Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead? – TNCC

13th June 2011

This morning we watched the skit about the empty tomb. That empty tomb and the various witnesses who met Jesus after that tell us that Jesus has risen from the dead!
But many people, then and today, still didn’t believe that Jesus had really risen. They came up with many theories about why Jesus’ tomb was empty.

Let’s look at some of them: (print these out on cards/paper and get different kids to read them out)
- The women and disciples went to the wrong tomb
- The “witnesses” were hallucinating when they said they saw Jesus
- Jesus didn’t really die. He just fainted on the cross and revived in the tomb.
- Jesus’ disciples stole His body

So many theories! Let’s examine them and see if they are true. (for older class, can get them to give their answers on how to disprove the theories)

This is an easy one. Even if the women and disciples were all mistaken about where Jesus’ body was buried, the Jewish authorities and the Roman guards would not have been mistaken also. They could have easily brought them to the correct tomb and said “Hey, here’s the right tomb and Jesus’ body is here!” and stopped the rumour of the resurrection immediately.

The Bible records for us that more than 500 people saw Jesus at one time after His resurrection (1 Cor 15:4-6). Assuming all 500 actually had the same illusion or hallucination, the Jewish and Roman authorities could also have produced the body to instantly squelch the rumour.

Some people said Jesus didn’t die. He merely fainted from exhaustion and loss of blood. Everyone thought He was dead. When He later resuscitated, the disciples thought that He had risen from the dead.
Crucifixion is a painful and terrible death. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours after being violently whipped. Jesus lost a lot of blood. When the guard pierced his body with a spear, blood and water flowed out, indicating acute heart failure.
If Jesus really just fainted after all that, it’d be very difficult for Him to survive without any medical attention for two days in the tomb. The stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb would have weighed about 1 to 2 tonnes, about the weight of a car. Jesus would not have enough strength to remove that stone by himself and then fight and overpower the Roman guards outside the tomb!

When the chief priests heard about the empty tomb, they told the soldiers to life that Jesus’ disciples came to steal the body.
Matt 28:13 “When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’”
Jesus’ disciples were fearful when Jesus was arrested and crucified. They ran away and hid. Peter denied Him. How can these cowards have the courage to overpower the Roman guards and steal Jesus’ body?
What did they have to gain by stealing the body? The disciples were persecuted, tortured, and eventually killed for preaching the resurrection! No one would go through all that to protect a lie.
In fact, the disciples’ lives were transformed. Peter, who denied Jesus 3 times, was so transformed that he stood up and preached a fiery message on Pentecost, and 3000 people were saved that day!

So what’s the conclusion? An empty tomb, eyewitness accounts, debunked theories, and transformed lives! All evidence point to a risen Lord and Saviour.
Jesus is alive! He conquered sin and death and rose again so that we can have new life in Him.
Would you like to have Jesus’ life in you? Let’s pray!
Lead those who want to accept Jesus in prayer.