One of the most common attacks of the skeptics upon the Easter story is that the disciples stole and then hid the Body of Jesus.
In that case it must be the most remarkable and successful conspiracy in all of history.
Warner Wallace has a chapter in his book that deals with the impossibility of getting co-conspirators to maintain their lies.
He goes on to say that the perfect conspiracy is between two people when, after the crime, one of them kills the other.
I can agree with his premise. In my high school days when several of us had been hauled into the office for punishment, our story soon broke down. It usually happened when one of the group, under threat from the Head master's cane, ratted on the rest!
It was not just the twelves disciples who claimed to have seen the Risen Christ, but above 500 others were witnesses to His resurrection. Many of these later died for their faith.
Not only were the Jewish and Roman authorities unable to produce the body of Jesus, but they were also unable refute the testimony of hundreds of believers who were preaching that Christ was alive and well.
The 'conspiracy' continues to grow to this day with multiplied millions now claiming to have a relationship with the Risen Son of God. Quite a story!
Ian
As if on cue, construction workers digging a shaft in London last week uncovered a long-lost grave site. It is a burial pit with dozens of bodies from the Black Death plague of 1348.
This pre-dates the burial of King Richard by more than a hundred years.
Now an earnest examination is taking place amid the obvious fear that the incubus that destroyed half the population of Europe might still be active to do the same again!
In his book "Cold Case Christianity" Warner Wallace spends a whole chapter dealing with the subject of RELIABLE evidence.
He deals with four types,from the weakest to the strongest.
1) Some credible evidence.
2) Preponderance of evidence
3) Clear and convincing evidence.
4) Evidence beyond reasonable doubt ( Which is required to bring a guilty verdict in a murder trial.)
In the Charterhouse Death pit it has already been established that the bodies were buried simultaneously, that they were laid in shrouds without coffins and that the carbon in the bones dated back to mid thirteen hundreds. None died in old age. In other words evidence beyond reasonable doubt that they died of the plague.
Warner Wallace asks his readers to do a similar earnest investigation concerning the death and resurrection of Christ.
As an atheistic, cold-case detective his search and conclusion changed his life. Read the Gospels,this Easter yours might be changed as well.
Jubilate.
Ian
