Empty! More Than A Legend

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep”—1 Corinthians 15:3-6

There are many in our world who consider Christ a great teacher, but nothing more. There are others who believe that the story of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is mere legend—similar to those found in other ancient religions, such as Osiris, for example, who was considered the god of the dead in ancient Egypt. The myth, which has many different versions, is that Osiris was killed by his brother, Set, and eventually dismembered, with the pieces being spread around (the account as to how he was killed, and how many pieces he was cut into, and where it all happened, is a matter of dispute). His wife Isis (who was also his twin sister) finds all of the pieces of his body and puts him back together again. As a reward for her devotion, the gods resurrected Osiris from the dead and made him god of the underworld. Such a story is used by atheists to point to the fact that the story of Jesus’ resurrection is simply part of that genre, used by Christians as ancient Egyptians referenced Osiris.

But such a view fails to take into account the details of history. Jesus did rise from the dead, and the accounts of His resurrection do not contradict each other. Sure, each Gospel account may highlight certain details about the resurrection, but that was simply because each author was writing about the same event from a different perspective. Imagine for a moment that the two of us were standing on a street corner when an accident occurred. We may observe different things. You may have noticed the first driver’s erratic behavior and failure to keep his eyes on the road and stop at the stoplight, while I noticed the second driver busy talking on his phone. We may focus on different details—I may have noticed the drivers involved, but failed to pay attention to the passengers in the car, while you may remember the passengers and other specifics of the incident. The point is that we both are witnesses to the event, although our recollections may highlight different aspects of the accident. Both are true; there is just a difference in which of the details we observe and opt to highlight.

The same is true in reference to Christ’s resurrection. He was no mere legend. His resurrection happened in history. He was seen by Cephas (Peter), then by the remaining twelve apostles. And then He appeared to more than five hundred at one time! Jesus’ story is anchored in history—many names are given that secular historians also mention. Unlike the myth of Osiris, the truth of Christ stands the historical test. He was no mere legend, but the Lord of all. He rose from the dead. He was seen, touched, and heard. He ate, walked around, and taught His followers. And they were transformed. What many of us fail to realize is that almost all of the disciples died horrible deaths after proclaiming Christ. If Jesus’ body were stolen as the Jews maintained, why would the disciples die for a lie? They wouldn’t. They would only give their lives for something that they knew was true. Jesus rose from the dead and their lives were transformed because of it.

How about you? Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Is your life different because of it? Jesus’ earliest followers died testifying to His resurrection. Would you? Think about it. Amen.