4. Jesus’ post mortem appearances to believers and unbelievers
Consensus holds that James, Paul and the disciples had resurrection experiences of Jesus. According to atheist historian Gerd Ludemann:
“IT MAY BE TAKEN AS HISTORICALLY CERTAIN THAT PETER AND THE DISCIPLES HAD EXPERIENCES AFTER JESUS’S DEATH IN WHICH JESUS APPEARED TO THEM AS THE RISEN CHRIST” (47).
Agnostic historian James Crossley says it is “the hardest, best evidence we have” (48), and professor Ehrman calls it “a historical fact” (49). Agnostic New Testament scholar Ed Parish Sanders says:
“THAT JESUS’ FOLLOWERS (AND LATER PAUL) HAD RESURRECTION EXPERIENCES IS, IN MY JUDGMENT, A FACT. WHAT THE REALITY WAS THAT GAVE RISE TO THE EXPERIENCES I DO NOT KNOW.” – SANDERS, E. 1995.
THE HISTORICAL FIGURE OF JESUS.
For more academic recognition of the resurrection appearances,
here is an article containing 38 scholar quotes on these appearances. All four gospels independently attest to the resurrection. The appearance to Peter is independently attested by Luke, and the appearance to the Twelve by Luke and John.
We also have independent witness to Galilean appearances in Mark, Matthew, and John, as well as to the women in Matthew and John (50). It’s further attested in Paul’s early creed (
1 Cor. 15:1-11), in Paul’s authentic & disputed epistles, as well as hypothetical source Q and the book of Acts.
The early creed is most significant since it records that Peter, the twelve disciples, 500 witnesses, James, and lastly Paul had experiences of the risen Jesus. Moreover, Clement of Rome provides 1st century and Polycarp early 2nd century supporting evidence of the resurrection appearances. Both Clement and Polycarp knew the disciples which gives their testimonies credibility.
Moreover, the disciples, James and Paul were sincere in the proclamation of the risen Jesus as affirmed by nine early and independent sources. Before his conversion, Paul persecuted the early church until Jesus appeared to him personally (51). James was Jesus’ unbelieving brother who was likewise convinced on the basis of a resurrection appearance (52).
We also know of 11 sources that inform us of the disciples’ early proclamation of the resurrection and their willingness to suffer and die for it (53). Finally, we know that the early Christians Paul, James (Jesus’ brother), James (brother of John), Stephen, and Peter were all martyred for their belief in the risen Jesus.
Moreover, these appearances cannot be explained away as hallucinations since Paul believed in Jesus’ physical resurrection (54), the risen Jesus ate fish (
Luke 24:42), offered his disciples an opportunity to touch his resurrection body (
Luke 24:39,
John 20:27), had some grab hold of his feet in worship (
Matt. 28:9), and the disciple Thomas allegedly put his finger and hand into the place where the nails had been in Jesus’ body (
John 20:27). According to exegete Craig William Craig explains, “we have a completely unanimous testimony in the Gospels that
all of them were physical” (55).
“NONE OF THESE FEATURES [HALLUCINATIONS] ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THE NEW TESTAMENT EXPERIENCES.” – J.P MORELAND (56)
“Although at least a few if not all of Jesus’ disciples may have been in an emotional state that rendered them candidates for a hallucination, the nature of some of the experiences of the risen Jesus, specifically those that occurred in group settings and to Jesus’ enemy Paul, and the empty tomb strongly suggest that these experiences were not hallucinations.” – New Testament historian Mike Licona (57)
What is the best explanation of these facts?
“JESUS’ RESURRECTION IS UNPARALLELED IN TERMS OF STRONG EVIDENCE.” – MICHAEL LICONA (58)
Jesus appeared to believers and unbelievers, indoors and outdoors, to crowds and individuals, not once but many times. It is recognized by even the most critical scholars that such appearances really did happen. The real question is, why did skeptics in the first century all of a sudden come to believe that they saw Jesus standing right in front of them in the flesh after he had already been crucified?
Here is a man seen working miracles, controlling the forces of nature, healing the sick, proclaiming to be divine with authority from Heaven, and predicting his own death and resurrection. His tomb was found empty on the morning of the third day after his crucifixion, and then he was seen risen appearing to people (including 500 at once) causing them to believe (to the point of death) that Jesus had really appeared to them.
“Typical encounters with the recently deceased do not issue in claims about an empty tomb, nor do they lead to the founding of a new religion. And they certainly do not typically eat and drink, and they are not seen by crowds of up to five hundred people.” – New Testament scholar Dale Allison (59)
