Modern scholarship in recent times has begun to realize that the events in the Gospels are highly symbolic even in a lot of the seemingly minor details in the life of Christ and his miracles. This symbolism in the Gospels and throughout the rest of the Bible suggests that Biblical history may be more history allegorized than history embellished over time with successive retellings. Similarly, when we look at the Book of Revelation, we see that the various events in this prophecy suspiciously point to events in and around Israel’s First-Century war with Rome told in extravagant symbolism like a plague of hundred-pound hale or water turned to blood (see the commentary in revelationrevolution.org and Why a Fully Consistent Approach to Biblical Exegesis Implies the Creation of Genesis 1 Is Not About the Physical Creation of the Cosmos and Why Noah’s Flood Also Appears to Have Been an Historical Parable about a War).
Jesus’ miracles seem to very often symbolize the resurrection or events surrounding the resurrection like events in the tribulation leading up to this final climatic event. If the Bible is history allegorized and the events of the Bible especially in the New Testament often symbolize the resurrection or events surrounding the resurrection, what about Jesus’ resurrection? If the Bible is history allegorized, did Jesus truly and literally rise from the grave?
If Jesus’ miracles like the healing of the sick, restoring sight to the blind, and curing the lame seem to represent the resurrection of the dead, what does Jesus’ own resurrection symbolize? How could Jesus’ resurrection be nonliteral if everything symbolic ultimately points to it? If Jesus’ resurrection symbolizes something other than the resurrection itself, this means that all of Jesus’ miracles as well as all the other events in the Bible that symbolize the resurrection also symbolize this one thing. What could that be? In the Bible what event is more significant or important than the resurrection? If no answer immediately comes to mind that thing probably does not exist. In other words, if the resurrection is the climax of Biblical history and everything in some way points to the resurrection, then Jesus’ resurrection cannot symbolize anything else. The buck stops at the resurrection, there is no event in the Bible that is bigger, more important, or more significant. In other words, if Jesus’ miracles represent something to do with the resurrection, then Jesus’ resurrection is itself the fulfillment of these other events and would not and could not represent or concern any other event. Therefore, Jesus’ must have, in some way, risen from the dead (see How Can Papias’ View of the Resurrection be Reconciled with Preterism?).
If Jesus did not truly rise from the dead because the miracle of the resurrection was a symbol of something else it is hard to explain the words and deeds of the disciples who seem to have taught a literal resurrection and many died as martyrs for this fact and with this hope. Whether or not one believes Jesus rose from the dead, it is virtually certain that regardless of what really happened the disciples believed Jesus rose from the dead. The disciples did not benefit during their life on earth promoting Jesus. The disciples were frequently persecuted and many were ultimately martyred willingly because of their hope of the resurrection. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians writes,
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
Illustrating the fact that the disciples lived this life of hardship for the sake of the resurrection, Paul writes,
“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. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:14-19).”
It seems impossible to conceive that the disciples would subject themselves to all this hardship which ultimately culminated in martyrdom for many of them if they knew Jesus had not been raised from the dead or did not believe Jesus rose from the dead. Who would willingly accept a life like this for something they did not believe in or knew never happened. How can the belief of the disciples be reconciled with the seemingly inconceivable notion of a person rising from the dead?
It is my belief that the Bible is shockingly literal in many instances in which many assume that it is not. However, I am also uncomfortable intellectually with the idea of the impossible or purely miraculous occurring in history. My belief is that the events in the Bible although inspired by God were all accomplished in the most naturalistic way possible. In other words, I believe God winds up the clock and sets in motion His purposes without the need to violate the laws of nature whenever possible. Thus, taking into account these assumptions and biases, this is what I believe is the most-likely explanation for the empty tomb:
I believe that the Roman guard stationed to prevent the disciples from stealing the body were actually the ones who rolled back the stone and opened the tomb. Why would the Roman soldiers intentionally open the tomb they were ordered to guard? I believe the order to open the tomb came right from the top. Why would Pilate order his soldiers to open Jesus’ tomb?
Throughout his governorship, Pilate had a strong reputation of hostility to the Jews. The Jews with all the stipulations of the Law of Moses were a constant thorn in the side of any imperial power who sought to govern them efficiently and peacefully. By the time Jesus was brought before Pilate, Pilate had already ruled for some time and was likely already fed-up with or at least tired of the exceptional difficulty that came with governing an intractable people with such a lengthy list of religious laws that were forced upon their Roman administrators. Similar to governors before and after him, Pilate would have inevitably been exhausted and frustrated with the excessive complexity associated with navigating a fair and peaceful path around the Jews’ lengthy set of religious laws that often were at odds with the Roman laws and customs he was appointed to uphold. For example, Josephus recounts how Pilate moved his army with their ensigns (images of Caesar and Rome) from Caesarea to Jerusalem during the winter. The people of Jerusalem then petitioned Pilate to remove the ensigns as they are images of foreign gods and are a violation of the Law of Moses.1 One might think there is a simple solution to this problem: Remove the ensigns from the city. But the ensigns are not just the flags of the Roman military they are also the gods of the legions. Removing the ensigns could be construed as a seditious act against Caesar and could also cause similar religious fervor among the Roman military. Thus, regardless of what he did, Pilate risked offending Caesar in addition to revolt from either his subjects or his soldiers. Trying to navigate peaceful solutions around conflicts between Roman laws and customs and Jewish religious law was something unique to Israel and was likely a daily challenge for Pilate to varying degrees. All Roman provinces had religions and customs that the Romans had to respect. However, no other province in the Roman Empire had as many laws and customs as did Israel. This fact made Pilate’s job more difficult than that of any other Roman administrator of his time. Here it is easy to see why Pilate and seemingly all the other Roman administrators in Palestine were so constantly frustrated and not surprisingly generally seemed so cruel. Pilate’s hostility would have only worsened when he was made the unwilling agent of the execution of a man Pilate regarded as innocent of capital offense. In Matthew 27 we see that Pilate made repeated attempts to save Jesus’ life and according to v. 24 only ultimately agreed to crucify Jesus, it seems, to prevent a riot.
Then in Matthew 27:62-64 we see that the Jews who plotted to kill Jesus approached Pilate and requested that a guard be placed at Jesus’ tomb to prevent the disciples from stealing Jesus’ body and then proclaiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. If the disciples were to succeed, these Jews said, “This last deception will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:63.) I believe, having learned from his enemies that the “deception” of an empty tomb would be “worse” for them than a living Jesus (Matthew 27:63), Pilate recognized an opportunity to vent his anger on these intractable miscreants who made his governorship so difficult and who had most recently forced his hand to kill a man against his will. I believe Pilate thought, “What if the Roman guard opens Jesus’ tomb and disposes of Jesus’ body to make it appear as though Jesus rose from the dead as he promised? What a perfect way to give these Jewish scoundrels what they deserve! And what a great story this would make at the banquets of Rome!”
In order to enact his plan, I believe, Pilate issued orders to his soldiers to place Jesus’ body in a tomb, in the night open the tomb and bury Jesus’ body elsewhere, then inform those who brought Jesus before him that an angel removed the stone from the tomb and frightened off the guard, and finally leave two men at the tomb to announce that Jesus was alive. I believe all went according to plan except when the soldiers were about to dispose of Jesus’ body, they realized that he was still alive. Perhaps they heard groans or noises inside the sarcophagus? Or maybe when they rolled back the stone, they heard labored breathing? When the soldiers realized that Jesus was alive, they immediately rushed him to a medic who ultimately nursed Jesus back to health. Remember Pilate wanted the soldiers to make it seem like Jesus had risen from the dead, the fact that Jesus was alive was even better especially since Pilate never wanted to execute Jesus anyway according to the Gospel accounts. If he heard that Jesus was still alive, Pilate likely would have been very pleased with the news. At that point the rest of the plan was implemented. Some soldiers rushing to inform the Jews of what had happened at the tomb. And two men were left behind to announce the fact that Jesus was not dead. Thus, when the women went to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning, the tomb was already opened and the soldiers were gone with exception of two men instructed to announce the fact that Jesus was alive.
Most historians deny a literal resurrection as such an event seems naturalistically impossible. But is rising from the dead impossible? No. There is something called the Lazarus effect. The Lazarus effect is when the heart starts beating again moments or even hours after failed recusation. First described in medical journals in 1982 there have been 38 cases of the Lazarus effect to date. I believe Jesus’ resurrection is the most famous instance of the Lazarus effect in history. Was Jesus’ death and resurrection another example of the Lazarus effect? I believe it is and God used Jesus’ resurrection as a sign to confirm the hope of all Christians in their own resurrection. Is it harder to believe that Jesus rose from the dead due to the Lazarus effect or that a transcendent God exists that raised Jesus from the dead or that something as complex as the universe spontaneously emerged from nothing?2 These are important questions to ponder.
- Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.1.
- A second option was that Pilate came up with a solution whereby he could keep Jesus alive (which according to the Gospels is what Pilate wanted), prevent the Jews from rioting and at the same time enact revenge on those murderous Jews who put him between a rock and a hard place on this and countless other occasions. Perhaps Pilate ordered his soldiers to crucify Jesus but not to break his legs like the others so as to take him down from the cross while still alive? Thus, Jesus would not be kept on the cross long enough to kill him. Then the living Jesus would be placed in a tomb wrapped in grave clothes and then the tomb would be opened in the evening. Jesus’ wounds would be treated. And then Jesus would be set free to complete the miracle and confound Pilate’s Jewish enemies. This scenario seems less likely to me in that there are a lot of loose ends. Jesus would have needed to know Pilate’s intentions and so that he could feign death and be in on the plot. And when Jesus was stabbed in the side he would have to resist the incredible urge to flinch or grown. And Joseph of Arimathea who placed him in his tomb would also have to be in on the plot together with all the women who helped prepare Jesus’ body (Luke 23:50-56). One would expect Joseph and these women to immediately try to resuscitate Jesus and perhaps that is what Pilate wanted, but this information would likely have gotten out to the disciples. And it is hard to believe the other disciples would believe so passionately in Jesus’ resurrection if they heard Jesus was still alive when he was brought down from the cross. Another problem with the idea that Pilate intended to keep Jesus alive to stage a resurrection is that this miracle could be leveraged for political reasons to crown Jesus as Messiah and king of the Jews. Pilate would not want to do this as this would make Jesus a rival to his authority and could result in a Jewish revolt against Rome to crown Jesus the sovereign king of the Jews. This is also a fairly complex plot and I doubt Pilate was adequately motivated to keep Jesus alive enough to go through all the trouble of overseeing this conspiracy.