Historical Evidence Supporting The Resurrection
The Christian faith is based upon the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. This miraculous event is the defining factor on whether or not Jesus is truly the Son of God. Throughout the centuries, scholars have established countless reasons to deny the account of Jesus being raised from the dead. No piece of evidence standing alone can point to the absolution of the resurrection story. However, when multiple evidences are put together, there is no logical explanation that can deny the resurrection’s occurrence. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the explanations of the empty tomb and the eyewitnesses, the beliefs of the Jews and Greeks, the writings and deaths
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of the disciples, and the conversion of Paul. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the explanation of the empty tomb. The Jews attempted to disprove the resurrection by accusing the disciples of stealing the body, however, this is significant because it illustrates that the Jews did not deny the empty tomb of Jesus. It was also said that Jews themselves stole the body. This cannot be true because this would only aid to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead which was the very assumption that the Jews were trying to suppress. The burial itself is also noteworthy because Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, a man who was a part of the Jewish counsel. Joseph was well known because of his high social status. The writers of the gospels would not have included such a notorious man if it were not true. If this burial account is accurate, then the empty tomb must be accurate as well. Scholars today cannot deny the evidence of the empty tomb. D.H. Van Daalen states, “It is extremely difficult to object to the empty tomb on historical grounds; those who deny it do so on the basis of theological or philosophical assumptions.” The only logical explanation for the empty tomb is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’s resurrection is proven through eyewitness accounts as well. These accounts were first recorded in the letters of Paul. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 states, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have died.” Paul explains that Jesus appeared to five hundred people at the exact same time. This kind of accusation could not be made up. He openly invited anyone to seek the truth by asking any of the eyewitnesses themselves. Paul’s letter was to a church, and therefore it was a public document, written to be read aloud. The evidence given from these eyewitness accounts are extremely persuading, and there is no other strong explanation for these occurrences other than the resurrection of Jesus. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the beliefs of the Jews and Greeks. To the Jews and the Greeks, a bodily resurrection was unthinkable. The Greeks could not have fabricated the resurrection because of their views on the physical world and their views on the human body. Gnosticism is the view that the physical world is entirely bad and the spiritual world is entirely good, therefore, they believe that the human body is entirely bad. In Greco- Roman thinking, the soul or spirit was good and the physical and material world was weak, corrupt, and defiling..In this worldview, resurrection was not only impossible, but totally undesirable. They would not make up a resurrection because this act was not seen as a positive occurrence. The Jews would not have fabricated the resurrection because of their views toward salvation and resurrection. The Jews saw the material and physical world as good. Death was not seen as liberation from the material world but as a tragedy…the idea of an individual being resurrected, in the middle of history, while the rest of the world continued on the burdened by sickness, decay, and death, was inconceivable. The Jews were the key group of people that wanted Jesus to be crucified. They took pride in putting him to death. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the writings and deaths of the disciples. All four gospels records that the first eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ were women. These records are significant because women had such a low status in that time period that their testimonies were not considered valuable. The early church was said to have fabricated all accounts of the resurrection, but it is in question why they would insist on including the details about women being the first witnesses. When Mark wrote his gospel, he mentions their names explicitly so that those who doubted these accounts could go talk to these women. These women must have been alive at the time that Mark was writing, or he wouldn’t have cited their names repeatedly. Although this seemed unreasonable at the time, it now shows the factual testimony to the resurrection and its credibility.
The writing styles of the disciples are another factor in proving the story of the resurrection to be true. Making up this account would require the writers to formulate an entirely new writing style. Throughout their texts, there is much diversity and details. If they were sincerely trying to pass off a fictitious story of the resurrection as history, they would have constructed it much better. Paul’s letters and the Gospels have many similarities, but the gospels never imitated Paul’s writings even though his writings were written first. A particular quote in truth matters states the following:
The fact that the Gospel writers, each composing their work many years after Jesus’ life on earth, did not doctor his words to make them sound more like Paul’s…it’s another proof that their writings are historically accurate…they were recording history and not rewriting it by altering the facts or changing the message.
Each of the gospels tells a different, but true perspective of the resurrection.
Another proof in the reliability in their writings is the fact that the writers of the Gospels purposely included details that embarrassed themselves. They would not have included these details if it were a story of fiction to merely make themselves look bad for no reason. They wrote the truth, and they knew the consequences they would face for believing in the one true God.
All of the disciples, except for the Apostle John, died a martyr’s death. The website titled Evidence for the Resurrection states the following:
The disciples would never deny their faith. As a reward for their efforts, however, those early Christians were beaten, stoned to death, thrown to the lions, tortured and crucified. Every conceivable method was used to stop them from talking. Yet, they laid down their lives as the ultimate proof of their complete confidence in the truth of their message.
The authenticity of the resurrection is proven by the everlasting faith these men had in Jesus Christ. They were willing to die the most torturous deaths for the claim of the resurrection. Other religions declare that they have seen people die for their faith in their religious leaders as well. This is true, but the deaths of the disciples did not come from faith in a religious leader, it came from knowing that for a fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. They did not need faith in their last moments before death because they knew exactly who and what they were dying for. The writings and deaths of the disciples prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ did occur. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the conversion of Paul.
His conversion was the most drastically changed life recorded in the Bible. Before his conversion, he was Saul of Tarus. Saul was a violent persecutor of the early church. He knew firsthand the punishments that a Christian would face because of his beliefs. Jesus Christ appeared to Saul after the resurrection and blinded him. He was blind for three days and was healed by a man named Ananias. Saul was baptized and converted to Christianity. He then changed his name to Paul and served Jesus for the rest of his life through his writings and teachings. Christians believe the conversion of Paul came about because he encountered Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead. He states in 1 Corinthians 15: 9-10, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me what not without effect…” After countless acts of persecution against Paul, he was beheaded because he refused to deny his faith in Jesus. Paul was so dedicated to God that he died because of it. His death serves as support for the validity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the appearances that Jesus made
afterward. There is substantial evidence in support of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This includes the explanations of the empty tomb, the beliefs of the Jews and Greeks, the writings and deaths of the disciples, and the conversion of Paul. Many sources can be found to point to the evidence for the resurrection such as The Reason for God and Jesus the King. The Bible gives clear and compelling testimonies and historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. Skeptics will continue to attempt to contradict the story of the resurrection of Jesus, but the vast amount of evidence that we have in support of his resurrection will always triumph over these claims.
of the disciples, and the conversion of Paul. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the explanation of the empty tomb. The Jews attempted to disprove the resurrection by accusing the disciples of stealing the body, however, this is significant because it illustrates that the Jews did not deny the empty tomb of Jesus. It was also said that Jews themselves stole the body. This cannot be true because this would only aid to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead which was the very assumption that the Jews were trying to suppress. The burial itself is also noteworthy because Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, a man who was a part of the Jewish counsel. Joseph was well known because of his high social status. The writers of the gospels would not have included such a notorious man if it were not true. If this burial account is accurate, then the empty tomb must be accurate as well. Scholars today cannot deny the evidence of the empty tomb. D.H. Van Daalen states, “It is extremely difficult to object to the empty tomb on historical grounds; those who deny it do so on the basis of theological or philosophical assumptions.” The only logical explanation for the empty tomb is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’s resurrection is proven through eyewitness accounts as well. These accounts were first recorded in the letters of Paul. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 states, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have died.” Paul explains that Jesus appeared to five hundred people at the exact same time. This kind of accusation could not be made up. He openly invited anyone to seek the truth by asking any of the eyewitnesses themselves. Paul’s letter was to a church, and therefore it was a public document, written to be read aloud. The evidence given from these eyewitness accounts are extremely persuading, and there is no other strong explanation for these occurrences other than the resurrection of Jesus. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the beliefs of the Jews and Greeks. To the Jews and the Greeks, a bodily resurrection was unthinkable. The Greeks could not have fabricated the resurrection because of their views on the physical world and their views on the human body. Gnosticism is the view that the physical world is entirely bad and the spiritual world is entirely good, therefore, they believe that the human body is entirely bad. In Greco- Roman thinking, the soul or spirit was good and the physical and material world was weak, corrupt, and defiling..In this worldview, resurrection was not only impossible, but totally undesirable. They would not make up a resurrection because this act was not seen as a positive occurrence. The Jews would not have fabricated the resurrection because of their views toward salvation and resurrection. The Jews saw the material and physical world as good. Death was not seen as liberation from the material world but as a tragedy…the idea of an individual being resurrected, in the middle of history, while the rest of the world continued on the burdened by sickness, decay, and death, was inconceivable. The Jews were the key group of people that wanted Jesus to be crucified. They took pride in putting him to death. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the writings and deaths of the disciples. All four gospels records that the first eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ were women. These records are significant because women had such a low status in that time period that their testimonies were not considered valuable. The early church was said to have fabricated all accounts of the resurrection, but it is in question why they would insist on including the details about women being the first witnesses. When Mark wrote his gospel, he mentions their names explicitly so that those who doubted these accounts could go talk to these women. These women must have been alive at the time that Mark was writing, or he wouldn’t have cited their names repeatedly. Although this seemed unreasonable at the time, it now shows the factual testimony to the resurrection and its credibility.
The writing styles of the disciples are another factor in proving the story of the resurrection to be true. Making up this account would require the writers to formulate an entirely new writing style. Throughout their texts, there is much diversity and details. If they were sincerely trying to pass off a fictitious story of the resurrection as history, they would have constructed it much better. Paul’s letters and the Gospels have many similarities, but the gospels never imitated Paul’s writings even though his writings were written first. A particular quote in truth matters states the following:
The fact that the Gospel writers, each composing their work many years after Jesus’ life on earth, did not doctor his words to make them sound more like Paul’s…it’s another proof that their writings are historically accurate…they were recording history and not rewriting it by altering the facts or changing the message.
Each of the gospels tells a different, but true perspective of the resurrection.
Another proof in the reliability in their writings is the fact that the writers of the Gospels purposely included details that embarrassed themselves. They would not have included these details if it were a story of fiction to merely make themselves look bad for no reason. They wrote the truth, and they knew the consequences they would face for believing in the one true God.
All of the disciples, except for the Apostle John, died a martyr’s death. The website titled Evidence for the Resurrection states the following:
The disciples would never deny their faith. As a reward for their efforts, however, those early Christians were beaten, stoned to death, thrown to the lions, tortured and crucified. Every conceivable method was used to stop them from talking. Yet, they laid down their lives as the ultimate proof of their complete confidence in the truth of their message.
The authenticity of the resurrection is proven by the everlasting faith these men had in Jesus Christ. They were willing to die the most torturous deaths for the claim of the resurrection. Other religions declare that they have seen people die for their faith in their religious leaders as well. This is true, but the deaths of the disciples did not come from faith in a religious leader, it came from knowing that for a fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. They did not need faith in their last moments before death because they knew exactly who and what they were dying for. The writings and deaths of the disciples prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ did occur. There is a substantial amount of historical evidence that exists to support the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the conversion of Paul.
His conversion was the most drastically changed life recorded in the Bible. Before his conversion, he was Saul of Tarus. Saul was a violent persecutor of the early church. He knew firsthand the punishments that a Christian would face because of his beliefs. Jesus Christ appeared to Saul after the resurrection and blinded him. He was blind for three days and was healed by a man named Ananias. Saul was baptized and converted to Christianity. He then changed his name to Paul and served Jesus for the rest of his life through his writings and teachings. Christians believe the conversion of Paul came about because he encountered Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead. He states in 1 Corinthians 15: 9-10, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me what not without effect…” After countless acts of persecution against Paul, he was beheaded because he refused to deny his faith in Jesus. Paul was so dedicated to God that he died because of it. His death serves as support for the validity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the appearances that Jesus made
afterward. There is substantial evidence in support of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This includes the explanations of the empty tomb, the beliefs of the Jews and Greeks, the writings and deaths of the disciples, and the conversion of Paul. Many sources can be found to point to the evidence for the resurrection such as The Reason for God and Jesus the King. The Bible gives clear and compelling testimonies and historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. Skeptics will continue to attempt to contradict the story of the resurrection of Jesus, but the vast amount of evidence that we have in support of his resurrection will always triumph over these claims.