EVIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION: TESTIMONIES OF THE WITNESSES
(PART 2)
I Corinthians 15:5-7
During a criminal investigation, detectives seek to gather as much evidence as possible to prove their case. While they will take as much circumstantial evidence as is available, they would much rather have physical evidence. Even better are those occasions when an eyewitness is found who can give a first-hand testimony of the events that transpired. The best-case scenario is when there are multiple eye witnesses whose testimonies agree, and they are all willing to share exactly what they saw.
As Paul seeks to defend the authenticity of Christ’s Resurrection in an effort to prove the biblical doctrine concerning the future, bodily resurrection of the Saints, he submits several key pieces of evidence to support his case. He first appeals to the work that Christ had performed in the lives of the Corinthian Christians as evidence of the Resurrection. Then he presents God’s Prophets and the Old Testament scriptures as proof. Here in our selected text, Paul begins to metaphorically call to the witness stand several key people who had a personal encounter with Jesus after His Resurrection.
When we last assembled, we examined the testimony of Cephas, better known to most as The Apostle Peter. I mentioned when we began to consider his post-Resurrection encounters with the Lord Jesus that in appealing to Peter, Paul certainly did not save the best witness until last. Of all the followers who communed with Jesus after His Resurrection, more is recorded about Peter than any other. We not only have a record of Peter’s encounters with Jesus between the Resurrection and Ascension, we have a wealth of information about how Jesus worked in and through him in the first 12 chapters of the Book of Acts.
I said all of that to say this, Paul has already presented more than ample proof that Jesus is alive. However, he does not stop with his first eyewitness, he goes on to appeal to several more people who had a first-hand encounter with the Risen Savior.
- I would like to continue to examine the “Evidence Of The Resurrection” and consider:
THE TESTIMONIES OF THE WITNESSES (Part 2)
v5 Jesus appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
- In these verses we see that Paul has come prepared with many witnesses who saw the Risen Lord with their own eyes. First on that list is Cephas and the next is:
WITNESS #2: THE TWELVE
v5 Jesus appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
I say, “witness #2” but Paul actually appeals to multiple “witnesses”. You probably have noticed that he refers to them as “the twelve”. We know that by this point Judas has betrayed Christ and committed suicide. We also know that Matthias was not chosen to replace him until after Christ ascended. But this is not a contradiction, there are a few references in scriptures where the remaining eleven Disciples are referred to as “the twelve”. Sort of like we still refer to the PAC 12 as the PAC 12 even though there are only 2 teams left in the Pacific 12 conference. (Playful sarcasm intended).
Jesus first appeared to His Disciples on the evening of the Resurrection. These men were curious and perplexed, and also filled with doubt and fear. In Luke 23, after Jesus’ encounter with Cleopas and that other disciple on the Road to Emmaus, they quickly ran back to Jerusalem to inform “the eleven” of what they had just experienced. The good news made it back to Jerusalem before they did; when they entered into the room where the followers of the Lord were gathered, they were told that “The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon!” After hearing this, they then described their own personal encounter with Jesus.
Though there was much excitement among the Disciples of the Lord, there was still a great deal of confusion and even doubt. However, those doubts were soon to be put to rest. As they are all discussing these separate encounters with Jesus, the Lord Himself comes on the scene and reveals Himself to all who were gathered. Notice:
Luke 24:36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.
When it comes to the mindset of Christ’s Apostles after the Resurrection, the Apostle Thomas receives a great deal of unfair criticism. For almost 2,000 years people have been referring to this faithful Disciple of the Lord as “doubting Thomas”. This is an unfair designation because the scriptures prove that all of the Disciples doubted the reality that Jesus was alive until they saw Him with their own eyes. In fact, the following conversation took place when Thomas was not even in the room. Notice:
Luke 24:38 And (Jesus) said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
These men have heard the testimony of Mary, they have heard the report from the Emmaus Road disciples, and by this point they have heard from Peter that Jesus is alive. Yet, when Jesus appeared to them they were still uncertain. This is certainly understandable because they were witnessing one of the most remarkable and supernatural events in the history of the world. After seeing Jesus with their own eyes and hearing His words with their own ears, Luke tells us that, “they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling…” (Luke 24:41)
After this, Jesus recounts what the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms and even He had said about Himself before His suffering and death. (It is fascinating how Jesus’ summary of the Gospel message in the following passage corresponds to Paul’s message in our selected text.) Jesus said to His Disciples in Luke 24:44-48:
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
In this discourse, Jesus conquered the doubts that filled the minds of His closest followers. He also seized this opportunity to expound the scriptures and show them how all of these things had been prophesied long before His arrival. Furthermore, He declared that they are witnesses of the fulfillment of all of the things that had long been written about Him in the Law, spoken of by the Prophets and recorded in the Psalms and other scriptures. Moreover, they were not just witnesses who saw these things, they were the men that God would use to travel the world and spread the amazing truth that Jesus is the Messiah; that He suffered, died, rose again, and they saw it with their own eyes!
As I mentioned earlier, Thomas was not present when this encounter took place and when he heard the report he refused to believe. John writes that, “Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
(John 20:24-25)
Each of us who belong to Jesus has a testimony that is similar to that of Thomas. Personally, I lived the majority of my life hearing from others that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and rose again. This was such a part of my upbringing that I never really doubted these truths. However, this knowledge did not have a transformative impact on my life until that day when Jesus came to me and made His presence known. On December 7th, 1997, I had a personal encounter with the Risen Christ that changed me immediately, spiritually, and eternally.
John tells us about Thomas’ encounter with Jesus in John 20:26-28. He says, “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
I do not think that Thomas had to touch the nail prints in Jesus hands or thrust his fingers into His side where the spear had pierced Him. I believe that seeing Jesus’ face and hearing His voice was enough to settle the doubts in his mind and change Him forever. Like the others, Thomas became a viable and fervent witness that Jesus is alive!
In his list of witnesses, Paul appeals to “the twelve” and then later he mentions “all the Apostles”. This is not a reference to two different groups of people, rather it is speaking to the fact that these men had multiple encounters with Jesus between the Resurrection and Ascension. Luke tells us that Jesus appeared to the Apostles “over a period of forty days”. He said in Acts 1:3 that Jesus “presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
After spending many days with the Lord and learning from Him, the time came for Him to ascend back to Heaven and take His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. Before His departure, Jesus informed His Disciples that they would soon be filled with the Holy Spirit and afterwards they were to travel the region spreading the Gospel. (Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.). We know that they were faithful to their assignment, and they spent the rest of their lives as witnesses of His deity, saving grace and resurrection power. The Apostles were so transformed by their encounters with the Risen Savior that they were willing to suffer and die for His cause.
- By appealing to the Apostles, Paul has presented even more legitimate proof of Christ’s Resurrection. However, he is not finished; he also mentions:
Witness # 3: The 500 Brethren
v6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Scripture does not tell us exactly who these 500 Brethren were or when Jesus appeared to them. However, they apparently were well known by those in the early church. In fact, they were likely among those who were used of God in the establishment of His Church. (Charter members so to speak). At some point between His Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus appeared to them, and they became viable witnesses that Jesus had conquered death and the grave. By the time of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians many of them had passed away, but there were some who were still present that could testify that Jesus is alive.
- Paul has presented Peter, the rest of the Apostles, and these five hundred Brethren as eyewitnesses of the Resurrection. Now he calls to the stand:
Witness # 4: James
v7 Then he appeared to James,
There are several men named James who were part of the early Church; in fact, two of the Lord’s Apostles were named James; one being Zebedee’s son (and John’s brother), and the other was the son of Alphaeus. Most scholars are of the opinion that the James that Paul references here is the half-brother of the Lord Jesus.
Prior to the Resurrection, James and the other brothers of the Lord did not believe in Him (John 7:5). However, after the Resurrection James became a faithful servant of the Christ he once denied. We know for certain that he was the leader of the Church at Jerusalem and likely wrote the wonderful Epistle of James that is found in our New Testament.
James was a man who grew up in the same household with Jesus, in many ways he knew Him better than most. However, it was not until after the Resurrection that James came to acknowledge Him as Messiah. Though we are not given a detailed account of this post Resurrection encounter, the transformation that was wrought in the life of James serves as one more fantastic example of what happens when one sees the Risen Savior.
We who belong to Jesus Christ have had an encounter very similar to the people mentioned in this passage. While it is true that none of us have seen the Lord with our physical eyes, He has appeared to us in a very real and powerful way. So much so that we can live this life with full assurance that Jesus is alive and because of this we are able to possess security concerning our salvation and all of the many promises of God.
Jesus lived, He suffered, He died and was buried, He rose on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. After His Resurrection He appeared to His followers, in time He ascended to Heaven with a promise that one day He would return for His own. Those who repent and believe in Him have the opportunity to experience Him daily and know that we will be with Him eternally.
John says in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Maybe you still have some doubts concerning the authenticity of the Resurrection, if so, like Paul I appeal to the testimonies of Cephas, the Twelve Apostles, those 500 Brethren who saw Jesus at one time, and to James as Evidence Of The Resurrection.
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