For over 2,000 years people have claimed the Jesus of Nazareth conquered the grave, rising from the dead three days after He was crucified. Where did this belief originate from? Some people believe that it was a story that was made up, after the women who went to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty. But the oldest and most reliable records say something else.
“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, 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.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 the Apostle Paul AD 53-57
By cross referencing with Galatians 1:18-19 we can calculate that Paul met with Peter (Cephas) and James (the half brother of Jesus), for 15 days in Jerusalem no more than five years after Jesus died. Clearly Peter and James told Paul that Jesus had appeared to them, all the other apostles and 500 people at once. To the Corinthians Paul quotes saying they taught him, “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.”
Some maintain that the body did not rise from the tomb. It was simply removed by His family or disciples. If that was the case why would James the brother of Jesus not know that? Why would the apostles persist in claiming that Christ had risen, when the body could have placed on display and the resurrection story come to an end right there?
The most plausible explanation is that Christ did indeed rise from the dead. That being the case, He was the first man to conquer death. He is worthy to be praised and exalted as the
Mike Shaw
Mike Shaw 