Scripture commands that we as ambassadors for Christ must:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
America is increasingly becoming skeptical, along with the rest of Western Civilization. Recent Gallup Data suggests that in recent development, the amount of Americans that believe in God are on the decrease. Believing in some higher power or spiritual force is one thing, but Pew research also reported in 2018 that only 56% of Americans believe in the God of the Bible. This leaves us with nearly half of Americans either ideologically opposed to the existence of God in the first place, or if they do believe in some sort of God, not being convinced that the God revealed to us through the person of Jesus Christ is the one true God, and Creator of our Universe.
Jesus is the light of the world who revealed to us how we can be forgiven of our sin and spend an eternity with our creator. He is the only way to eternal life, and the only point of access we have to knowing how great our God’s grace and love is.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Surely, we are living in an age where we as humans, with our finite brains, believe in our ability to understand things that are beyond our comprehension. We are increasingly skeptical of miracle claims, regardless if they are historically recorded and predicted by prophecy centuries earlier. In other words, people are beginning to believe they are too smart to believe in these ‘fairytales.’
Having conversations with skeptical friends can be difficult, which is why I will refer you to what is generally regarded as the “Minimal Facts Approach” to sharing why the historical data is strong evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus.
What’s useful about the Minimal Facts Argument is that it utilizes historical facts that non-Christian and Christian scholars agree upon to a high degree of certainty.
These facts are as followed:
Jesus Christ was crucified, and was sentenced by Pontius Pilot
His disciples believed and claimed he rose from the dead
Paul (the former persecutor of Christianity) had a conversion experience and perceived encounter with Jesus which led him to preach in his name
James (former skeptic) also converted to faith in Christ following a perceived encounter with him.
Regardless if there is belief in God, Jesus was a highly attested historical figure, in which these events are considered to have actually happened to a high degree of certainty by Christian and non-Christian scholars alike.
So, this begs the question. What is the best explanation for this data? Notice how the resurrection was not one of the historical ‘facts,’ but rather appears to be the best explanation for the evidence to the contrary of all the naturalistic explanations as follows:
The Disciples lied about the resurrection, and perhaps stole the body of Jesus
This explanation does not satisfy the fact that the Disciple’s lives were transformed to live boldly until death do them part. There is also no historical report of any of the disciples recanting their faith
Therefore, this explanation does not provide a good motive for the Disciples to lie, because hypothetically, these supposed lies would lead them to severe persecution and even death (in certain historically accounted instances)
This explanation does not explain the encounter Paul had with Jesus on his trip to Damascus
It is indicated in the gospels that precautions were have been taking to make sure the tomb of Jesus would be sealed and guarded
This is an assertion without any other evidence
2. The Disciples were delusional
This explanation asserts would also have to assume that Paul and James, a former skeptic and persecutor, were also hallucinating and then be willing to suffer for claiming that their hallucination was not a hallucination but rather the actual risen Jesus
Mass hallucinations such as these simply do not happen, and if one were to, one still could not draw the line between a hallucination and the Disciples all believing that Christ had actually been risen
The Disciples would not have easily been convinced, considering we have recordings of Disciples such as Thomas who wouldn’t believe until he himself saw Jesus
Once again, his body could easily be recovered and disprove all that was being spread. The Jews would have motivation to disprove all the perceived ‘heresy’, but rather there are no early historical sources suggesting that the body was still in the tomb but rather early enemy attestation attempt to find a naturalistic explanation as to how the tomb was empty
This is another assertion without evidence
3. The Disciples were fooled by an imposter
Still, the body of Jesus would still be in the tomb
The imposter would have to prove he were Jesus, by performing miracles and wonders, which it is reported that Jesus did in his appearances
What would the motivation be for an imposter to become an imposter? Jesus had just been crucified and killed brutally
This is another assertion without evidence
5. The stories of Jesus appearing to the Disciples is a later developed legend
One of our minimal facts is that the original disciples believed they saw the risen Jesus, this is believed by both Christian and non-Christian scholars alike
The early historical sources and reportings of Jesus being risen are too early after the supposed events for legend to develop
What would the motivation be for people to lie about such events, Christians would soon be persecuted brutally for beliefs that Jesus was risen
This does not account for Paul’s conversion, Jame’s conversion, or the fact that Jesus’s body could still be laying in the tomb and easily pointed out
6. Limited spiritual sighting or visions can account for the data
This still fails to account for the fact that the body of Jesus could have easily been shown
Let’s say one of the Disciples has claimed they saw the risen Jesus and decided to attempt to make up more stories and spread this misinformation, what is their motive for doing so? They were beaten, persecuted, and stoned for their perceived ‘heresy’
There is no evidence that any of the Disciples recanted their belief
This leaves out the reports of group appearances, and the creed in 1 Corinthians that reports that Jesus appeared to the 500 and the Disciples
Still, this does not leave out the fact that they easily could have found the body of Jesus laying in the tomb if he had really not risen
An easier explanation that makes sense of all this data would be
Jesus resurrected
Notice all other explanations are naturalistic, yet to the contrary of the data. All skepticism of the resurrection is a result of those believing that it is impossible to prove anything supernatural. Nevertheless, Jesus claimed to be divine, and claimed to be the son of God. The evidence is best explained by this being true, and any other explanation to this data is simply an assertion that is to the contrary of the data.
In a conversation with your skeptical friends and family, the goal is not to win a debate. The goal is to garden, not to harvest. People simply do not know how strong the evidence is for Christianity, and it is our job to open people’s mind and heart, and allow the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting. If more people knew how strong the evidence is for the resurrection, perhaps they would explore the claims and ultimately begin their own relationship with Jesus.