Agreement on the Empty Tomb

2021-09-19

Jesus’ tomb was empty on resurrection day. Not everyone agrees why it was, but even the enemies of Christianity admit it.

Previously, we saw how the religious leaders told the guards at Jesus’ tomb to explain that “His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept” (Matthew 28:13). Apparently, this story went on for centuries. This rumor still spread in the second century according to Justin Martyr (Dialogue with Trypho CVIII). The late second or early third century writing by Tertullian (De Spectaculis 30) states another theory of the body of Jesus being stolen. The fifth century Toledoth Yeshu also has a story to that case.

In other words, the enemies of Christianity admit that the tomb was empty. They were giving alternate explanations as to how it got that way. We will look at these at a later time.

Previously, we saw early testimony of the resurrection being preached immediately after it happened. The original 12 disciples remained in Jerusalem, where the resurrection purportedly happened, for many years after the event. If the tomb were not empty, the disciples would have lost all credibility.

We also saw how Mary Magdalene and her companions were listed as primary witnesses to the empty tomb. Because of the low status of women in the ancient world, it is not likely that this would be a fabrication. A fabrication would have included men.

We also saw how the world was filled with the teaching that Jesus was alive within a generation. How could this be propagated so quickly by people of low estate, without violence, without wealth, and without worldly influence, with a dead body in Jesus’ tomb back in Jerusalem?

This is Exhibit F for the evidence that Jesus rose from the dead.