Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

                      Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

We celebrate Easter which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a central teaching in Christianity today. To the disciples
of Jesus the resurrection was not just a doctrine, but also a reality. Can you imagine seeing someone that you loved and knew
well tortured to death in front of you? Then after witnessing his execution he appears to you alive several times over a period of
40 days. You talk to him, touch him and even eat with him. This would certainly have a profound effect upon your life! This is the
case concerning Jesus and his disciples.

There are those today that would have us believe this is just a myth and not a reality. The fact is myths take centuries to
develop, the gospel, however came into life in the same time and place as those who had both seen and heard Jesus before
his crucifixion. The focal point of this study will be to examine the importance of the resurrection, doctrine concerning it and
some of the historical evidence to see if such a belief has any validity.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION AND ITS DOCTRINE

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is important to the Christian belief because
(1) Without it the Old Testament prophecy would not be fulfilled.
(2) Without it we would have no forgiveness of our sins.
(3) If Jesus was not resurrected this would make him a false prophet.

(1) If Jesus did not rise from the dead the Old Testament prophecy would not be fulfilled.

Ps 16:10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.

Below we see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the New Testament.
Acts 13:33-37 "God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second
Psalm, 'Thou art My Son; today I have begotten Thee.' And as for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no more to
return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' "Therefore He also says in
another Psalm, 'Thou wilt not allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.' "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his
own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo
decay.
(The Apostle Paul is the one speaking in the passage above. Peter refers to this Psalm in the same way Acts 2:27-37)

(2) If Jesus did not rise from the dead we would have no forgiveness of our sins.
The next thing we read in verse 38 of this same passage in Acts Ch.13 is: He whom God raised did not undergo decay
(38)"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you"
Notice the word "Therefore" Paul is saying that because Jesus rose from the dead we have forgiveness of sins! This is also
confirmed in the following passage.

1 Cor 15:14-17 " if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found
to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the
dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your
faith is worthless; you are still in your sins."

(3) When the Jews asked for a sign Jesus predicted he would rise from the dead. If Jesus did not rise from the
dead he would be a false prophet.
John 2:18-22 "The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these
things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews therefore said,
"It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His
body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the
Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken.

There are some groups that deny that Jesus rose bodily from the grave. Rather they claim it was a "spiritual resurrection". One
such group is the Jehovah Witnesses. They are also known as The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Following are two
quotes from them.

Aid to Bible Understanding 1971, pg.1395, "Jesus appeared to his disciples on different occasions in various fleshly
bodies, just as angels had appeared to men at ancient times. Like those angels, he had the power to construct and
disintegrate those fleshly bodies at will, for the purpose of proving visibly that he had been resurrected."

Reasoning from the Scriptures 1985, pg.334, "At his resurrection from the dead, Jesus was brought forth with a spirit
body."......"Why did not others see him too? Because he was a spirit creature and when, as the angels had done in the past, he
materialized fleshly bodies to make himself visible, he did so only in the presence of his disciples."

The above statements are not Biblical. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ arose in the same exact body of flesh and bones in
which he had lived and died. It is this same body in which He ascended into heaven. This is not only what the Bible teaches. It
is also the historical teaching of the church.

Concerning the quotes from the Watchtower Society there are a couple of problems with these statements.
(1) First of all Jesus did not appear "only in the presence of his disciples." He appeared also to unbelievers.
(2) The Bible teaches that Jesus rose from the dead in the same physical body in which he died.

(1) Jesus did not appear "only in the presence of his disciples." He appeared also to unbelievers. Paul was a hostile
unbeliever before Jesus appeared to him. This can be seen in Acts 9:1-30. He is called Saul in the context there but we see in
Acts 13:9 & Acts 22:1-21 that Saul is indeed the same person who is latter known as the Apostle Paul.
This is after the 40 day period that Jesus appeared to the rest of the disciples.

(1a) In John 7:5 we are told that not even the brothers of Jesus were believing in Him. James and Jude were sons of Mary and
Joseph and were half brothers of Jesus since they had the same mother. Later both become believers. Although it cannot be
shown as to exactly when they became believers it seems likely that it was after the resurrection. We have no reference to them
being believers until after his resurrection. We see in 1 Cor.15:7 that Jesus appeared to James after he arose from the dead.
As for reference to show they were the brothers of Jesus the following verses should be read. Jude1:1 & Mark 6:3. (Note Jude
is short for Judas see Greek word #2455 in the Strong's.)

(2) The Bible teaches that Jesus rose from the dead in the same physical body in which he died.
John 2:18-22 "The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these
things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews therefore said,
"It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His
body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the
Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken.

When Jesus made this statement he had a physical body of flesh and bones. This is the temple or body that he said he would
raise in 3 days. Since Jesus said he would raise this physical body, reason and logic tells us it was a physical body not a
spiritual body that was to be resurrected. Also we have already seen in Ps.16:10, Acts 2:27-32 & 13:34-38 this body would
never undergo decay. What is the purpose of preserving the body if it is not raised from the dead and being used? I have had
some Jehovah Witnesses tell me that it did not decay but God destroyed it by gases. Of course they could offer no biblical
reference for such a view but they had to rationalize it in some way to support this un-biblical doctrine. Jesus took great pains
to show them that it was he himself that rose from the dead and not a spirit. Let us consider the following scripture.

Luke 24:39-43 "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as
you see that I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they still could not believe
it for joy and were marveling, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;
and He took it and ate it before them."

Everything Jesus offered them for evidence of his resurrection was of the physical nature. He spoke to them to them so they
could hear and recognize his voice. Jesus showed his wounds from the crucifixion inviting them to touch him. In John 20:27
Jesus told Thomas to put his finger into the wounds in his hands and to put his hand into his side. Jesus purposely asked them
for something to eat and ate fish in front of them. Jesus also ate and drank with others.

Acts 10:41. Jesus declared that a spirit did not have a body of flesh and bones as he had. He did things like this on several
occasions over a period of 40 days Acts 1:3. They watched him bodily ascend into heaven Acts 1:9.

Jesus never said anything to them that would indicate these "convincing proofs" as we are told in Acts 1:3 should be
interpreted as a spiritual body. If this was merely one of several fleshly materialized bodies to make himself visible as the
Watchtower claims then Jesus purposely deceived his disciples. The moral implications of this are absolutely contrary to the
Jesus we read of in the Bible.