Archive for month: October, 2025

In a recent forum message, evangelist Mr. Wallace Smith, Director of Media Operations for the Church, addressed this year’s Living Education students by referencing a message he delivered just a few weeks before. In that forum, Mr. Smith presented the important question of establishing one’s personal worldview through the framework of the Bible. You can read his forum in article format here.

This week, however, Mr. Smith addressed one important pillar of our worldview as Christians that can be challenging to defend at times. Many scholars dismiss the possibility that Jesus Christ could have been resurrected. Since they refuse to believe that the Bible was inspired by God, it can seem difficult to construct a convincing argument for the truth of the resurrection. It’s also an important question to ask ourselves: unless we already believe the Bible is divinely inspired, how can we be expected to believe that the historical figure of Jesus is the Son of God? Mr. Smith acknowledged this question, and asserted that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is indeed provable from a historical perspective.

An Empty Faith?

Mr. Smith referenced 1 Corinthians 15:14-17, stating: “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty… For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile.” We can clearly see from Paul’s language that great emphasis should be placed on Christ’s resurrection—it was not just a ceremonial event, but perhaps the most monumental occurrence in history. Everything in the plan of God led up to that point, and Christ’s resurrection serves as the foundation for everything we believe. If Christ was not resurrected, Paul argues, then everything we believe is meaningless. Since proving Christ’s resurrection is so important, it is crucial that we are personally convicted of its reality, and we need to make sure any argument in favor of it is completely airtight.

A Book of History

Contrary to the opinions of some scholars, the Bible itself is still a credible historical document. While many disagree with the idea that it was divinely inspired, many critics agree that it is a solid book of history. Numerous elements of the Bible have been corroborated by archaeological discoveries and other contemporary literary accounts. 

In particular, the New Testament itself is a shining example of an intact historical text. There are consistent uncoordinated details found between the many books that corroborate the accounts of other authors, as well as personal details and unique perspectives that are completely inconsistent with forgeries or propaganda. The Gospel writer Luke is one of the most detailed and proficient historians of whom we know, and the credibility of his and others’ works are beyond reproach. Proving our argument that Christ’s resurrection actually happened means accepting the reality that the Bible can be counted on as an accurate historical document.

What History Says about Jesus

Few educated people claim Jesus Christ didn’t exist—historians almost unanimously accept that He was a real person. History acknowledges the following about Jesus, so we can start by reviewing the facts:

1. Jesus was a Jewish preacher in the first century AD.
2. Part of His message did include the idea of a kingdom to be set up.
3. Many people were convinced He performed miracles.
4. He apparently claimed to be the Son of God, or a Messianic figure from the line of David.
5. He was crucified by the Romans.
6. He was buried in the tomb of a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea.

Historians agree on these points, and none of these facts require faith in the Scriptures.

Historians also agree almost universally on the following points:

1. Jesus’ tomb was found empty shortly after He was executed.
2. Jesus’ disciples were convinced that He appeared to them alive and well.
3. His disciples traveled far and wide spreading this account to the point of martyrdom.

The Tomb Was Empty

While many reject the Biblical explanation, historians do agree that Jesus’ tomb was mysteriously empty after His burial. It has been a mystery to most for around 2,000 years. However, when we analyze the evidence, we find that the historical facts confirm what we already know in the Bible.

First century Jewish leaders openly acknowledged the fact that the tomb was empty. The Sanhedrin—the governing Jewish authority at the time—did not hide this fact, and were puzzled by it. Furthermore, despite the claims that He had been resurrected, they could not produce a body to refute the claim. Matthew 28:11-15 shows a key point: they did not attempt to cover up the empty tomb, they instead tried to come up with a story to explain why it could be empty at all.

One interesting point further confirming the story is the fact that the accounts state the tomb was found by women. In the first century, the testimony of women was not considered credible in court. In fact, had the story been falsely-circulated propaganda, it would have severely harmed the credibility of the story to include this point. The Gospel writers did not shy away from reality and gave credit where it was due, even if it was a potentially damaging thing to include.

The Faith of the Disciples

Another important thing to consider is this: the disciples were completely and utterly convinced He had been resurrected. 

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 states: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the twelve. 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. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” Paul, writing this many years after the resurrection occurred, makes an extraordinarily bold claim: the risen Christ was seen by, in total, well over 514 people, and he cites the fact that many of them are still alive and can corroborate his story. Paul and the other apostles were completely sure they had seen a risen Jesus Christ and were willing to stake their claim on it. In fact, James, Jesus’ brother, was not originally a believer in Christ’s divinity, but was so convinced that he changed his mind.

This is important. It shows that the apostles were not spreading propaganda for no reason—they were absolutely convinced of what they had seen. Some scholars propose mass delusion or hallucinations— practically impossible explanations for such a widely-accepted and boldly stated case.

Some also claim that the disciples themselves had perpetrated an elaborate hoax, or that Christ had faked His own death. However, neither of these explanations hold up: the disciples could have easily been proven wrong by the Sanhedrin, and they would never have gone to the lengths they did throughout the rest of their lives to spread Christ’s message—many of them were brutally martyred for what they said. It would have been a logistical nightmare to attempt to pull off a heist of that caliber. And it is difficult to believe Christ could have faked His own death—His execution was performed by professional torturers in a public setting, and it would have been difficult for a frail, injured man to escape that tomb and appear unharmed to over 500 individuals.

The Verdict

There are no easy arguments against those three points: Christ’s tomb was mysteriously found empty, His disciples were sincerely convinced they had seen Him, and they were so certain of it that nothing could make them recant it. The only explanation that has no holes in it is the one we find in Scripture: Jesus Christ died and rose again. Angels rolled away the stone, and He appeared to the disciples. God’s word provides the most reasonable explanation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the mystery of His empty tomb.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.