March 1929
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The Resurrection of Jesus — Considered from the Lawyer’s Viewpoint B y T he R ev . D avid L ee J am ison , LL .B .
HE most significant claim made in behalf of Christianity is that its Founder, Jesus of Naz areth, arose from the dead after His crucifixion. When the report spread through Jerusalem that the crucified Nazarene had arisen from the dead and was alive, Pontius Pilate, the Roman Gov ernor of Palestine, who had pronounced the sentence of death on Jesus, considered His rumored resurrection of sufficient importance to send a report thereof to the Em peror Tiberius, at Rome. The Emperor treated the mat ter with sufficient seriousness to refer it officially to the Roman Senate, whose province it was, under the law, to consider all claims to Deity in the Empire. “For an ancient law prevailed that no one should be made a God by the Romans except by a vote and. decree of the Senate.” But the Senate rejected the Nazarene’s claim to deity, “osten sibly because they had not first examined into the matter” (Eusebius’ Church History, Book 2, Chapter 2). The writer’s present aim is to “examine into the mat ter” of the claim that Jesus arose from the dead, and to consider whether that claim is based on sufficient proof to establish its validity. The question for our consideration and decision is, Did Jesus arise from the dead after He had been cruci fied? If so, in what form did He come forth? In other words, was the actual body of Jesus, which was crucified on the cross and laid in the tomb, raised from death into life? In the consideration of this subject we shall take first the Record as we find it, sift the evidence therein con tained and endeavor to determine just what it establishes as to the resurrection. Secondly, you will be expected to consider the wit nesses whose testimony is contained in the Record, whether they are competent and credible, and whether their testimony is consistent and convincing. Thirdly, you will be asked to determine whether the record of that testimony is true and worthy of credence. T h e R ecord C oncerning H is D eath We must ascertain first of all whether the death of Jesus is established beyond a reasonable doubt, for, as a matter of course, there must be a death before there can be a resurrection. There is a mass of circumstantial evi dence proving His arrest, trial and sentence to death by crucifixion. The execution of the death sentence is given with vivid and dramatic detail. The evidence carries Jesus all the way from the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was taken from among His friends, to Golgotha, where He was crucified. His name was fastened on His cross in the three languages used in that day, so that there could be no mistaking His identity. The circumstances of His death are such that there can be no doubt that it was a real death—no swoon or suspended animation. When the soldiers charged with the execution of the death penalty observed that Jesus had died, in order to make assurance doubly sure a spear was thrust into His side, bringing forth blood and water. The death of Jesus was certified to before Pilate by the
centurion who was appointed to carry into effect the sen tence of the court. Pilate thereupon issued a permit for the burial of the body of Jesus (Mark 15 :43-45). Next we have evidence as to the disposition of the dead body. There is no mistaking the identity here. The legs of the two others crucified that day were broken; the legs of Jesus were not broken. Only He, of the three, received the spear-thrust in the side. All four of the Evangelists identify the man who buried the body of Jesus as Joseph of Arimathaea. We gather from the accounts also that this Joseph buried the body in his own tomb, which was new and had never been used, and that it was near the place of the crucifixion. There is no opportunity for uncertainty here. When the body had been deposited in this tomb a great stone was rolled against the opening, thereby closing it. The evidence shows that certain women who knew Jesus well, being of His company, witnessed the burial and noted the location of the tomb (Luke 23:55). It is recorded also that by request of the chief priests and Pharisees and by order of Pilate the stone closing of the tomb was officially sealed and a guard was posted to keep the body undisturbed. This guard was composed of not less than four men: a “corporal’s guard.” T h e T estimony to th e O pen T omb Early on the second morning following the burial— on the third day, as the Jews reckoned time—this tomb was found opened, by women who came to visit it, the same women who had witnessed the burial, but the body was gone (Luke 23 :55 to 2 4 :3). It is shown also that “an angel of the Lord” came and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb. His appearance was so terrifying that “the watchers did quake, and became as dead men” (Matthew 28:2-4). This angel, attended by another, announced to these women that the Lord had arisen from the dead and was alive (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16: 5, 6; Luke 24:4-7). On receiving this information and a commission to bear it to the disciples, the women hurriedly left the tomb. They became separated, however, so that one of them, Mary Magdalene, was left alone, when she saw Jesus alive. She at first mistook Him for the gardener; but when He spoke to her, calling her by name, she recognized Him fully. He also appeared to the other women on their way to the disciples. These women took hold of His feet (Matthew 28 :9). He directed them to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. Peter and John also came and found the tomb empty. John noted the grave clothes disposed in such fashion that he was convinced that Jesus had arisen. Later Peter saw the Lord. The same day Jesus appeared and talked with two disciples on their way to a village named Emmaus. That evening a company of disciples were assembled in the city, when suddenly the Lord Himself stood in their midst. They were terrified at the sight, supposing Him to be a spirit. He said, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having.” And He
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