Every couple of years—usually just in time for Easter—a new book will appear, questioning whether the resurrection was actually part of an elaborate hoax, carefully planned out by the disciples and covered up by the church ever since. As far as I can tell, people keep buying these books, so apparently there is still a healthy appetite among those who hunger and thirst for the latest conspiracy theory. However, this particular theory is not exactly new. In fact, it’s been around as long as Easter itself.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the chief priests approached Pilate shortly after Jesus died, and suggested that Roman guards be stationed at the tomb—just in case the disciples might attempt to steal the body, and start a rumor that he had been raised from the dead. But since Pilate was hardly in favor of crucifying Jesus to begin with, he wasn’t about to dispatch valuable military personnel to baby-sit the man’s corpse. “Don’t you have soldiers?” he asked them, rather sarcastically. “Well, knock yourselves out. Go and make the tomb as secure as you can.”
Which is precisely what they did—or at least what they tried to do. It was only when Jesus shook loose the shackles of death and strolled out of the cemetery that the chief priests decided that perhaps a rumor was better than the truth after all. So they concocted the wild tale that, as the guards were taking their rest, the disciples took the body!
I suppose part of what fuels all of these conspiracy theories is that, for some reason, the risen Christ doesn’t make many public appearances. He never visits Pilate, for example; or Caiaphas, or any of the chief priests. He doesn’t parade up and down the main streets of Jerusalem, or stand out in front of the Temple so that the crowds can “ooh” and “aah” in amazement. He comes only to those who had been willing to come to him in the first place.
In other words, it is Christians who witnessed the resurrection. Thus, Christians bear the primary responsibility for proclaiming it to the world. If the true meaning of Easter dwindles down to little more than colored eggs and chocolate bunnies, it won’t be Pilate’s fault. We can’t blame the government, or the school system, or big business, or an indifferent society for not getting the message out—because the risen Christ did not come to any of them. He came to us. This is our story to tell!
And if the world is ever going to believe that Jesus got up from the grave on Easter Sunday morning, it will only be because we, who believe it, get up and start declaring it. After all, everyone already knows that Jesus lived. That’s a matter of public record. Everyone already knows that Jesus died. That, too, is a matter of public record. But the fact that, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead—that is not a matter of public record. As the church, we are the ones who bear witness to the resurrection!
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the chief priests approached Pilate shortly after Jesus died, and suggested that Roman guards be stationed at the tomb—just in case the disciples might attempt to steal the body, and start a rumor that he had been raised from the dead. But since Pilate was hardly in favor of crucifying Jesus to begin with, he wasn’t about to dispatch valuable military personnel to baby-sit the man’s corpse. “Don’t you have soldiers?” he asked them, rather sarcastically. “Well, knock yourselves out. Go and make the tomb as secure as you can.”
Which is precisely what they did—or at least what they tried to do. It was only when Jesus shook loose the shackles of death and strolled out of the cemetery that the chief priests decided that perhaps a rumor was better than the truth after all. So they concocted the wild tale that, as the guards were taking their rest, the disciples took the body!
I suppose part of what fuels all of these conspiracy theories is that, for some reason, the risen Christ doesn’t make many public appearances. He never visits Pilate, for example; or Caiaphas, or any of the chief priests. He doesn’t parade up and down the main streets of Jerusalem, or stand out in front of the Temple so that the crowds can “ooh” and “aah” in amazement. He comes only to those who had been willing to come to him in the first place.
In other words, it is Christians who witnessed the resurrection. Thus, Christians bear the primary responsibility for proclaiming it to the world. If the true meaning of Easter dwindles down to little more than colored eggs and chocolate bunnies, it won’t be Pilate’s fault. We can’t blame the government, or the school system, or big business, or an indifferent society for not getting the message out—because the risen Christ did not come to any of them. He came to us. This is our story to tell!
And if the world is ever going to believe that Jesus got up from the grave on Easter Sunday morning, it will only be because we, who believe it, get up and start declaring it. After all, everyone already knows that Jesus lived. That’s a matter of public record. Everyone already knows that Jesus died. That, too, is a matter of public record. But the fact that, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead—that is not a matter of public record. As the church, we are the ones who bear witness to the resurrection!
posted by Dr. Robert Crilley at
12:17 PM
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