A slight change of plans. I’ll be posting the Evidence for the Resurrection and then I’ll be revisiting the Feet Washing and the Last Supper later.
Modern scholars throw out the evidence of the resurrection for many reasons—one being that no one in the history of the earth has ever resurrected, and thus the resurrection counts as a miracle.
Miracles aren’t taken seriously with secular historians because it can’t be proven and it depends solely on eye-witnesses. Yet, if we were to base miracles on science, then we would go around living very disgruntled and cynical lives, because after all, the essence of hope is in and of itself is a miracle.
Hebrews tells us faith is a substance of things not seen … but faith does not mean believing aimlessly. Faith is trusting in the unseen. What Christ has already done has undisputable evidence because there is no body to be found, no grave that is marked.
What Christ is coming to do takes faith, because it is yet to be done. So, if I believe in the resurrection, where does that fall? Does it take faith or is the foundation of Christianity built on the solid surety that Jesus did in fact resurrect?
Many Christian scholars agree on key principles that makes the resurrection indisputable fact (and we won’t get into those who try to debunk this).
These key pillars give us sound reason to believe that the resurrection is something that was not (and could not be) made up.
- The level of shame integrated reporting on the death of a prominent leader (considered the Messiah); especially the way he died
- The fact that the only witnesses to see Christ after He resurrected were women
- The fact that James, who doubted his own brother from the beginning and actually called him a madman converted a few years later
- The closeness in date of the first writings of Christ and His death and resurrection
- The fact that no one, until this day, can find His body
- The fact that he was buried in a wealthy man’s tomb that had not been used (and they found the tomb)
- Paul, a staunch Jew who actively opposed new converts … converted
For this post, I wanted to focus on the shame—especially the shame Peter felt. I’ll be diverting from my usual method of imparting my messages, and this time, I’ll dabble a bit with narrative. So, I hope you enjoy this short story on Peter and what his experience dealing with shame.
The Shame
Peter was an active follower of the Messiah, and he, along with eleven other men, believed that Christ would lead the revolution of the Jews, overthrowing their Roman oppressors and establishing an eternal kingdom.
They believed He was the Messiah—truly. Peter had no doubt in his mind that Yeshua would lead the rebellion, and while he was a bit wary that Yeshua didn’t seem to be too motivated to fight the Romans, still Peter held onto this dream.
In fact, when Yeshua told his disciples that He would soon die, Peter was the first to oppose, believing that Yeshua was talking non-sense. Yeshua firmly rebukes him. Peter had shrugged this off, believing that he’d misheard the Messiah. After all, the prophets had written that the Messiah would come to establish a new government and that He would liberate the Jews.
As time went by, he slipped into anxiety. Yeshua continued to heal the sick and preach on the coming Kingdom, but in Peter’s mind there was no coming kingdom. At last, the Passover had come, and Peter, believing in both Scripture, and the ancient tradition that the Messiah would overthrow the government during this important Jewish celebration, sheathed his sword to his side.
At last, the Messiah would bring liberation to the Jews. Time seemed to wind down as Yeshua broke bread with His disciples, once again reassuring them of His status as the Messiah. Peter was worried though. Yeshua didn’t seem to be making plans for an overthrow. He wasn’t giving orders on how to prepare for battle or gearing the men for a fight. He seemed to be—comforting them.
Yeshua then told His disciples that where He would go, they wouldn’t be able to come. Confused Peter asked, “Where are you going?”
But when Yeshua told Him he couldn’t come, agony rose in Peter. He grabbed the hilt of his sword.
“I will lay down my life for you.” He knew he would. He wanted to be a part of this revolution. He could see it. The people would hail Peter as a hero, the man that died for the Messiah while the revolution took place. Yet, Yeshua laughed, waving him off.
Peter was confused.
“Really?” Yeshua said. “I’ll tell you this: before the rooster crows you would have already disowned me three times.”
Peter grumbled, sipping the last of his wine.
Time didn’t move any faster, but it seemed as though every hour that slipped by was another hour wasted. Yeshua had called for them to follow him to the garden to pray. He seemed anxious, sweat dripping from His brow. Peter was tired—drowsy in fact. He had stayed up all night the previous night anticipating a rebellion, but when the hours began to slip by, Peter’s hope started to diminish.
Yet, he could see the anguish in the Messiah’s face. The frustration when Peter had fallen asleep yet for the second time. Something was seriously wrong.
When Yeshua had come to them again, He urged them to be ready—the Roman soldiers were coming and He was about to be betrayed. Among the soldiers and high priest was Judas.
Peter couldn’t understand—didn’t want to understand.
“Who are you here for?” Yeshua asked.
One of chief priests replied, “we are here for Yeshua Nasraya.”
“Then it is me that you look for.”
A commotion had ensued; Peter’s hand trembled as his grip tightened around the sword. His vision had become hazy. Pulling the sword he struck—the revolution had to happen. It had to happen now.
Blood flowed, the young man cupping his injured ear as the other men shouted. Yet, someone had pressed their fingers in Peter’s shoulder. “Put away the sword.” The words were heavy and seething.
There was no revolution. Peter would have to accept that. He watched the guards took Yeshua away. The disciples trailed behind, keeping a distance. It was over. There was no revolution, and then Peter wondered, was there even a Messiah.
Time sped faster as he watched from the distance the man he’d looked up to dragged into the house of the High Priest.
“This man too,” a young voice shouted.
He turned around. A young servant girl stared at him, surrounded by other people as they watched on from the outer courts of the priest’s house.
“Aren’t you one of his followers?”
Peter’s stomach turned. How could he admit that he was a follower? Of this man? There was no rebellion—and there was no use admitting that he’d known him. Peter shook his head. “I don’t know him.” He turned away.
“But you do,” she insisted. “I saw you with him the other day. You’re a follower.”
Peter stared at her. The others watched on as she stood in front of him, her face pulling a frown as she waited for confirmation.
“I said,” he snarled, “I don’t know that man!”
“You’re from Galilee,” she continued. “You’re a fisherman, right. So, I know you know him—”
“I don’t!” Peter yelled. His skin was red. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Now leave me alone—”
In the distance a rooster crowed.
His heart sank. Yeshua had said … He’d said that this very thing would happen. And it did. He turned. Yeshua stared at him, broken.
Yeshua had been his closest friend and yet … and yet when He’d needed him most, Peter had been more concerned about the resolution. There was no resolution. Tears stung his eyes. There had only been years of friendships forged. Days when they’d sat in melancholy, like when His cousin had died.
Times when Peter had gone hungry, and Yeshua had helped him out. There were days when they’d laughed or lounged in the grass. Peter had followed Him all these years and yet … and yet their friendship had come down to this.
His friend was going to die. He’d be killed and Peter had outright denied knowing Him.
***
Why the Shame?
The disciples had fervently believed that Christ would lead a rebellion against the Roman Empire, resulting in the liberation of the Jews. This wasn’t a new thinking, but instead, this was a philosophy built on the backs of ancient prophesies recorded in the Scripture.
So, why is this good evidence of the resurrection? The disciples followed Christ because they believed He was the Messiah coming to lead a rebellion, and yet, he didn’t.
Instead, He died in the most horrendous way possible, and through such a death, the disciples scattered. In fact, only John was actually present at the crucifixion; the others had run off. The man whom they hoped would carry out one of Judea’s most anticipated rebellions was no more.
If there was no resurrection, this would be squashed right there. There would be no Christianity. And in fact, there would be no reason for the disciples to press on with a failing religion because their leader would’ve been dead.
The early Sanhedrin had actually dedicated time into trying to squash this rising belief, telling Jews that the disciples had lied about Yeshua’s resurrection, and instead, stating that the grave was robbed. This issue was so problematic, and the Way was growing so rapidly, that the Romans had to make grave robbing punishable by death.
And since there was a new law dictating that grave robbery was punishable, you can see how the Sanhedrin used this system to motivate their witch-hunt for Yeshua’s body—and thus convict the disciples of a crime. Yet, there was no body, and even to this day, a body cannot be found.
It’s not to say that the bones of Christ have long deteriorated, as we’ve excavated bodies well into the 2500 BCEs and is able to take DNA samples of these bones. Yet, the one body no one can seem to find is Christ’s.
Apart from the shame, there would have been denial, as seen in Peter’s case. To think that a group of twelve men, who’d originally shown cowardice at the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus, would suddenly decide to challenge Jewish authority would be absurd had Jesus really simply die.
Yet, they saw for themselves the empty tomb, and also saw Yeshua appear to them. They had reason to believe that He did in fact resurrect and that He was in fact, who He claimed to be.
Next Post…
The next post will feature part two of this, where I deal with the women and their eye-witness account to the resurrection of Christ. In part three, I’ll be posting a compelling video series on my blog to cover more ground and to move on to the last section of this mini-series.
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