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A Skeleton In God's Closet?
by Steve Higginbotham
March 4, 2007
If you have had your television on in the past week, you have no doubt heard the claims of movie director, James Cameron and film documentarian Simcha Jacobovici.  These men are claiming to have identified the ossuary (bone box) and bones of Jesus of Nazareth.  These claims are presented in a new book entitled, "The Jesus Family Tomb," and the Discovery channel will air a documentary on this subject tonight.
 
Is this true?  Have the bones of Jesus really been discovered?  Does God have a skeleton in his closet?  Did Jesus really not raise from the dead?
 
The answer to all these questions is an emphatic "NO!"  This is yet another example of sensationalism intended to take another swipe at the heart of Christianity...the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
 
Consider briefly the following points:
  • This discovery was made in 1980!  How could such a monumental find go a quarter of a century without so much as anyone raising an eyebrow? 
  • Who would have had the motive to remove the body of Jesus and perpetuate the greatest hoax in the history of the world? 
    • The enemies of Jesus? - Certainly not.  They had Jesus right where they wanted him.  Furthermore, would they not have discredited any talk of a resurrection by Jesus' disciples by producing his body?
    • The friends of Jesus? - Certainly not.  Why would people suffer martyrdom for something they knew to be a fraud? 
  • How would one explain the appearances of Jesus to more than 500 people following his death?
Amos Kloner, an archeologist who worked on this discovery back in 1980 said, with reference to these speculative claims, "It's a beautiful story but without any proof whatsoever."
 
Friends, don't allow your faith in the Word of God, which has withstood the attacks of skeptics for two millennium to be shaken by the sensational assumptions and speculative conclusions drawn by unbelievers.  "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).
Copyright © 2007, South Green Street Church of Christ, Glasgow, Kentucky
Permission is granted to copy these articles.