first Christians, states in first Corinthians that Jesus  appeared to Peter separately, to all the disciples together several times, to a group of 500 followers, and to James, Jesus' own brother who had not believed Jesus was the Messiah until he saw Jesus resurrected. James was so convinced that Jesus was alive that he became the leader of the Jerusalem church. Perhaps the best known appearance was to Thomas, who had to touch Christ's wounds before he would believe. Paul states that Jesus appeared to him personally on two separate occasions, the first on the road to Damascus, which was the reason for his conversion. Paul also wrote that some of the eyewitnesses were still alive and could be questioned about their experiences. 

Fact: The  transformed lives of the disciples. After hiding in fear from the authorities until Jesus appeared to them, the disciples immediately became bold in their beliefs, speaking publicly about Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. Every one of them would proclaim this gospel for the rest of their lives until they died  a martyr's death, except John, who was exiled to the island of Patmos. While martyrdom is remarkable, by itself it is not  compelling. What is compelling is the number of early Christians who were never willing to retract their faith despite persecution, imprisonment, torture and death. They knew Jesus was alive because they had seen Him.

Fact: The undisturbed grave clothes were unmoved. Myrrh comes from a  thorny shrub. Its branches leak an oily resin which  solidifies. Aloes is a perfumed oil from the aloe vera plant. Together within the linen grave clothes they hardened and formed a solid covering like a cocoon around Jesus' dead body. To remove a body from this linen casket, one would have to cut through the hard mass, divide it and then pull the body free. No one did. Peter and John stated the linen clothes were “lying there” and the head napkin “was in a place by itself.” In the original language this means there had been no movement or change to the shape of the grave clothes. They still showed the contours of Jesus' body. Jesus rose right through the hardened  wrapping, folded the head napkin separately and exited the tomb. The folded head napkin left a message of its own. In Hebrew culture it was normal practice for a diner to leave his napkin wadded up and thrown on the table when he had finished his meal. But if he was not finished, the napkin would be folded neatly to show that he was coming back for more. When Jesus left His head napkin folded in a different spot from the rest of the linen wrapping, He was telling the disciples He was coming back!

Conclusion: There is no reasonable explanation that can explain how Jesus could survive the crucifixion, fake His death, sit in a tomb for three days and nights without medical attention, food or water, remove the stone, escape undetected by the guards and then convince hundreds of eyewitnesses that He was resurrected and then rise into heaven in full view of those witnesses. Mass hypnosis is not a plausible solution to the appearances. Both hypnosis and hallucinations are by their very nature individual occurrences and do not present as mass events. Sir Lionel Luckhoo of Guinness Book of World Records fame, a defense trial lawyer of 42 years, wrote this about the Resurrection: “I say unequivocally the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

Verdict: He is risen! He is coming back! Are you ready?