Jesus’ tomb was empty on and after the first Saturday following Jesus’ crucifixion on Thursday. Where is Jesus’ dead body? Jesus could not have survived crucifixion and walked out by himself. Neither the ruling officials nor Jesus’ disciples could have stolen the supposed dead body of Jesus. Could there be explanations for the empty tomb other than Resurrection?
The empty tomb is a necessary consequence of Resurrection. Jesus came back to life, and there could be no dead body of Jesus that could be found inside the tomb. However, I think many of us would not be completely convinced that it proves the Resurrection. It could be a pointer to Resurrection, but by itself it is not too much of a solid proof yet.
To the Christians in the first century and possibly also to us in the twenty first century, there is another piece of evidence of the Resurrection that is more convincing: the appearances of Jesus after crucifixion.
The New Testaments list twelve separate appearances of Jesus after crucifixion over a period of forty days. They include:
4. Simon Peter
9. Disciples
10. 500 believers
11. James, Jesus’ half-brother
12. Paul, an enemy of the church
We should notice that the above description of the resurrected Jesus has something in common: Jesus appeared as an actual person instead of a spirit without a body.
Consider Jesus’ appearances to the ten apostles as in number five above. The gospel of Luke says that the disciples thought they saw a ghost, which would be a spirit without a body. The resurrected Jesus then said to them “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Then Jesus showed the disciples his hands and feet. Jesus asked them if they had anything to eat, then the disciples gave him a piece of broiled fish. Jesus took the fish and ate it in front of the disciples.
Jesus returns from the dead as a living man who takes up space, can be seen, heard, and touched according to the gospels. He walks with the disciples, teaches them, and dines with them.
Why is it important that Jesus’ returning to life is with a physical body?
