Witnesses to the Resurrection
“Unless I see it I won’t believe it!” How many times have you heard someone meake this statement about something incredible that has happened? Many people have made this statement concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Did Jesus really come back to life after being dead in the grave for three days and were there any witnesses to prove this event? The answer to both of these questions is yes, Jesus did come back to life and there were witnesses.
According to an article published be Upcounsel (2019), “It is a general rule that one witness is sufficient to establish a fact, but to this there are exceptions, both in civil and criminal cases.” The article goes on to say that in some cases two witnesses are required but typically never more than two are needed to establish the truth of an event. This brings about the question “How many people saw Jesus after the Resurrection?” It might surprise you that it was a lot of people. The Apostle Paul tells us the following in 1 Corinthians 15: 5-8
“And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”“
Here Paul points out that Jesus was seen alive buy over 500 people after His resurrection. He was seen alive be the 12 Disciples, He was seen alive by 500 brethren, He was seen alive by the Apostles. Paul doesn’t mention it here but Jesus was also seen alive by Mary at the tomb only moments after His resurrection. Jesus was seen by different groups of people, at different times, in different locations. This information is critical because it shows unity in the claims of different people, at different times, and in different locations. These resurrection appearances occurred 12 different times over a period of 40 days. This wasn’t a “one time deal” witnesses by just one or two as some would have you to believe.
Remember, only two witnesses are needed to establish the truth of an event in a court of law today. Over 500 people witnessed and interacted with Jesus after His death, burial, and resurrection. Don’t doubt this established truth?
References
Upcounsel (2019), Legal definition of a witness. Retrieved from; https://www.upcounsel.com/legal-def-witness