The Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith and the center of Christian doctrine. As theologian Gerald O’Collins put it, “In a profound sense, Christianity without the resurrection is not simply Christianity without its final chapter. It is not Christianity at all.” Jesus’ triumph over death is the supreme vindication of His divine identity and His inspired teaching. It is the very source of Christian hope, the proof that sin has been dealt with, and the miracle of all miracles. If it’s true. Skeptics point to science and say that someone could not have possibly come back to life after dying; it’s unnatural. But if there is a God who created all things, including science, nature and the laws of logic, then is it not plausible to believe that He has the ability and the right to to break the rules He made in a miraculous act of divine love and mercy for humanity? But the real questions are these: Did Jesus die? And was He seen alive again afterwards?  If so, then it is clear that He rose from the dead.

First, it must be established that Jesus was an actual historical figure who lived here on earth. The majority of scholars today believe without a doubt that He was. The famous historians Tacitus and Josephus both mention a man named Jesus “Called the Christ who was believed to be the Messiah and performed many miracles.” Edwin M. Yamauchi, Ph.D., says, “From time to time some people have tried to deny the existence of Jesus, but this is really a lost cause. There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus did exist…[questioning this] is really very fallacious.” Besides the first-century Jewish and Roman historians’ helpful corroborating details about Jesus, the Bible, God’s holy Word which has stood the test and proved itself trustworthy under even the most rugged scrutiny, talks about Jesus in a way that can only be interpreted to mean that He was an actual human being. So it is very reasonable, indeed, it is the only logical conclusion to believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth lived on earth as a regular man.

Now, did Jesus really die on the cross? According to Alexander Metherell, Ph.D., M.D., “It’s impossible [that Jesus merely swooned on the cross]. It’s a fanciful theory without any possible basis in fact.” And he is not alone. Virtually no one today believes that Jesus survived the agony of the cross. Even secular scholars have abandoned this so-called swoon theory for the most part! This hypothesis, or the idea that Jesus’ death was just an elaborate hoax, is absolutely preposterous and not simply unlikely, but impossible. No human being could have even the remotest chance of surviving extreme psychological distress to the point of sweating drops of blood, which is a known medical condition called hematidrosis associated with severe anxiety almost unheard of, then a terribly brutal Roman flogging that often killed the victim even before the crucifixion and which caused hypovolemic shock, the absolutely unbearable agony of the slow, crude, tortuous death on the cross and finally, asphyxiation. Jesus was obviously dead when taken down from the cross, and the spear thrust into His side settled the issue once and for all. Denying Jesus’ grotesque and humiliating death is downright silly and ought not to be taken seriously. 

This leads us to ask the question, Was Jesus’ body absent from the tomb? There is striking evidence that the enduring symbol of Easter-the vacant tomb of Jesus- was a historical reality. For one, a very early creed in 1 Corinthians 15 mentions it, and the authenticity of this church creed is rarely disputed. The empty grave is also reported in Mark’s gospel, which is another extremely early source that dates so close to the event that it could not have possibly been a product of legend. Additionally, the gospels report that women, who were not considered relevant eyewitnesses due to the lowly view men had for them in those days, discovered the empty tomb, which considerably bolsters the story’s authenticity and the writer’s accuracy as well as unbiased intent. And the site of Jesus’ tomb was known to Christians and Jewish authorities alike, so if people were somehow mistaken in thinking that the tomb was empty, the Jewish authorities needed only to open the tomb and put the dead body of Jesus on display for all to see and easily put to rest the question of the resurrection. However, that is not what they did. The fact is, the dead body was not in the tomb, so the Jews were forced to attempt to cover up the fact of its absence. They bribed the Roman guards that had been placed at the tomb and pleaded with them to accuse Jesus’ disciples of stealing His body in the night. But obviously the disciples had no motive to steal Jesus’ body and then be martyred for a lie.  Says Dr. William Lane Craig, expert on the resurrection, “The hypothesis that God raised Jesus from the dead is not at all improbable. What’s improbable is the hypothesis that Jesus rose naturally from the dead. That, I would agree, is outlandish. Any hypothesis would be more probable than saying the corpse of Jesus spontaneously came back to life. But the hypothesis that God raised Jesus from the dead doesn't contradict science or any known facts of experience. All it requires is the hypothesis that God exists, and I think there are good independent reasons for believing that He does. As long as the existence of God is even possible, it’s possible that He acted in history by raising Jesus from the dead.” 

Next, we come to the evidence of appearances. If it is established as fact that Jesus died, was buried, then was seen alive again by several independent, trustworthy eyewitnesses, then one must conclude that Jesus did in fact miraculously rise from the dead and in doing so, proved that He is the unique Son of God sent to earth to pay the ultimate price for our sins that should have fallen on us. Once again, the 1 Corinthians 15 early church creed provides valuable information concerning Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. It says: “...And that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”  Nobody questions that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, and we have him affirming in two places that he personally encountered the resurrected Christ, in chapter 9 and chapter 15. This is pivotal in establishing the resurrection because Paul, a trustworthy eyewitness himself, gives incredible testimony that Jesus did appear alive after His death. He lists names of specific individuals and groups of people who saw Him, written at a time when people could still check them out if they wanted confirmation. All in all, there is a considerable amount of strong, irrefutable evidence that Jesus was seen alive after His death. Experts have established for certain that all the people who saw Him were not experiencing hallucinations (for they are strictly individual occurrences, not seen by groups of people), and the sources that mention the appearances of Christ cannot be legendary (they were recorded much too early to be riddled with myths or legends that developed over time). Said British theologian Michael Green, “The appearances of Jesus are as well authenticated as anything in antiquity…. There can be no rational doubt that they occurred, and that the main reason Christians became sure of the resurrection in the earliest days was just this. They could say with assurance, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ They knew it was He.” 

Lastly, the fact that Christianity started and grew is also evidence for the resurrection. Jesus’ victory over death revoked the calamity of the crucifixion. The resurrection validated and verified the assertions that Jesus had made about His own identity. The origin of Christianity rests solely on the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It inspired the disciples and many others to die for their beliefs, which means they must have been positive that what they believed about Jesus was true, it caused multiple conversions of hardened skeptics such as James and Saul, it introduced huge changes to key social structures, and it initiated the emergence of the Church. No alternative hypothesis can adequately explain the empty tomb, the postmortem appearances of Jesus, and the origin of the Christian faith.              The evidence in favor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is unassailable. In fact, it takes more faith to deny the resurrection than to accept it! After studying the facts and evidence that are available critically but with an open mind, the conclusion is exhilarating. DEATH COULD NOT HOLD OUR LORD. HE HAS CONQUERED THE GRAVE! With the reality of the Resurrection comes the reality of Heaven and the majestic power and love of God. In that we may rejoice.