April 8, 2023
In that hour [that He was arrested] Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. Matthew 26:55-56
Earlier we saw the incredulity—even silliness—of the “fraud” theory put forth by skeptics to provide a plausible explanation for the empty tomb. But, moving around within the gospel accounts, there is another distinct aspect revealed by the gospel writers: their own shame and humiliation.
In order to give a truthful account of events, they were obliged to uplift faithful women in their prominent roles of finding the empty tomb, encountering angels, seeing Jesus alive, and telling others. This certainly flies in the face of the rigid social structure of the day. Women were also named as witnesses to His death and burial, playing active roles in planning care for His dead body and pausing these acts of love and loyalty to rest on the Sabbath according to the commandment (Luke 23:56). If the gospel writers were just making up a story to convince people that Jesus had risen from the dead, there is no way that women would figure prominently in it. However, the politically incorrect truth is that they did!
Typically, those “in control” of the narrative would elevate and “glorify” the ones in leadership, portraying them in a heroic (legendary) light. The accusation levied against the Bible writers—that they concocted the story of the Resurrection to salvage the derailed movement following the unexpected and ignominious death of their Rabbi in order to install themselves as the new leaders of the movement—is categorically baseless. In reality, they “depicted themselves and each other as . . . skeptical and disbelieving buffoons”! Clifford Goldstein in his book RISEN
A few examples: Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. (Matthew 26:56b), “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. (Matthew 26:75), And [the women’s] words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. (Luke 24:11), they were fearful (John 20:19), and They were terrified and frightened. (Luke 24:37). Is this how conniving writers really want to depict themselves? And what about the corpse of their beloved Rabbi? Did Peter, Andrew, James, or John attend? No, it was Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus from the body of Jewish religious leaders, the fiercest opponents of Jesus.
But, as it is, the record stands. The Holy Spirit who spoke through the gospel writers simply spoke the unvarnished truth about what took place when the Son of God died to pay the penalty of our sins and rose again to assure us of victory over death. And do each of us need such assurance? The Lord knows that we do!
In your prayers before Him you may freely speak of your fears, weaknesses, doubts, and failures. Give them all to Him. And as you do, focus not upon yourself but upon Him. Accept His forgiveness of the past and grace for today going forward. This is what it means to “Look to Me and be saved . . . for I am God and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22