Karl Marx once said, “Die Religion . . . is das Opium des Volkes,” which has been translated, “Religion is the opium of the people.”1 If Marx is correct, then our faith in the resurrected Savior makes us the victims of the greatest hoax ever perpetrated. If he is incorrect, then our faith should be strengthened by the overwhelming evidence that proves we have not placed our trust in myths or fairytales, which are the source of a self-medicating delusion.
First, there is the proof of ancient manuscripts written and preserved for all of time. There are those who question the concept that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. They will say that it contains unbelievable stories of man-swallowing whales, people unharmed in fiery furnaces, and people actually walking on top of the water. In their mind, what clear-thinking man or woman would believe such foolishness?
The Gospels of Matthew and John are biographies written about Jesus Christ by two men who were with Him from the beginning of His ministry. Mark and Luke were written by professionals and historians who did not rely on their own account, but that of many others.
Notice Like 1:1–4: “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us. Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, the most excellent Theophilus. That thou mightiest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou has been instructed.”
We also have the writings of the early church fathers, many of whom were mentored by the apostles themselves. These writers closest to the actual events would have had a clear understanding from the preaching, teaching, and mentoring of those first-century Christians. Some have taken issue with the fact that the Gospels do not completely match one another. The reason for this is obvious. The writers were telling stories from their own perspective, much like witnesses to the same event who see the same thing but from a different angle.
Had all four Gospels been written exactly the same, those critics would then say that the writers had simply “gotten their story together,” or, in other words, would have been guilty of collusion.
Critics who deny the Resurrection will readily accept the authenticity of works such as Homer’s Iliad, even though the oldest of the 600 or so manuscripts were written 1,000 years later whereas the early church fathers wrote from the perspective of those closest to the disciples and our Lord. Additionally, we have proof of secular historians such as Josephus (A.D. 37–100), the Romano-Jewish historian who wrote about Jesus and clearly refers to Jesus and His interaction with Pilate. Tacitus (A.D. 56–117), a senator and historian in the Roman Empire, wrote3 about Christians whom Nero blamed for starting the six-day fire in A.D. 64 as those “whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty (crucifixion) during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.”
Perhaps the strongest proof we have of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is that He fulfilled the prophecies written about the Messiah. Some 800 years before He was born, we learned that He would suffer for the sins of mankind. Isaiah wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (53:6).
The Book of Micah in the Old Testament was written nearly 750 years before Christ was born, describing that He would be born in Bethlehem. Five hundred and twenty years before Christ was born, Zechariah prophesied that He would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
In my research for this article, I quickly counted 37 prophecies about Jesus of which every single one was fulfilled. Isaiah 9:6 describes Him as wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. How could someone engineer where He would be born? In addition to this fact, He performed 48 miracles that had been prophesied at least 300 years before His birth. David, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, foretold how He would die: “they will pierce my hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16). Again, this was hundreds of years before the fact.
Even with all of the evidence, there is one overwhelming fact that proves the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . the empty tomb. While we can point to the graves of men and women who were leaders of great religious movements, you cannot find the body of Jesus because He is risen!
Although those responsible for His trial of “trumped up” charges tried to deny that He is risen (Matthew 27:64), there was one simple act they could have done to disprove the claims of so many witnesses. In legal terms, it is called habeas corpus, which literally means, “produce the body.” The empty tomb is a testimony against all those who reject Him.
Finally, the evidence is overwhelming. According to 1 Corinthians 15:4–8, we have eyewitnesses who saw the risen Lord and testify of this fact. First it was Peter, then the Twelve. After that, more than 500 brethren saw him at once. When Paul wrote about this, he declared that some of those witnesses were still alive. Then He was seen of James and all of the apostles.
However, last, the Lord was seen by Paul himself—a murderer and persecutor who was struck down on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9) while traveling to injure the early church. In an encounter on that road, he saw the risen Lord, and his life was forever changed. Eventually, he would give his own life and be martyred for the faith that he once tried to destroy. And it wasn’t only Paul but countless others who boldly stood up and declared the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were confident in their faith, and, with great joy, they gave up everything to follow Him.
What was it that caused those who deserted Him to turn around and give their lives for Him? “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft” (2 Corinthians 11:22). They gave their lives because they had seen Him alive. In the face of certain death, they stood in the middle of Jerusalem and Antioch and even Rome because death had lost it sting . . . and the grave has lost its victory” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
Was Mr. Marx correct? I believe there is overwhelming evidence to prove he was not. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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1 Originates from the introduction of his 1843 work Contribution to Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.
2 In his third passage known as Testimonium Flavianum found in the Antiquities of the Jews 18.63–64, he summarizes the ministry and death of Jesus. In the first two passages, he writes about John the Baptist and James the brother of Jesus.
3 Tacitus, Annals 15.39–43.