The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history. C. Marvin Pate said, “Christianity rises or falls on the resurrection.” I agree. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “…And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).
Many question how we can be certain that Jesus actually rose from the dead. Here are three major historical evidences for Jesus’ bodily resurrection:
The empty tomb: Many secular scholars agree on the fact that the tomb was empty. Even the Jewish authorities who were opposed to Christianity admitted the tomb was empty by spreading a rumor that the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:11-15). The big question becomes: how did the tomb get empty?!
The resurrection appearances: Jesus appeared to a variety of people at different times in the span of forty days. He appeared to women, men, his disciples, and even a crowd of more than 500 people at a time (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Notably, most secular scholars still admit that the individuals described above believe they saw Jesus; secular scholars simply attempt to find a naturalistic explanation for this supernatural event. The most common proposal is that they were all hallucinating. This is unreasonable, for hallucinations are much like dreams; they are private and unique. Multiple people could not have experienced the exact same hallucination at different times and different locations.
The apostle’s unwavering belief in the resurrection: Following a three-day period of being fearful and in despair, the disciples suddenly became convinced that Jesus rose from the dead. The apostles remained committed to their belief in the resurrection despite the persecution they faced. All of them were willing to be opposed, imprisoned, beaten, stoned, whipped, and even martyred for their faith. Paul Little said, “Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.” Would the disciples have really have been willing to die for the resurrected Jesus had it all been a hoax and they really had stolen the body?
In light of all the evidence we have available, and studying the best primary sources, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is simply the most reasonable explanation of the historical facts. If you are interested in studying more evidence for the resurrection, here is an article I found very helpful:
Here is a link to a short video that talks about the historical facts of the resurrection:
If Jesus really rose from the dead, what does that mean for you? I’ll post an article tomorrow on some of the implications of the resurrection.
C. Marvin Pate, 40 Questions About the Historical Jesus, (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2015), 355.
Quoted in Josh and Sean McDowell, Evidence for the Resurrection: What it Means for Your Relationship with God, (Wheaton, IL: Regal, 2009), 218.