Plausible Deniability

It happened, much to their dismay, just as he said it would.

The event and everything preceding it rocked their world.  In their desperation, they had to make it all disappear or at least invalidate it.  The best that they could do was to argue that his friends did it.  They came and stole it.

But they also had to deal with the guys who supposedly allowed his friends to come and steal it.  These guys were supposed to guard it.  And they were not your run of the mill rent-a-cops.  They were seasoned professionals.

So they convinced the commanding officers over the guys to say that they just fell asleep on the job.  Then his friends came and stole it.  But there was a problem with that story.  They either forgot or overlooked or simply chose to ignore it in their desperation to create a narrative.  The problem was that those who fell asleep would normally be put to death for dereliction of duty.

But, they pressed ahead with the narrative.  We’ll back up your story they told the commanding officers, as they handed over the bribe.  It was designed to create, as we call it today, plausible deniability.

Plausible deniability can refer to a lack of evidence proving an allegation and if the allegation cannot be proved, one can plausibly deny the allegation even though it may be true.

But, the narrative ended up unraveling as the evidence mounted.  If his friends had stolen it (the “it” being his body), then how could they explain this account?

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.  (Luke 24:36-43)

The narrative fell apart.  Plausible deniability didn’t work.  The real story is that it all happened just as he said it would:  “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day”.  (Luke 24:46)

His body wasn’t stolen!  He rose from the dead, just as he said!