by Pierre Lombard

Created on: May 02, 2010

What happened two millennia ago on Golgotha is a thorny issue for some and a joy to others, because of the salvation that it brought. To determine whether our Messiah did die or not, let us look at some of the objections. The main one is taken from the gospels itself and that is that His body was stolen. Now we must get clarity on why they would have done this. Was it to prove a resurrection? If we read through the gospels we will get a picture of a group of disciples that did not expect a messiah that was to die, least of all on a cross. He had a hard time making it clear to them that He was to die and rise again, but they interpreted it to be metaphorical. They believed, as the rest of Israel did, in a Messiah that would free Israel from her oppressors.

A dying, suffering servant was definitely not an option in their expectations. Knowing that, why then would they steal a body to prove a resurrection when they did not even expect or even thought about such an option? What would they have proved by stealing the body, since it would serve no purpose? A resurrection is proved with a living person, not a stolen dead body. Also, how do you steal a body, sneaking past a Roman guard and move a massive stone unnoticed?

When He was arrested they all fled and hid themselves. What would have given them the courage to suddenly overcome their fear and confront a Roman guard, overpower such a highly skilled killing unit and move an immensely heavy stone, just to steal a dead body - and loose their own lives? The very reason the Pharisees came to bribe the soldiers to tell a lie is proof that the resurrection did take place, because no other explanation was available for them to use. The fact that the soldiers were still alive after that is also proof, because a Roman soldier sleeping on such a job was a dead soldier, if caught. The tomb was evacuated, they failed and therefor deserved the death penalty, but they survived it all. Why? Because the Pharisees covered for them.

If the disciples stole the body, then why did they think He was a ghost when he appeared to them there where they were still in hiding? He had to eat something with them to prove that He was not just a ghost. He told them to look at his hands and see and touch to ascertain themselves of the fact that he indeed has risen from the dead. Even Thomas wanted to see Him in person and touch His wounds before he would believe. Then the scared group of disciples were suddenly transformed into a fearless group of men that went and preached the gospel in the face of death and persecution. Why? Because they,and more than five hundred others, saw for themselves that he did rise from the dead and that they were not to be afraid of death, because they would also get what He had, a resurrected, heavenly body and eternal life.

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