Theory or Truth (2)

Saturday, 31 March 2018

'Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple [Body], and I will raise it again in three days.' John 2:19 NIV

Let’s examine another theory put forth by those who try to disprove the truth of Christ’s bodily resurrection: the ‘Swoon Theory’. In his book, The Passover Plot, Hugh J. Schonfield theorises that Jesus simply swooned, was taken down from the cross, and thought to be dead. Then in the coolness of the tomb He revived, came out, and convinced His disciples that He’d actually risen from the dead.

It raises some interesting questions. For example, how come for eighteen hundred years prior to this theory, neither friends nor foes of Christianity ever mentioned it? And what about the Roman centurion who pierced Christ’s side with a spear, and blood and water came out—empirical evidence that life ceased because the blood had separated into its constituent elements? And what about the testimony of the centurion sent by Pilate: a man who dealt and trafficked in death, whose business it was as an executioner to know that Jesus was dead? Then there’s the question of the grave clothes. Jews customarily wrapped dead bodies in grave clothes and used dozens of kilograms of spices between the folds, sealing the garments around the corpse, like a mummy. The head was also wrapped. How could Jesus have breathed? And how could a man in such a weakened condition remove the great boulder that sealed His tomb and overcome the Roman guards? It takes more faith to believe in the swoon theory than it does to believe the truth of what really happened!

Christ is risen!