The Lifeless Body

Summary

Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” | 64-65
Many of the modern arguments against Jesus are about His resurrection: did He or did He not, raise from the dead? In the early church that was not the big question. It wasn’t the big question because He appeared to far too many people for it to be a question. When Josephus talks of Jesus’ resurrection, it is not in question, but in statement of fact. For this reason, much of the early doubt of Jesus’ death and resurrection had to do with the death. Since He had been seen alive, maybe the problem was on the other end; maybe Jesus never died. Numerous theories were derived to make sense out of a man once considered dead, now walking around, talking, and eating. The gospel writers left no doubt about His death. He was pronounced dead, prepared for burial, buried, a stone rolled in front of the entrance, and guard placed at the door. They took extra precautions; nothing was getting in or out of that tomb.