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What are some of the examples shared by Dr. Groothuis which provide evidence for Jesus’ resurrection?
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19 Replies
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The Empty Tomb: Groothuis points to the historical fact that Jesus’ tomb was found empty. Multiple sources, including the Gospels and other early Christian writings, support the discovery of the empty tomb. This is significant because, despite various explanations offered by skeptics (such as the body being stolen or moved), no sufficient naturalistic explanation has accounted for the empty tomb. Additionally, the fact that women—whose testimony was considered less credible in the first century—are recorded as discovering the empty tomb adds to its credibility, as it would have been an unlikely fabrication by early Christians.
Post-Resurrection Appearances: One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the resurrection is the multiple appearances of the risen Jesus to various individuals and groups. Groothuis notes that the New Testament records Jesus appearing to the disciples, to over 500 people at one time (as mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:6), to James (Jesus’ skeptical brother), and finally to Paul, who was initially an enemy of Christianity. These appearances were not mere sightings but profound encounters that transformed the lives of those who experienced them. The personal transformation of these individuals, often at great personal cost, into bold witnesses of the resurrection is a testament to the sincerity of their testimonies.
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Some shared examples to prove evidence of Jesus’ resurrection was the stone being rolled away, the empty tomb, and accounts of several people seeing him after his death.
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Jesus was publicly executed and Romans knew well how to do that. In other words, he was clinically dead. He was then buried in a tomb.
Three days later, the tomb was reported empty. How did this happen? The resurrection did indeed take place. The following are three of several pieces of evidence.
(1) The disciples stole the body? They had no reason to do that.
(2) Women reported the tomb being empty, but women would not have been the ones to report such an occurrence. Women would not have been believed.
(3) The disciples saw Jesus after his death and even touched his body.
(4)) Disciples, who believed in the resurrection, would not have had any reason to concoct a lie that would cause them later to be martyred in supporting it. That would be simply insane. In fact, the disciples were “transformed” to carry the word of Jesus to the world.
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Dr. Groothuis describes the lack of reasoning for any group to steal the body of Jesus or perpetuate a lie that he resurrected. The movement they were trying to squash would be revived. The disciples turned from fearfulness to boldness and would not have done that for a lie, people don’t die for lies they know to be lies. And we see the early church confirming the resurrection through their sacraments, social structures, and existence.
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Examples that provide evidence for Jesu’s resurrection are:
a) changing the Sabbath to Sunday,
b) baptism and the Lord’s Supper were incorporated into the early church until
I also believe that a solid fact that also demonstrates Jesu’s resurrection is the radical transformation of His disciples, how they died and persecuted for His cause.
