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1. The tomb is empty, but how do we know this? The tomb visited by tourists today is almost certainly not the correct tomb, so how do we really know it's empty? How do we know Christ is risen?
2. First, the disciples didn't run to some far away place to preach the resurrection; they did it in the center of Jerusalem. A quick walk out to the tomb to see a dead Jesus, and the disciples and Christianity would have died right there.
3. 2nd, the earliest Jewish arguments against the resurrection claimed the disciples stole the body, admitting the tomb was empty. We see this recorded in Matt. 28:11-15 and in a collection of early Jewish texts called the Toledoth Jesu. Nearly all scholars admit this truth.
4. Because of this fact, critics are forced to offer alternative explanations for the empty tomb. The two most common theories are the Stolen Body theory and the "Swoon" theory, popular with Muslims.
5. As already mentioned, the idea that Jesus' body was stolen was first offered by the early Jews. In fact, they went to Pilate asking for a military guard out of this fear. There are a number of problems with this idea.
6. The tomb was made secure by 3 things: a roman seal, a roman guard, and a 1 1/2 to 2-ton stone. The seal did 2 things: it verified that Jesus was really dead & in the tomb; it also meant crucifixion for anyone breaking the seal without proper authority.
7. The Roman guard was at least 16 men, 4 watches of 4, & at max up to 50. Penalty for failure was death. The Roman soldier of that time was the most well-trained, disciplined soldier in the world; it's highly unlikely that a few untrained civilians would be able to take them on.
8. Some critics have suggested that the gaurd was the Jewish Temple gaurds, but even if true, the temple guard were pretty hardcore. The penalty for falling asleep at your post was they set the guard's uniform on fire, with him in it.
9. The stone was huge. Engineers have estimated that the stone covering the entrance to the tomb was between 1-1/2 & 2 tons. The chocks holding it in place were knocked out, & the stone rolled, slamming shut into a recessed groove. It required a work crew with tools to remove.
10. This kills the idea that the disciples tip-toed past sleeping gaurds to silently remove a massive stone. One of the biggest problems with the stolen body theory is the testimony of the disciples themselves. The stolen body theory requires that the disciples lied.
11. In 1963, a Buddist monk burned himself alive, sealing his testimony with his own blood. You may reject his belief, but you can't deny that he was completely sold on it. In the same way, nearly all the Apostles were martyred for their belief; they sealed it with blood.
12. But unlike the monk, their belief was not based on human philisophy or theological dictum, but "on that which our eyes have seen, and our hands have touched." It's inconceivable that they would have stolen the body and then died for what they knew to be a lie.
13. The Swoon theory faces many of the same issues ad the stolen body idea. This theory says that Jesus didn't die on the cross, but merely "swooned," or fainted. He later revived in the tomb, opened it and staggered into the wilderness were he died and was eaten by animals.
14. When Jesus' body was prepared, it was wrappen in linen, smeared with a paste made of aromatic spices, very much like mummification. The barely alive Jesus would have to bust loose from these wraps, a feat that Schwartzenegger on his best day would be incapable of doing.
15. He would then have to "palm" a massive 2-ton stone out of the way, defeat several Roman guards, before staggering off into the wilderness to die. Has anyone ever survived crucifixion? No. There was one incident where the criminal was pardone & immediately taken down; he died.
16. In addition, the Romans performed curifracture, breaking the leg bones to hasten death. When the soldier came to Jesus, he noted that Jesus was already dead; one soldier then thrust a spear through his heart to confirm. We can be confident that Jesus was dead.
17. Even if one denies the inspiration and infallibilty of the Bible, one must still treat its eyewitness accounts as historical evidence. And when all the evidence is considered, no reasonable person can come to any other verdict than that we proclaim every year: Jesus is risen.
