Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? (5 page)

Perhaps this appearance is not related in the Gospels because it took place in Galilee. As one traces the various appearances narrated in the Gospels, it seems that they occurred first in Jerusalem, then in Galilee, and then back in Jerusalem again. An appearance to five hundred people would have to have occurred outdoors, perhaps on a hillside near a Galilean village.

Recall that it was in Galilee that thousands had flocked to hear Jesus teach. Since the Gospels focus on the appearances that occurred in Jerusalem rather than in Galilee, none of them narrates the story of the appearance to the five hundred. An intriguing possibility, however, is that the appearance to the five hundred was the appearance in Galilee predicted by the angel at the tomb and then described by Matthew (28.16—17).

JAMES AND THE OTHER
APOSTLES, INCLUDING
SAUL OF TARSUS

Jesus’ post-mortem to his younger brother James is perhaps one of the most amazing of all, for it was apparent that neither James nor any of Jesus’ younger brothers believed in Jesus during his lifetime (Mark 3:21, 31—35; John 7:1—10). They didn’t believe he was the Messiah, or a prophet, or even anybody special. By the criterion of embarrassment, the unbelief of Jesus’ own family is undoubtedly a historical fact.

After the resurrection, however, we’re surprised to find Jesus’ brothers among the Christian believers gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). They are not mentioned again until the story of Peter’s deliverance from prison by the angel (Acts 12:17). Peter’s first words after his escape are, “Report this to James.” In his letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul tells of his two-week visit to Jerusalem about three years after his experience on the Damascus Road. He says that apart from Peter, he saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1:19). Paul at least implies that James was now considered to be one of the apostles. Paul tells us that when he visited Jerusalem again fourteen years later, he conferred with the three “pillars” of the church in Jerusalem: Peter, John, and James (Galatians 2:9). Finally, we find that in Acts 21:18, James is the sole head of the Jerusalem church and of the council of elders. There is no information about James’ later life in the New Testament; but from Josephus, the Jewish historian, we discover that sometime after AD 60 the Sanhedrin stoned James to death illegally for his faith in Christ.
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Jesus’ other brothers became believers as well, and were active in Christian preaching, as we see from Paul’s comment in 1 Corinthians 9:5: “Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?”

Now, how does one explain this? On one hand, it seems certain that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him during his lifetime; on the other, it’s equally certain that they became ardent Christians who were active in ministry. Jesus’ crucifixion would not account for this transformation, since Jesus’ execution would only confirm in James’ mind that his brother’s Messianic pretensions were delusory, just as he had thought.

Most of us have brothers. What would it take to make you believe that your brother is the Lord, so that you would die for this belief, as James did? Can there be any doubt that the reason for this amazing transformation is the fact that “then he appeared to James”? Even the skeptical New Testament critic Hans Grass acknowledges that James’ conversion is one of the surest proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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The Other Apostles

The next appearance Paul notes is to “all the apostles.” We can’t be sure who this vaguely characterized group was, but more than likely it was limited to a limited circle of Christian missionaries that was somewhat wider than the Twelve. The existence of such a group is attested in Acts 1:21—22. The historicity of this appearance is guaranteed by Paul’s personal contact with the apostles themselves.

Saul of Tarsus

The final appearance mentioned by Paul is just as amazing as the appearance to James: “last of all,” he writes, “he appeared also to me.” Luke tells the story of Jesus’ appearance to Saul of Tarsus (a.k.a., Paul) just outside Damascus in Acts 9:1—9 and repeats it twice. That this event actually occurred is established beyond doubt by Paul’s references to it in his own letters.

The incident on the Damascus Road changed Saul’s whole life. He was a rabbi, a Pharisee, a respected Jewish leader. He hated the Christian heresy and did everything he could to stamp it out. He says in his letters that he was even responsible for the execution of Christian believers! Then suddenly, he gave up everything—including his position as a respected Jewish leader—and became a Christian missionary. He entered a life of poverty, labor, and suffering.

He was whipped, beaten, and stoned; left for dead; shipwrecked three times; and remained in constant danger, deprivation, and anxiety. Finally, he made the ultimate sacrifice and was martyred for his faith at Rome. And it was all because on that day outside Damascus, he saw “Jesus our Lord” (l Cor. 9:1).

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?
—1 Corinthians 9:1

To summarize, Paul’s testimony establishes historically that various individuals and groups of people on different occasions experienced appearances of Jesus alive after his death.

CONCLUSIONS

The Gospel accounts provide multiple, independent accounts of post-mortem appearances of Jesus, even some of the same people mentioned in Paul’s list. There are several conclusions to be drawn from these sources, which are also supported by other sources not found in the canon.

The appearance to Peter is independently attested by Paul and Luke (1 Cor. 15.5; Luke 24:34) and is universally acknowledged by critics to be historical. The appearance to the Twelve is independently attested by Paul, Luke, and John (1 Cor. 15.5; Luke 24:36—43; John 20:19—20) and is also undisputed by historical scholars. The appearance to the women is independently attested by Matthew and John (Matt. 28:9—10; John 20:11—17) and also enjoys ratification by the criterion of embarrassment, given the low credibility accorded a woman’s testimony at that time. Most scholars think that the reason this appearance is not included in the list of witnesses quoted by Paul is the futility of citing female witnesses. And finally, Mark, Matthew, and John independently attest to Jesus’ appearance to the disciples in Galilee. (Mark 16:7; Matt. 28:16—17; John 21)

The appearances take place in Jerusalem, then Galilee, and then Jerusalem again, matching the pilgrimages of the disciples as they returned to Galilee following the Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread in Jerusalem and then traveled again to Jerusalem two months later for Pentecost.

So, what should we conclude from this evidence? We can explain these appearances as hallucinations if we want to, but what we cannot do responsibly is deny that they ever occurred. Even the skeptical German critic Gerd Ludemann is emphatic: “It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ.”
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The evidence firmly establishes that on separate occasions, different individuals and groups had experiences of seeing Jesus alive from the dead. Scarcely any historical scholar today disputes this conclusion.