![](https://freebibletracts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Empty-Tomb.png)
Upon the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ lay the merits of Christianity. Some, hating this truth so much, have come up with their own version (based on nothing more than this is what they want to believe).
The first faulty theory is sometimes referred to as the “play-act,” or “swoon” theory. Here, proponents claim that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, but that He simply pretended or appeared to be dead and then His disciples took him down, put Him in the tomb, attended His wounds and then removed Him to a safe location.
The second scenario is similar, but He did all of this on His own. Both require some or all of the following: Jesus endured the beatings at His trials, the crown of thorns, the terrible scourging, the crucifixion, the spear thrust in His side, and somehow survived. On top of that the professional executioners, upon examining his body, were satisfied that he was dead. His body was wrapped in linen along with 100 pounds of spices. In spite of great loss of blood, three days in a cold tomb without food, water or assistance, He managed to escape from the tightly wrapped grave clothes and spices and placed them neatly in the tomb. He then broke the Roman seal, rolled the huge stone up an incline away from the opening, overcame the armed guards in his weakened condition, walked miles on pierced feet, and convinced his followers that He had conquered death as the resurrected Author of Life. This ludicrous theory would also have us believe that Jesus lived on after all this and died a natural death in obscurity while 11 of the twelve disciples were martyred to protect a known lie.
The Bible tells the true story. Jesus suffered death by crucifixion. Jesus’ body was then placed in a securely guarded tomb. Upon finding out that the tomb was empty, the disciples ran “neck and neck” to see the empty tomb for themselves. Why would they do that if they had been the ones to empty the tomb? After all this, Jesus was seen over a period of forty days by many eyewitnesses, even to a group of 500 at one point. The evidence to the fact of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is overwhelming and worthy of your further study.
One interesting post-log to this summary article is the story of a lawyer named Frank Morrison. Mr. Morrison set out to write a book showing why the resurrection could not possibly have taken place. In the process, he became convinced by the evidence for the resurrection, and then became a follower of Jesus Christ. In the preface to his book Who Moved the Stone? he wrote the following:
“…it is essentially a confession, the inner story of a man who originally set out to write one kind of book, and found himself compelled by the sheer force of circumstances to write quite another… Somehow the perspective shifted, not suddenly, as in a flash of insight or inspiration but slowly, almost imperceptibly, by the very stubbornness of the facts themselves.”
For a more detailed look, please read the biblical accounts of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and then read one or more of the following books pointing you to evidence for the resurrection: Who Moved the Stone, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach” and “The Case For Christ”. All are recommended and all available at amazon.com or other booksellers.
If you are already a Christian, please download, print and Pass This On to someone who needs to hear its message. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” (Psalm 107:2).