Introduction
In John 20:19-24, the Apostle John describes an appearance of Jesus to His disciples (except Judas, who had betrayed Him and committed suicide, and Thomas, who was absent for an unknown reason). Jesus had been crucified, buried, and, according to Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-9, Luke 24:1-7, and John 20:1-8, He had risen from the dead on the third day. Jesus' resurrection is recorded in all four gospel accounts. Now Jesus appears to the remaining Apostles, except Thomas, after the resurrection. When the ten told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, he responded, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).
According to John 20:26-29, Jesus again appeared to the disciples, this time with Thomas present. When Jesus allowed Thomas to “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe,” he responded, “My Lord and my God!”
Because Thomas did not believe in Jesus' resurrection at first, he has been known as "Doubting Thomas."
Jesus’ response to Thomas is profound: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). To believe in Jesus’ resurrection without seeing Him alive after His resurrection requires evidence. The idea of “blind faith” is erroneous.
Is there credible evidence of the resurrection? Let us see.
Evidence From the Prophets
Jesus prophesied that He would rise from the dead, even that it would be on the third day! He said in Matthew 12:40, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” There are approximately 300 Old Testament Prophecies concerning the life and mission of Jesus (a major example is Isaiah 53). Jesus says that the Old Testament prophet, Jonah, is a type of His death, burial, and resurrection (See Jonah 1:17-20).
This was not the only time that Jesus foretold His death, burial, and resurrection. Matthew tells us in Matthew 16:21:
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
He would speak of His resurrection again in Matthew 17:22-23, 20:18-19, and 26:32.
In John 2:19, Jesus gave a cryptic reference to the death and resurrection: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews took His words literally, asking how he could raise the temple (in which they were standing at the time) in three days (v. 20). John explains (though he did not understand Jesus’ words until after the resurrection – v. 22) that Jesus was referring to “the temple of His body” (v. 21).
The Apostles had seen Jesus work many miracles. They had seen Him raise Lazarus and a widow's son from the dead (John 11:43-44; Luke 7:11-16). So they should have believed Him when He prophesied of His own resurrection.
Even Jesus' enemies were aware of Jesus' prophecies of His resurrection. That is why they asked Pilate to order the securing of His tomb (Matthew 27:62-64).
The apostles had been with Jesus for three years. They knew that He always spoke the truth. They should have believed Him when He told them He would be betrayed, crucified, buried, and rise from the dead. That is why He rebuked them for their unbelief.
The resurrection of Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament. Peter refers to a prophecy found in Psalm 16:8-11. David writes in Psalm 16:10, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” Peter applies this prophecy to the resurrection in Acts 2:23-28, saying in Acts 2:24, "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."
The Apostles were familiar with the prophecies of Jesus' resurrection on the third day. So they should have believed the eyewitness testimony of the men and women who had seen Jesus alive after the resurrection.
Evidence From the Tomb
In Matthew 28:1-4, Matthew records the guards’ reaction to the resurrection:
And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
They reported these events to the chief priests, who assembled the elders, and, when they discussed the matter, Matthew writes in Matthew 28:12-15:
…they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” 15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
Though the guards at Jesus' tomb did not see him rise from the dead and leave the tomb, they were obviously aware that he was no longer in it. They reported these things to the rulers of Jerusalem, who bribed them. Though "this saying" was "commonly reported among the Jews" (V. 15), no body was ever found. No proof was ever presented that Jesus' body was stolen. In fact, the guards did not say they had seen the disciples steal the body. They had to be bribed to say that! They knew there had been a supernatural act.
Some obvious questions:
1) How could the soldiers identify the thieves if they had been asleep?
2) Why were the sentinels not punished by death for sleeping on the job and thereby losing their charge (See Acts 12:16-19)?
3) Why did the soldiers need to explain anything if a body was still in the tomb?
The Jews who had been guilty of killing Jesus would have loved to have retrieved the body of Jesus to prove he had not risen from the dead, but they were never able to do so. Why? Because there was no dead body. He was alive! All the prophecies concerning the resurrection on the third day had been fulfilled.
Evidence From Credible Testimonies
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-6, Paul writes that, when Jesus “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” He appeared to Cephas (Peter), the twelve (the office of the Twelve which at the time included only the ten as Judas was dead and Thomas was not present[1]), then to “more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep,” then to James, and to the Twelve (this time the eleven, including Thomas). Finally, He appeared to Paul himself.
Paul writes that Jesus was seen by "above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep" (1 Cor 15:6). Five hundred became "brethren." This indicates that they believed and testified to the fact that they had seen him alive after the resurrection!
Conclusion
The apostles should have believed the testimony of Mary Magdalene and the other women (Mark 16:9-11). Jesus points this out in His rebuke for their unbelief, and His statement to the no longer "doubting Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:29).
Christians believe because of this testimony and the available evidence as recorded in the Bible. And, if one has trouble believing the Bible's testimony, remember, it has never been proven wrong!
You, too, can believe that Jesus arose from the dead. Such faith is necessary for salvation from your sins. Paul writes in Romans 10:9-10:
…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Do you believe?