(Ossuary - ancient casket found in Jerusalem)
James Cameron and the Discovery Channel are airing a documentary that claims to have found the family caskets of Jesus Christ, his wife, mother, and brothers. Basing their thesis on archaology, statistics, and even DNA evidence, makes this claim truly eye-catching. It caught mine. But, could it be true?
First, if it is true the results are catastrophic! The promos by the Discover Channel have this subtitle, “The One Revelation That Could Change Everything”. If the bones in that casket are those of the one and only Jesus Christ, Christianity is destroyed. If Christ is not risen then our faith is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and so is your faith.”
Be reassured, weigh the evidence, and bolster your faith. Let me give some reasons why to believe the Resurrection.
This is not new. These ossuaries were actually discovered in 1980 and they are real. They do seem to be from the general time period of the New Testament. But, every year from the time of Christ’s resurrection there have been detractors that have attempted to undercut the foundation of Christianity. Attacks on the veracity of the Christian message are as old as the days are long.
Recently, the last several years, almost every major television conglomerate has featured some sensational show attacking the credibility of Christianity. And they always run these shows in the spring before Easter. Why? That’s when they will make the most money.
So, it is no surprise that a documentary is coming out a few weeks before Easter attacking the claims of Christianity. And, look who the director of the project is – James Cameron of the “Titanic” fame. To me that is a serious credibility hit. How am I supposed to take any argument serious when the motivating factor is the proverbial “bottom line”. Scientists may be quoted, archaeology shown, the word “DNA” used, but the underlying purpose is clearly money. That factor alone casts an unrecoverable pall over the credibility of the claims. Have you seen the commercials on the Discovery Channel? Those weren’t free. This is a build up of sensationalism to make a buck.
There are other factors that call me to question the thesis of this show. God gave us a brain, intellect, and logic which He encourages us to use. Christianity does not rest on “blind”, “check-your-brain-at-the-door”, faith. There are clear paths of evidence that facilitate our faith in the Biblical truths.
Here is one of the biggest evidentiary facts that compels me to reject the claims of this documentary. I believe in the “secret-to-big-to-keep” theory. When Jesus Christ of Nazareth was killed on the cross and buried in the tomb there were huge numbers of people that were vehemently opposed to Him and his message. They knew of His claim that He would rise from the dead. The easiest and most logical way for them to entirely discredit Jesus Christ and the Christians would be a casket with the body of Christ inside. An actual dead body would have been a secret to big to hide.
By there own testimony, the scholars in this documentary note that the ossuaries they found were in the grave of a middle class family. It was not hidden or in some secret location, but in Jerusalem. If the Pharisees of Jesus day had access to the actual casket of Jesus they would have exploited that to entirely destroy Christianity. Yet, what has stood the test of time? The Resurrected Christ.
We could go on and on giving credible evidence on the truth claims of Christianity. You can read books on the subject that giving compelling and ample reason to truly believe. But, the final goal is that – belief. Not just intellectual assent, but a sold-out, surrendered, obedient, trusting – belief. Be encouraged that the One who conquered sin and death through the Resurrection lives today and indwells the hearts of those who believe.
James Cameron and the Discovery Channel are airing a documentary that claims to have found the family caskets of Jesus Christ, his wife, mother, and brothers. Basing their thesis on archaology, statistics, and even DNA evidence, makes this claim truly eye-catching. It caught mine. But, could it be true?
First, if it is true the results are catastrophic! The promos by the Discover Channel have this subtitle, “The One Revelation That Could Change Everything”. If the bones in that casket are those of the one and only Jesus Christ, Christianity is destroyed. If Christ is not risen then our faith is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and so is your faith.”
Be reassured, weigh the evidence, and bolster your faith. Let me give some reasons why to believe the Resurrection.
This is not new. These ossuaries were actually discovered in 1980 and they are real. They do seem to be from the general time period of the New Testament. But, every year from the time of Christ’s resurrection there have been detractors that have attempted to undercut the foundation of Christianity. Attacks on the veracity of the Christian message are as old as the days are long.
Recently, the last several years, almost every major television conglomerate has featured some sensational show attacking the credibility of Christianity. And they always run these shows in the spring before Easter. Why? That’s when they will make the most money.
So, it is no surprise that a documentary is coming out a few weeks before Easter attacking the claims of Christianity. And, look who the director of the project is – James Cameron of the “Titanic” fame. To me that is a serious credibility hit. How am I supposed to take any argument serious when the motivating factor is the proverbial “bottom line”. Scientists may be quoted, archaeology shown, the word “DNA” used, but the underlying purpose is clearly money. That factor alone casts an unrecoverable pall over the credibility of the claims. Have you seen the commercials on the Discovery Channel? Those weren’t free. This is a build up of sensationalism to make a buck.
There are other factors that call me to question the thesis of this show. God gave us a brain, intellect, and logic which He encourages us to use. Christianity does not rest on “blind”, “check-your-brain-at-the-door”, faith. There are clear paths of evidence that facilitate our faith in the Biblical truths.
Here is one of the biggest evidentiary facts that compels me to reject the claims of this documentary. I believe in the “secret-to-big-to-keep” theory. When Jesus Christ of Nazareth was killed on the cross and buried in the tomb there were huge numbers of people that were vehemently opposed to Him and his message. They knew of His claim that He would rise from the dead. The easiest and most logical way for them to entirely discredit Jesus Christ and the Christians would be a casket with the body of Christ inside. An actual dead body would have been a secret to big to hide.
By there own testimony, the scholars in this documentary note that the ossuaries they found were in the grave of a middle class family. It was not hidden or in some secret location, but in Jerusalem. If the Pharisees of Jesus day had access to the actual casket of Jesus they would have exploited that to entirely destroy Christianity. Yet, what has stood the test of time? The Resurrected Christ.
We could go on and on giving credible evidence on the truth claims of Christianity. You can read books on the subject that giving compelling and ample reason to truly believe. But, the final goal is that – belief. Not just intellectual assent, but a sold-out, surrendered, obedient, trusting – belief. Be encouraged that the One who conquered sin and death through the Resurrection lives today and indwells the hearts of those who believe.
Christian resources on the subject of the Resurrection
The Bible
Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel
Who Moved The Stone by Frank Morrison
The Battle For The Resurrection by Norman Geisler
The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel
Who Moved The Stone by Frank Morrison
The Battle For The Resurrection by Norman Geisler
I have been used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is provided by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than they great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead.
Thomas Arnold, Oxford University
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