Recently, I spoke to a fellow who was pleased to have been raised in a Bible teaching church, yet when we discussed the resurrection, he said "I'm not so sure about that."
For Christians, the resurrection is paramount, pivotal...and provable. In fact, if it were not so, I can't imagine spending my life teaching about and following Someone, who first of all lied to everyone and secondly, remained dead.
But is the resurrection provable? Well, for me it's rather uncomplicated. I believe the Bible and that book has proved itself to me over and over. But there are additional proofs.
A professor once assigned me the task of proving Jesus' resurrection without using the Bible. Initially, the task was disconcerting, but I found such a wealth of information in secular literature that it wasn't a problem. In fact, my conclusion was (along with some secular historians), that if any other event in history had so much proof, as does the resurrection of Christ, no one would even question its authenticity.
It's interesting that in the day, it wouldn't have been uncommon for the body of a criminal to simply be ignominiously discarded. However, two high-ranking and reputable Jewish leaders by the name of Joseph and Nicodemus claimed the body and provided an appropriate Jewish ceremonial burial.
Then there is the tomb that was guarded by well-trained Roman soldiers. It turned up empty! This was proclaimed by Christians, but not refuted by those most opposed to Christ and His followers. Matthew 28:11-15 reveals that the Roman guards were paid a large sum of money and promised protection for military dereliction if they would say that Jesus' "...disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep..."
However, sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words. Lady Anne Grimston was passionately and verbally skeptical about life after death. Margaret Galitzin quotes Grimston as saying, “I shall not continue to live. It is as unlikely that I shall continue to live as that a tree will grow out of my body. If, indeed, there is life hereafter, trees will render asunder my tomb.”
Lady Anne died and was buried in the cemetery at St. Peter's Church in Tewin, England. Tourists from all over the world come to this place, but it's not to see the ancient church...it is to see a tree. The tree with four massive trunks is growing out of Lady Anne's grave. It is had more than 200 years to grow and it has quite effectively rendered asunder Lady Anne's tomb!
"...you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as He said..." (Matthew 28:6).