Let’s make a deal: I promise to take seriously claims that might undermine my faith, if those who make those claims promise to take as seriously claims I make to faith.
The brouhaha over the discovery of the so-called Jesus Family Tomb in Jerusalem provokes interest among believers and unbelievers alike. James “Titanic” Cameron fronted the program on the Discovery Channel that promised compelling archeological evidence in Israel of a tomb (found in 1980) some believe may have contained the bones of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their son, Judah, among other family relations. DNA evidence confirms that the remains of the so-called Jesus ossuary and that of one whose name may be translated as Mary do not match, thus making it possible that the two were married and that the child was theirs.
The affair intrigues. It gives speculators hope that hints from the Gnostic gospels about Jesus’ special relationship to Mary Magdalene might have meant more than we know. It gives “The Da Vinci Code” devotees more hope that Jesus was a husband and father, and that he was never raised from the dead as the New Testament and church tradition hold.
Inquiring minds want to know. And should. No agenda must supplant the truth. As Jesus himself said, only the truth can set one free.
Scientists, journalists and investigators of all kinds will work to figure out all they can about these bones, the ossuaries, the inscribed names, and anything else that might shed light on their significance. Christians should show our fearlessness in the face of challenges to our faith — not by striking out against those who seek to prove our faith as falsely based, but by joining them in genuine curiosity. If it could be demonstrated that Jesus was not single and not raised from the dead, Christians would have to confess we have been wrong in claiming things now known to be untrue.
Efforts to prove conclusively what is suggested will likely prove unlikely. Nonetheless, the challenge is apt, because the uniqueness of Christianity rises or falls on whether Jesus rose when he fell dead on the cross. If Christianity amounts only to Jesus’ teaching versus that of any other spiritual master, take your pick and find your way the best you can. But look earnestly also into the claims of Easter’s empty tomb and the history of a faith that emerged from it. Reason, not to mention faith, demands nothing less.
Deal or no deal?