How we know the Easter Story is Real

Sometimes we forget that the Bible is not just a collection of Sunday school stories, but facts that have been proven over and over again by scientists, doctors, anthropologists, historians, archeologists, and the like. 

Here, Pastor Chris Ver Steeg and our team at Elevate Community Church take a different look at the Easter Story to equip you with some cold-hard facts that prove it actually happened. 

We have testimonies from credible sources

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the first four books of the New Testament that make up the Gospels, contain credible accounts of Jesus’ death and his resurrection. These four men were either among Jesus’ disciples or were close observers of Jesus and his inner circle. Furthermore, the Gospels were written not thousands or even hundreds of years after Jesus’ death, but just a few decades after. 

Many of the authors of the New Testament and their friends died as a result of their belief in the resurrection. The main message that they all preached was that Jesus died on a cross and rose again from the dead for the forgiveness of our sins and anyone who puts their faith and trust in him will be saved. All of them, with the exception of John, were killed for what they preached, Peter was even crucified upside down. They wouldn’t willingly die for a lie. They wholeheartedly believed the message they were preaching was the absolute truth.

We know there were witnesses of the resurrection

The Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, states that Jesus appeared to His disciples following His resurrection and around 500 other men and women. There were many eyewitnesses to hold the authors accountable for accuracy.

We have an empty tomb

This is perhaps the most straightforward part of the Easter story to prove. We know for a fact that Jesus’ tomb is empty. There are a variety of theories that attempt to disprove what can only be explained as supernatural and divine resurrection, however, none can account for undisputed facts, such as post-resurrection appearances. 

It’s also foolish to think that a handful of disciples could have overcome Roman guards and removed the massive stone from the entrance of the tomb. 

Additionally, the fact that women were our primary witnesses strengthens the authenticity of the resurrection account. In those times, women were not considered to be reliable witnesses — why would the authors of the Gospels and the martyrs stake their lives on a woman’s testimony if it wasn’t true?

We know Jesus died on the cross

Some claim that Jesus was only half dead when He was buried and that’s how he was able to leave the tomb. In addition to the fact that Romans had perfected the art of death, and there was no way Jesus could have survived the significant, disfiguring torture he endured, we actually have scientific evidence that he died. 

When a Roman guard pierced Jesus’ side, John 19:34 tells us that a mixture of blood and water came out. This indicates that Jesus ultimately succumbed to collapsed lungs, heart failure, dehydration, and suffocation — the final piece of torture in the crucifixion puzzle. 

Because of these concrete scientific facts, we can be sure that Jesus suffered, bled, and died before being placed in a tomb. And He did it all for us. 

We have faith

Scientific and historical fact aside, you should also cling to your faith in Jesus and your trust in God’s word that Jesus was who He said He was and did the things He said He did. Numerous times throughout the Old and New Testament, we see God’s promises of our savior Jesus and his life and death — it’s just a cherry on top that we can factually prove our God's awesomeness!

Without the resurrection, our Christian faith falls apart and Jesus is not who he says he was. But because of the resurrection everything changes, Jesus is who he says he was and those who have put their faith in Him have secured an incredible hope for today and for eternity.

As you gather around your Easter table this weekend, pause for a moment and remember that you don’t believe in mythology; your faith revolves around a proven, witnessed story of sacrifice and resurrection. 

We hope you and your loved ones will join us for our Good Friday worship service and our Easter Sunday service, as well.