Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
If you want to know the facts about a certain event, you should talk to someone who was there. In a sense, that’s what we’re doing when we turn to the New Testament Gospels to learn about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew, for instance, was a close friend of Jesus. He was one of Jesus’ disciples and was present for much of Jesus’ ministry. He also saw Jesus alive and well after his crucifixion and resurrection.
Scholars believe that Matthew probably wrote his gospel within 20-30 years of the events described in the book. That’s important because it means he needed to be accurate in his reporting; if he wrote things that weren’t true, people who remembered these events would have been able to come forward and call him out on his lies. What we find in the gospel of Matthew is early eyewitness testimony about Jesus. So, what does Matthew tell us about the resurrection? Matthew 28 includes three important facts.
First, Matthew reports that Jesus’ resurrection was verified by supernatural events. Matthew 28:1 tells us about the women who came to visit Jesus’ tomb early on Sunday morning. Verse 2 says, “And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it” (ESV). Can you imagine what it would have been like to experience that? These ladies had already been traumatized by the torture and execution of Jesus and were grieving a terrible loss. It’s no wonder that the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” (v. 5-6). The Roman guards who witnessed all this actually passed out (v. 4).
It’s safe to say that this is not a normal, everyday type of occurrence. The earthquake and appearance of the angel provide a unique type of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. These supernatural events verify the importance of what had happened.
Second, Matthew tells us that Jesus’ resurrection was verified by eyewitnesses. After these women had their encounter with the angel, they left the tomb and actually met Jesus himself. Verse 9 says, “Just then Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ They came up, took hold of his feet and worshipped him.” This meeting confirmed what the angel had just said. Jesus was alive!
Once again, the ladies’ reaction is understandable. They reached out to touch Jesus. They grabbed onto his feet. They wanted to make sure that it wasn’t just an illusion, that they weren’t seeing some sort of ghost or phantom. They looked at him with their own eyes and touched him with their own hands. What they saw and experienced that morning changed everything, and their testimony provides another piece of evidence for the resurrection.
Third, Matthew says that Jesus’ resurrection was vilified by his enemies. Remember the guards who had passed out when the angel arrived at the tomb? These men had been charged with guarding the tomb to ensure that none of Jesus’ followers tried to steal his body. Matthew says that “Some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, ‘Tell people, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble’.”
They concocted a plan to cover up the truth. There are a few problems with their story, though. First, if the guards were asleep, how would they know what happened to the body? Second, what are the odds that trained soldiers would all fall asleep at the same time without working in shifts to maintain guard? Third, the disciples were actually in hiding at this point because they were afraid of being executed themselves, so how likely is it that they would pull off something like this? The fact that Jesus’ enemies had to create a plan to “explain away” the empty tomb is another line of evidence for the reality of the resurrection.
Why did Jesus rise again? To understand that, you first have to understand why he died. He died as our substitute, to take upon himself the death we deserve as sinners. And then he rose again to prove that his death accomplished its purpose. His sacrifice was accepted by God the Father, and the resurrection is proof. Salvation is available to anyone and everyone who will turn from their sin and trust in Him.
If you would like to learn more about trusting in Jesus for salvation, please contact one of our pastors.