In Defence of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[TheMinister]

Who Stole The Body?


1. INTRODUCTION.

When considering the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is important to examine the mindset of those who were on the scene at the time of the claim. The Romans soldiers were assigned the dirty work - torture and kill an innocent man. The legalistic Jews arranged the dirty details behind the scenes, framing the innocent man, and handing him over to the executioners. Jesus’ apostles and new disciples fled into hiding, fearing a similar fate. This essay examines these three groups as we consider the charge - Jesus did not rise from the dead, the body was stolen. Is it possible one of these groups actually stole the body; setting in motion the greatest hoax mankind has ever seen? Let us put the resurrection claim and counter claims to the test to see how credible the Christian doctrine really is.


2. JESUS DIDN’T RISE - SO WHO STOLE THE BODY ?

a. The Romans Stole the Body

Let me begin be assuring you that history assures us the Roman’s were experts at executing people, when they plunged that spear into the heart of Jesus, they were assuring their victim was dead; note the blood and water came out, it did not pump out. (John 19:32-37) Today we know this oozing blood/water mixture that flowed from Jesus is evidence of a stopped heart, and a ruptured pericardial sack. Plunging a spear into the heart of the victim was the roman solidiers guarantee the execution was a success.

One of the reasons Pontius Pilate was so willing to use Jesus as a scapegoat was Palestine was not enjoying harmony and stability like other parts of Rome under fellow procurators, and Jesus was seen as part of the reason why. Pilate did not care much about the Jews or their in house theological disputes, unless it directly affected Rome. Jesus directly affected Rome. The last thing the Roman military wanted was a staged resurrection by someone stealing the body. A successfully staged resurrection would carry with it not only the potential of throwing Palestine into further disarray, something Pilate and the Rome’s political leaders were unwilling to allow, but it would be an embarrassment to the Roman army if the guy they just executed is no longer in the tomb. Even worse if the guy they just executed is eating a sandwich with His disciples on the stone that three days earlier, blocked the tomb’s entrance. The assumption that the Romans would be the source of their own internal division and humiliation is not a well thought out proposal, for not only does it defy common sense, it is ludicrous to even suggest that Rome was ever involved in such a self defeating scheme. The Romans did not steal the body.



b. The Jews Stole the Body

The Pharisee’s, Sadducees, and the Scribes disagreed on many things related to religion, politics, and philosophy, but when it came to Jesus of Nazareth, they all sang the same song, crucify Him! They were not impressed with Jesus’ disinterest in overthrowing the Roman Empire to set up a Messianic kingdom now; hence, they concluded Jesus to be a false Messiah. Not long after they rejected His message of peace and love, even love for one’s enemies, they ploted His murder. After gathering false witnesses and lying about him, they eventually had Him handed over to the Romans, knowing that they would most likely execute Him. They so wanted the title Messiah removed from Jesus, they requested of Pilate to have soldiers posted at the entrance of the tomb. The Jews had intense personal and religious reasons for keeping Jesus’ body in the tomb for more than three days, for by doing so, he would have succeeded in disqualifying Jesus as Messiah
( ). So in order to insure the disciples did not steal the body, the Jews requested soldiers guard the tomb. The Jews certainly did not steal the body.


c. The Disciples Stole the Body

This is perhaps the most unlikely of the three theories. I assure you that even the Navy Seals would have been detected if they were asked to sneak deep into Rome, move a boulder from a heavily guarded tomb, and remove the body; yet, we are suppose to believe that a dozen frightened and confused fisherman pulled it off. Trained military personnel secured the tomb; the disciples would have been captured easily in such a complex recovery mission. Pilate had intense personal and political reasons for keeping Jesus’ body in the tomb for more than three days, for by doing so, he would have succeeded in disqualifying Jesus as a king (Mark 15:2). The disciples would have no opportunity or skill to succeed in such a sophisticated operation. The theory the disciples stole the body is nothing less than laughable. The disciple did not steal the body.

3. CONCLUSION

Circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that the eyewitness claims are more plausible than other theories offering alternatives to the biblical account of the resurrection. The Roman’s would not steal the body, the Jews would not steal the body, and the disciples could not have stolen the body, yet the stone was rolled away and Jesus was seen alive for forty days (Acts 1). Since all other attacks against the resurrection have been proven highly unlikely, the newest attack is - the disciples got together, concocted a resurrection story, wrote it down, and this is what we see in the bible today. This presupposition neglects a very important element, the spouses and children of these same witnesses were thrown to and mauled to death by lions and dogs, and some were tortured and burned alive – all, as the skeptic claims, to insure the survival of a big lie. Such presumption is unlikely, for it denies everything we know about human nature, which finds support from not only scripture, but also general and social psychology. While it is true people have died for some pretty hair-brained things throughout the ages, it is also true that these people all had one thing in common, they genuinely "believed" in what they were dying for. Even if it was wrong, they thought they were doing the right thing, so they made the ultimate sacrifice for their misplaced hopes. Charles Manson's followers committed unspeakable murderes because they "believed" Charlie. Doe Applegate oversaw the cult, Gates of Heaven, and convinced his members to commit mass suicide because they "believed" in Doe, and truly believed he would assist them on the other side of death. Most of Jim Jones' disciples committed mass suicide because they "believed" the lie of Jones. But consider this important fact, those who did not "believe," Jones, attempted to escape, not perish with the believers, which is real life evidence of what a person will do if asked to die for something they know is a lie. This evidence, unfortunately for skeptics, who suggest the theory that states - the disciples submitted to death to advance a big lie, is fatal. Real life religious fanaticism does not support the skeptic’s theory, for the implications that their premise suggests flies directly in the face of reason and reality. Let me explain.

If I lived 2000 years ago, and did not actually see the resurrected Christ, but part of a great hoax alleging the miracle took place, it would take only one punch in my face and the threat of further abuse for me to gladly say, "We lied! We never saw him alive after you killed Him!" Such a simple denial about seeing the risen Christ was the only compromise certain hostile Jews and Romans were seeking, with the hopes that this new proclamation would just disappear. If these Christians would have just denied seeing the resurrection, most could have walked away with their lives, and the lives of their children and grandchildren. Nevertheless, they refused. Beating after beating after beating, they refused to deny what they claimed their eyes witnessed. If they conspired in this grand sham, why not just admit they lied and save their hides? Only one explanation is reasonable, they saw the risen Lord, and He spoke to them; denying this truth for them was no longer an option. Their unwavering loyalty in the face of indescribable brutality strongly suggests that eyewitness accounts have merit. There is very good reason and very strong circumstantial evidence suggesting that this resurrection took place. In addition, there is no good reason why the followers did not buckle under such vicious mistreatment. The level of suffering, ridicule, incarceration, torture, and finally murder these converts were willing to undergo to advance a lie is so unbelievable, it requires more faith then believing in the resurrection.

The Romans did not steal His body. The Jews did not steal His body. The disciples did not steal His body. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Amen.



By TheMinister - 4/5/01 - 00:41.

[kazanova3]

God raised him up.... no one killed JESUS PBUH.


48 And God will teach him the book and wisdom, the law and the gospel,

49 And (appoint him) an apostle to the children of Israel, (with this message): i have come to you, with a sign from your lord, in that i make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God's leave: and i heal those born blind, and the lepers, and i quicken the dead, by God's leave; and i declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. surely therein is a sign for you if ye did believe;

50 (i have come to you), to attest the law which was before me. and to make lawful to you part of what was (before) forbidden to you; i have come to you with a sign from your lord. so fear God, and obey me.

51 It is God who is my lord and your lord; then worship him. this is a way that is straight.

52 When Jesus found unbelief on their part he said: who will be my helpers to (the work of) God? said the disciples: we are God's helpers: we believe in God, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims.


-53 Our lord we believe in what thou hast revealed, and we follow the apostle; then write us down among those who bear witness.

54 And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and God too planned, and the best of planners is God.

55 Behold God said: O Jesus I will take thee and raise thee to myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the day of resurrection: then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.QURAN 2/48-55..


--157 That they said (in boast), we killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of God; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:

158 Nay, God raised him up unto himself; and God is exalted in power, wise. QURAN 4/157-158





-NO ONE STOLE JESUS BODY PEACE BE UPON HIM ..I KNEW WHAT U MEAN??? kaz

[TheMinister]

The Quran is an unfit to commentary and not qualified to comment upon Sacred Scripture. Whenever one attempts to disprove Scripture with the Quran, he resembles a man who tries to disprove the Law of Realitivity with a comic book, very sad. The Quran was assembled, quite shrewdly I might add, hundereds of years after the bible, and is clearly an attempt to set up a new religion for a people who had none. The Quran, since it is a blatent contradiction of Holy Scripture, like the book of Morman, is the to be assigned its proper status: the religious suggestions of sincere men. Ascribing anything sacred or divine to the Quran is intellectually foolish and eternally destructive. . . you'll see.