Do you really believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Perhaps, you have asked this question or maybe someone has challenged you with this question. Either way, it can be difficult to answer. In this episode, Dr. Sri shares many good reasons to believe in the resurrection and how we can respond to arguments against it.
Snippet from the Show
“If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.”
(1 Corinthians 15:14)
Shownotes
Conspiracy Theories on the Resurrection
There are many conspiracy theories around the resurrection. One such theory is that the Apostles merely made up the resurrection. However, there are multiple reasons this theory does not work. One, look at the early Christians. They were known for having an incredibly high ethical standard. Also, many of them died for their faith. So, why would liars live to such a high ethical standard? And why would people die for a lie? In addition, there are historical facts that make it unlikely that the resurrection was made up. The tomb of Jesus was covered by a massive stone and it was guarded by Roman soldiers. It is incredibly unlikely that the Apostles could have overtaken the soldiers and removed the stone. It is important to note as well that all the Apostles, except John, had run away and hid in fear when Jesus was arrested and crucified.
Spiritual vs Bodily Resurrection
Another theory that you will occasionally hear regarding the resurrection is the idea that it was a spiritual resurrection and not a bodily one. This idea is incorrect and not Catholic. To claim that Jesus only rose spiritually is basically saying that his spirit lived on even though his body was dead. The theory claims that Jesus simply remains alive in our hearts. In Scripture the Greek word “anastasis” is used to describe the resurrection. This word literally means “re-embodied.” This word is used intentionally to show that it was, in fact, a bodily resurrection.
Fabricated Stories
Finally, a theory you may hear is that the resurrection is simply a legend. The theory suggests that Jesus died and then people just started making stuff up about him. This theory does not make sense because if the Apostles wanted to win points with the Jewish people or pagans, this was not the right story. The Jewish people did not believe in individual resurrection. They only believed in general resurrection where all Jewish people would rise together. The pagans didn’t believe in resurrection at all and would’ve seen it as a bad thing to return to your body after death.
Another reason this would be a bad story to make up is that women were not considered to be reliable witnesses in that time. Therefore, if the Apostles were trying to make up a believable story, they would not have said it was women who first encountered the risen Lord.
Finally, the four Gospel accounts do not sound like four authors trying to tell the exact same story. The accounts do not contradict each other, but they don’t sound exactly alike. Instead, they sound like eyewitness accounts.
Upcoming Events with Dr. Sri
- Apr 13: Legatus – Denver, CO
- Apr 15: Couples Retreat – Wichita, KS
- Apr 19-20: St. Paul Center Priest Conference – Lakeway, TX
- Jun 9-10: Diocese of Marquette Eucharistic Congress – Marquette MI
- Jun 23-July 1: Rome Pilgrimage
- July 26-27: Applied Biblical Studies Conference – Steubenville OH
- July 26-28: Defending the Faith conference – Steubenville OH
- Aug 19-20: Fullness of Truth Family Conference – San Antonio TX
- Aug 25-26 – Catholic Men’s conference – Beaumont TX
- Oct 13-15 – Leaders Conference – Malta
- Nov 12-20 – Holy Land Pilgrimage
- Dec 8-10 – Immaculate Conceptions Men’s Retreat – Malvern PA
Resources
- Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email events.edwardsri@gmail.com
- Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at www.ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to www.ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings
Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling books. His work with Ascension includes study programs such as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother. Several of Dr. Sri’s programs were filmed on-site in the Holy Land, and feature immersive video explorations of the sacred sites where Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles lived and died.
Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri. Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.
Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children in Colorado.
