Critics have tried to discredit Christ’s resurrection

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Critics of Christianity often try to explain away the reality of Christ’s empty tomb. Some say He never really died but swooned and later revived in the tomb; some say His body was stolen, or the disciples went to the wrong tomb. Such explanations accept the Bible’s account that the tomb was empty—they just try to explain how it got empty. Paul, who initially thought Jesus was a fraud, finally met Him on the Damascus road. He later wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, “If Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God – for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died” (from vv. 14–20). In our day, Bible scholars still seek to refute critics of Christ’s resurrection; but I am yet impressed by what one saintly woman said some time ago. She said, “Jesus Christ can’t be dead, because I just talked to Him—this morning!”