This week we’re talking about having confidence in the resurrection. More specifically, we’re talking about how to defend against conspiracy theories that say it never really happened.

When we understand these—and know how to defend against them—we grow in confidence.

A modern popular theory is that the early church must have made up resurrection stories to promote their own cause and to make themselves look good. 

But this line of reasoning actually works in favour of the credibility of the stories, not against them. The reason for this is that there are too many details in the stories themselves that would have hurt the advancement of Christianity instead of help it.

For example, on the cross Jesus cries out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Jesus was surely expressing his deep pain. But we also know that he was quoting Psalm 22 which begins with those exact words. It starts in desperation but ends in victory for future generations. I think Jesus quoted this to help people within earshot understand the bigger picture of what was happening.

But originally, it made Jesus look like he was giving up. So why include that detail if you were just trying to make Christianity look good?

Or consider that many of the first eyewitnesses were women. In the first century, a woman’s testimony was not considered trustworthy enough to be admissible in a court of law. So why in the world would you include that detail? Because telling the truth was more important than changing the details to suit your own agenda.

The list goes on and on.

The idea that the early church was politically motivated and changed the story to make themselves look good actually leaves us with more confidence in its believability, not less. 

Proverbs 30:5 says: “Every word of God is flawless…” I love looking closely at the Scriptures. The more we look the more we discover the accuracy, trustworthiness, and even beauty, of the love story between God and his people.

Read deeply. Pray sincerely. Love powerfully. And walk confidently.

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Notes and extra content:

–“Did the resurrection really happen? (Part 1) Explaining and defending our foundational belief.” Sermon. April 7, 2024. Click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.