Eyewitnesses

Eyewitnesses

About 10 years ago, during a Homicide trial in Nassau County in New York, the prosecution examined their witness on the stand. In his testimony, the witness stated that he saw the victim lying on the ground, obviously dead.

When the prosecution had finished, the defense lawyer rose to his feet, intent on undermining the credibility of the witness, and conducted the following cross-examination:

"Sir, are you a doctor?"

"No," replied the witness.

"Well, are you a paramedic?"

"No, I’m not," the witness stated.

"Have you ever gone to medical school?"

"Never," was the answer.

"Then tell me, sir, how do you know that the victim was indeed dead?"

"Well," responded the witness, "I went to his funeral."

In every Crime Scene Investigation, it’s hard to beat the value of eyewitnesses!

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection are the critical facts of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), comprising more than a fictitious story. Eyewitnesses corroborate the facts of the gospel and demonstrate the account's authenticity. Peter was one of Jesus’ closest disciples who witnessed His resurrection. He wrote in 2 Peter 1:16 (NKJV):

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

An honest judicial system endorses the value of eyewitness testimony. Moses sanctioned having at least two witnesses to establish the truth about an individual. He wrote in Deuteronomy 19:15 (NKJV):

15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

Jesus illustrated this principle in John 8 regarding the woman caught in adultery. Some view this story as an opportunity to criticize Jesus’ leniency; however, though Jesus is gracious, He was not lenient, He upheld the Law of Moses. When Jesus confronted the woman’s eyewitness accusers, they all left, from the oldest to the youngest. Jesus was alone with the woman and asked, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She answered, “No one, Lord.” Then He sent her on her way with, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11, NKJV).

According to the Law of Moses, no one could be executed for a capital offense without at least two eyewitnesses. With all of the witnesses absent, Jesus could not condemn her to death. Instead, He warned and sent her away.

Witnesses are important in court cases and in verifying the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. The Gospels and Acts recounted the resurrection and identified individuals who saw Jesus alive. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NKJV), Paul relates the facts of the gospel and some of the witnesses that saw the post-crucifixion Jesus alive, including more than 500 people who observed the resurrected Jesus simultaneously. Let me read this text.

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

As an aside, not only were there literal eyewitnesses to the events of the resurrection, the OT scriptures predicted it and the NT text affirmed it. Once again, we see the value of reading both sides of the Bible as it reveals ONE story from Genesis to Revelation. I have to pause for a moment and remind us of our Forefathers’ respect for the word of God.

In a letter to his son, John Quincy Adams wrote:

"I have myself, for many years, made it a practice to read through the Bible once every year… My custom is to read four to five chapters every morning immediately after rising from my bed. It employs about an hour of my time...."

On February 27, 1844, the same JQA stated:

"The Bible carries with it the history of the creation, the fall, and redemption of man, and discloses to him, in the infant born at Bethlehem, the Legislator, and Savior of the world."

Daniel Webster’s warning:

"If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."