Fact #1--The Broken Roman Seal:
The first obvious fact supporting Christ's Resurection was the breaking of the seal that stool for the power and authority of the Roman Empire. The consequences of breaking the seal were called into action to find the man or men who were responsible. If they were apprehended, it meant automatic execution by curcifixion upside-down. People feared the breaking of the seal. Jesus' disciples displayed signs of cowardice when they hid themselves; they no doubt would be the targets of blame by the authorities.
Fact#2--The Empty Tomb
Another obvious fact after the Resurrection was the empty tomb. The disciples of Christ did not go off to Athens or Rome to preach that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Rather, they went right back to the city of Jerusalem, where, if what they were teaching was false, the falsity would be evident. The empty tomb was too notorious to be denied. The Resurrection of Christ could not have been maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour, if the emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned. Both Jewish and Roman sources and traditions admit an empty tomb. Those resources range from historian Josephus to a compilation of fifth-century Jewish writings called the "Toledoth Jeshu." One scholar calls this "positive evidence from a hostile source, which is the strongest kind of historical evidence; in essence, this means that if a source admits a fact decidedly not in its favor, then that fact is genuine." Gamaliel, who was a member of the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin, put forth the suggestion that the rise of the Christian movement was God's doing; he could not have done that if the tomb were still occupied, or if the Sanhedrin knew the whereabouts of Christ's body. If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable, according to the canons of historical research, to conclude that the sepulcher of Joseph of Arimathea, in which Jesus was buried, was actually empty on the morning of the first Paschal Easter. And no shred of evidence has yet been discovered in literary sources, epigraphy, or archaeology that would disprove this statement.
Fact #3 - The Large Stone Moved:
On that Sunday morning the first thing that impressed the people who approached the tomb was the unusual position of the massive stone that had been lodged in front of the doorway. All the Gospel writers make mention of this. Those who observed the stone after the Resurrection describe its position as having been rolled up a slope away--not just from the entrance of the tomb, but from the entire massive sepulcher. It was in such a position that it looked as if it had been picked up and carried away. Now, I challenge you, if the disciples had wanted to come in, tiptoe around the sleeping guards, and then roll the stone over and steal Jesus' body, how could they have done that without the guards' awareness?
Fact #4 - The Roman Guard Goes AWOL:
The Roman guards fled. They left their place of responsibility. How can their attrition be explained, when Roman military discipline was so exceptional? Justin, in Digest 49, mentions all the offenses that required the death penalty--leaving one's post was such an offense. The fear of their superiors' wrath and the possibility of death meant that the guards paid close attention to the minutest details of their jobs. One way a guard was put to death because of failure in duty was by being stripped of his clothes and then burned alive in a fire started with his very own garments. If it was not apparent which soldier had failed in his duty, then lots were drawn to see which one would be punished with death for the guard unit's failure. Certainly the entire unit stationed at the tomb would not have fallen asleep with that kind of threat over their heads. The fear of punishment produced flawless attention to duty, especially in the night watches.
Fact #5 - The Grave Clothes Tell A Tale:
In a literal sense, against all statements to the contrary, the tomb was not totally empty-because of an amazing phenomenon. The Apostle John looked over to the place where the body of Jesus had lain, and there were the grave clothes, in the form of the body, slightly caved in and empty--like the empty chrysalis of a caterpillar's cocoon. That's enough to make a believer out of anybody! Saint John never did get over this remarkable sight. The first thing that stuck in the minds of all the disciples was not the empty tomb, but rather the empty grave clothes--undisturbed in form and position.
Fact #6 - More Than 500 Witnesses:
Christ appeared alive on several occasions after the cataclysmic events of that first Pascha/Easter. When studying an event in history, it is important to know whether enough people who were participants or eyewitnesses to the event were alive when the facts about the event were published. To know this is obviously helpful in ascertaining the accuracy of the published report. If the number of eyewitnesses is substantial, the event can be regarded as fairly well established. Several very important factors are often overlooked when considering Christ's post-resurrection appearances to individuals. The first is the large number of witnesses of Christ after that Resurrection morning. One of the earliest records of Christ's appearing after the Resurrection is by Saint Paul. He appealed to his audience's knowledge of the fact that Christ had been seen by more than 500 people at one time. And he reminded them that the majority of those people were still alive and could be questioned. What gives a special authority to this listing of witnesses as historical evidence is the reference to most of the 500 people being still alive. It is as if Saint Paul is saying to the effect, "If you do not believe me, can ask them." Such a statement in an admittedly genuine letter written within 30 years of the event is almost as strong evidence as one could hope to get for something that happened 2,000 years ago. Let's take the more than 500 witnesses who saw Jesus alive after His death and burial, and place them in a courtroom. Do you realize that if each of those 500 people were to testify for only six minutes, including cross-examination, you would have an amazing 50 hours of firsthand testimony? Add to this the testimony of many other eyewitnesses and you would well have the largest and most lopsided trial in all of human history. So here we have it, 6 unquestionable facts on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Evidence that demands a verdict. Is Christ Risen? TRULY HE IS RISEN!
Father Michael: father_michael@saintgregorythetheologian.org