A few years ago, when I was a teenager, I was walking home with a friend from school and as we approached a junction, we witnessed a car crashing into another. It all happened very quickly and the noise was horrendous. Thankfully there were no fatalities. Both drivers got out of their cars a bit shaken but they looked as if they were not injured (from what we could tell, anyway). There were other students and some adults all standing on the pavement in shock and silence. Someone shouted call the police and ambulance. My friend and I stood there feeling powerless and just taking everything in.

A few minutes passed and a couple of police cars appeared and immediately the cops started telling everyone to move back and some were taking statements. An ambulance finally arrived on the scene and we could see the paramedics talking to the drivers. A policeman stood in front of my friend and me and started asking us questions. Can you tell me what happened? Did you see who was at fault? What happened after the drivers got out of the car? We tried our best to give a faithful account of what we saw. The policeman asked for our address, house telephone number (this was when mobile phones were in their infancy in Brazil) and the name of our parents.

I remember my friend and I feeling as if our legs were turning into jelly as we carried on walking home. We had never experienced that before. We both felt relieved the drivers were, as far as we could tell, not hurt. We felt a bit scared to talk to the policeman but we also felt quite important that we were asked to give an account of what we had seen.

For the people involved in the crash, it was important that the eye witnesses gave an account of what they saw. It would likely be the case that their insurance companies would require the accounts in order to make payments on the claims.

The Bible tells us that many people witnessed Jesus appearances after He was raised from the dead. Those eye witnesses were crucial for the veracity of this incredible claim. Imagine if the women were the only people that saw the risen Jesus on that morning. Do you think people would have believed them? They probably would have accused them of lying or being emotional or even crazy, after all, no one can come back from death.

The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity different from all other religions in the world and it is fundamental to our faith. That is why all 4 Gospels mention the resurrection and the fact that Jesus was seen by people after he had risen (see Mathew 28:5-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24; John 20-21). Paul in his letter to the Corinthians chapter 15 also mentions the eye witnesses. Not one, not two or three but more than 500 people saw the risen Lord. Some of them even shared a meal with him. So it was really Jesus. Not a spirit, not a ghost, not a fabrication of grieving minds. It was Him. (there is a great resource by Rebecca McLaughlin called Jesus through the eyes of witnesses)

This is such an amazing truth for us to hold on to. In 1 Corinthians Paul details what the Gospel, the good news of Jesus is about.

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (emphasis mine)

Note that what happened to Jesus was foretold in Scriptures. It was planned. It was not an afterthought or a plan B. It was the plan God designed, even before time began. Jesus was the ultimate rescuer. The perfect sacrifice. The only way back to God. He knew it and willingly accepted the plan in obedience to the Father.

In the same chapter Paul tells us that there were eye witnesses and he was one of them.

⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. I Corinthians 15:5-8

Note that at the time when Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth many of those people that had seen the Lord risen from the dead were still alive. It is as if Paul is saying: “go ask them”. It must have been an incredible experience to speak to someone who had actually seen Jesus, imagine seeing Him alive after all that He had to suffer on the cross in our place!

The resurrection is so important that Paul goes on to say:

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:13-15a (emphasis mine)

What an extraordinary thing to say! If the resurrection didn’t happen, what is the point in God? Does our faith not become useless? Having the account of many witnesses really is important.

If the resurrection is true then our hope is true! Paul did not stop there, he goes on to say:

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 (emphasis mine)

Simply put, that means because Jesus was raised from the dead, those who believe in Him, will also be raised to life eternal with Him (through Him and in Him). What a hope we have in Jesus!

Be encouraged as you share the Gospel with friends and as you come back to it time and time again in your own walk with Jesus. What we believe, was witnessed by many people. It has been recorded for our good. Jesus is the one that saves and He is alive!

God bless.

_{Photo by Courtney Cook on Unsplash}