A stone rolled away from an empty tomb in Jerusalem, signifying the resurrection of Jesus.

A Surprising "Proof" of the Resurrection

We in the ministry have both heard and delivered dozens, perhaps hundreds, of sermons on the resurrection, and many of these messages have mentioned the amazing evidence that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. 

Most of these “proofs” center on the significant number of eyewitnesses to the event. Paul also mentioned the witnesses as the most significant evidence that the resurrection occurred (1 Cor 15:3–11). There is another evidence of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection: the radically changed lives of his followers who fled into hiding at his arrest and crucifixion. How did such apparent defeat become an argument for the resurrection?     

A Unique Book                   

In 1982, a little volume appeared with the simple title, The Resurrection of Jesus. It joined hundreds of books already available on this subject at that time. What was unique about this book was not even its argument – that Jesus of Nazareth returned to life having died. 

The uniqueness of the book was that the author was a Jew and an Orthodox Jew at that! Pinchas Lapide was a Jewish academic who specialized in New Testament history and writings. His book was not an attempt to explain away the resurrection of Jesus as a hoax or legend invented by his earliest followers. 

Here are his own words: “I accept the resurrection of Jesus not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as an historical event.” When a leading orthodox Jew makes such a declaration, its significance can hardly be overstated. 

People Don’t Die for a Lie              

As mentioned previously, Lapide was a Jewish academic who specialized in the study of the New Testament. In this book, he convincingly shows that experience underlies the New Testament account of the resurrection, however much of the details of the narrative may be open to objection. 

He maintains that life after death is part of the Jewish faith experience, and he called attention to the resuscitations in the Hebrew Scriptures (see, for example, 2 Kings 4:32–37). The greatest evidence to Lapide that Jesus was seen alive by his followers was their changed lives, men who were transformed from fearful fliers to faithful followers and who endured, even to the point of dying for their faith. Lapide argued that we cannot explain away that something took place that radically transformed their attitudes and their lives. Simply stated, people do not die for what they know is a lie! 

Resurrection, Not Resuscitation

Now, if you are hoping to hear about Lapide’s baptism, I must inform you that he remained an Orthodox Jew until he died in 1997. While his book was a powerful argument that the greatest evidence of the resurrection of Jesus was the transformed lives of his followers, he did not believe that Jesus was Messiah and that it was Jesus’ messiahship, not his resurrection, which marks the division between Christianity and Judaism. 

Careful readers of the above will also note that the resurrection of Jesus that Lapide championed is quite different from the resurrection of Jesus described in the New Testament. Like those in the Old Testament who returned to life, as well as Lazarus and others in the New Testament who were raised (such as Jairus’ daughter and Dorcas), these all eventually died. Jesus, however, rose again, never to return to death! 

In other words, resuscitation is not resurrection.

That fact, however, should not limit the great value of Lapide’s argument, namely that the transformed lives of the disciples and even the survival and existence of the Christian religion is the greatest evidence that he not only rose from the dead but that he also ascended to heaven in a glorified body.

The Pastor’s Takeaway

So pastors, as we step up to the pulpit this Easter, let us remember that the resurrection is a reality that transformed those fearful disciples into bold witnesses. Our belief in the resurrection – that Christ died and ever lives – is what has also transformed us and we dare not shy away from proclaiming it!

©2024 William Varner. Used with permission.

About The Author

Will Varner
William Varner

William Varner teaches at The Master’s University and is a pastor/teacher at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, Calif. He has written twenty books, including Passionate About the Passion Week: A Fresh Look at Jesus’ Last Days (Fontes Press, 2020).

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