"Finding Out" Study5-p18

THE SIMPLEST WAY OF PROVING that Jesus had not come alive was to place the dead body of Jesus on public display. This the Jewish leaders could not do, and everybody was aware of it. It demonstrated to all in Jerusalem that Jesus really was alive. They knew that Jesus had been bitterly hated, and that if the proof of his death had been available the authorities would have seized upon it immediately.

Were the leaders to admit that Jesus was now alive, they would have to confess to the biggest mistake in human history! They had crucified an innocent man, and no ordinary man at that, as His resurrection shows. Their denial of the resurrection did not make it any less an event. People who deny the resurrection today cannot undo an act of history or prevent Jesus returning to this world to be their judge!.

It is obvious from the New Testament’s record of the lives and teachings of the Apostles that they were not liars, and they had nothing to gain by lying. Many would die a martyr’s death!

SUMMARY: Those who saw Jesus had more than a passing glimpse of Him. They spoke to Him and touched Him. And He deliberately ate food to show that He was truly alive, and possessed a real body.

The authorities had every reason to deny that the resurrection of Jesus had happened. They had hated Him and so put Him to death. It was not in their interest to admit that a stupendous miracle had taken place!

It is unlikely that the disciples would have deliberately lied about the resurrection of Jesus, when lying was so strongly condemned in their writings. Nor was there anything to be gained by lying as the disciples were risking imprisonment and death.