Undeniably Alive

In a court of law, one of, if not the most reliable sources for proving an event occurred is credible eyewitness testimony. Even in our world of DNA testing and video surveillance (all of which can be manipulated or mishandled), reliable first-hand eyewitness testimony is of great value to prosecutors seeking to prove whether an event truly transpired and the details of that event. There is a reason why the mafia and other “bad guys” have infamously known for murdering potential witnesses. The guilty criminal realizes how powerful a compelling witness can be to sway a jury. Of course, witnesses can lie and testimonies can be bought off. However, when a lawyer can summon numerous trustworthy sources to share corroborating testimony, the prosecution has a convincing case.

Calling upon eyewitnesses, is exactly what the Apostle Paul does in 1st Corinthians 15:5-8. In this section of scripture, Paul gives a list of dependable eyewitnesses that could be “sworn in” to testify to the legitimacy of the resurrection of Jesus. The writer cites these individuals by name, all of whom, who could “take the witness stand” to share the vivid details of the miraculous resurrection of the Messiah. In a sense, the Apostle is like a prosecutor proving a case by asking each person for their own account of what they saw and knew.

In verse five, Paul begins (as it were) by calling the Apostle Peter to the witness stand to be sworn in. Peter, the same disciple who had denied even knowing Jesus, was also the same man that later boldly preached on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved. Peter’s life had been transformed from one of cowardice to great boldness! Why? Because Peter knew Jesus was alive, he had seen Jesus with his own eyes. There is nothing that can explain this sudden conversion in Peter’s life, except he had seen the Risen Messiah.

Then Paul states “the twelve” (a general term for the 12 apostles) could all give supporting testimony of having seen Jesus alive after his crucifixion. On resurrection Sunday the closest followers of Jesus had gathered together in a room to trying to comprehend the traumatic events of the last few days. As they assembled, the resurrected Christ appeared to them (John 20:19). What the disciples saw, was not some apparition, or a ghost – but the same Jesus they had been following for over three years.

Now, reaching further to a larger group of eyewitnesses, Paul states that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time. In fact, the apostle boldly says many of those same individuals were still alive and could be called upon to testify to what they had seen. The Apostle Paul isn’t worried his claims about Jesus dying and rising again are going to be proven untrue.

He is intentionally and purposefully citing witness after witness who can substantiate the claim that Jesus not only died, but that He rose again. I like what one Bible commentator said concerning this large group of over 500 persons Paul mentions. The scholar Albert Barnes wrote, “If the testimony of 500 could not avail to prove his (Jesus’) resurrection, no number of witnesses could. And if 500 people could thus be deceived, any number could.” Simply stated, if someone is willing to reject the testimony of 500, then 5,000 or 50,000 would not suffice.

Moving forward, Paul now calls upon James to share his experience of the resurrected Christ. Although there were several men in the New Testament named James, it is commonly accepted by Bible scholars that this particular James, was the half-brother of Jesus. Maybe so? But regardless of which James it was, this person is yet another reliable eye witness that could authenticate the claims that Jesus was alive.

Paul now lists the group of apostles yet again as witnesses. Perhaps you will recall, the apostles were the last ones to see Jesus before His ascension. In chapter one of the book of Acts, these men were gathered on the Mount of Olives, and together, they watched Jesus ascend up into heaven. There was no doubt in their minds, who Jesus was, or whether or not He had actually risen from the dead … they knew it, without a single doubt.

In Acts 1:3 Luke continues his record of the life and times of Jesus the Messiah by saying, Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them (the apostles and others) for forty days.” Don’t miss that my friends. Luke is claiming, Jesus appeared numerous times to numerous people in numerous places and that each of these post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were verifiable and irrefutable.

However, before he’s done calling on eyewitnesses, Paul summons one final person to the stand … himself. Long before the Apostle Paul became the famous missionary evangelist, he was known as Saul of Tarsus. He was a Pharisee. Saul (Paul) was among the number of religious leaders who denied the Messiahship of Jesus and sought to eradicate every follower of His. According to his own testimony (1 Timothy 1:12-15) Paul wreaked havoc on the church, persecuting and imprisoning Christians. Yet, on his way to Damascus to arrest those who followed Christ, the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and changed his life forever. Think about this, the Bible contains a reliable historical account of the conversion of Paul. Hence, there is no rational explanation for the complete change of Saul the persecutor into Paul the preacher, except he had a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ.

Further still, none of the people who have been called upon to substantiate the fact of the resurrection, had anything to gain by maintaining Jesus had risen from the dead. Rather, many of them were hunted down and killed for their claims. Why would any of them endure what they did, except they knew … not just beyond a “reasonable doubt” but they knew beyond any doubt – that Jesus was alive!

The resurrection of Jesus is a historical, verifiable proven fact. The question is not, did Jesus really rise from the dead? Instead, the real question is, what does the resurrection mean to you? Have you trusted in the finished work of the Messiah? He is undeniably alive!

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