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The Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus is profoundly significant and one of the most important events in the New Testament—second only to the crucifixion. The resurrection is the decisive event that sets Jesus apart from any other figure who was crucified. Without it, Jesus would be remembered merely as a radical or influential historical figure, not as God's anointed Savior.
The work of theologian N.T. Wright shows the only reason anyone would proclaim a crucified man like Jesus to be the Messiah is if something extraordinary—like a resurrection—had happened to convince them. Jesus’s resurrection also served to validate his sacrificial death on the cross. According to the Christian message, Jesus paid a costly price for human salvation. This validation echoes the Old Testament sacrificial system, especially as seen in the Day of Atonement rituals. In that tradition, the high priest would symbolically transfer the sins of the people onto a spotless animal and then offer its blood in the Most Holy Place. If the priest came out alive, it was a sign that God had accepted the offering. Similarly, Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that without the resurrection, Christian faith is futile, and people remain in their sins.
The resurrection is not just theologically essential but also historically significant. If Jesus merely rose "in spirit" or metaphorically, then Christian hope is misplaced.
The Empty Tomb
On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene visits Jesus’s tomb and finds the stone rolled away. Alarmed, she runs to tell Simon Peter and "the disciple Jesus loved" (almost certainly John). She assumes the body has been stolen, which would not have been surprising in that context. Tomb raiding was common because burial garments and spices held high value. Mary’s reaction reflects this reality—she believes Jesus’s body has been taken by grave robbers.
Peter and John run to the tomb. John, being younger, arrives first but hesitates at the entrance. Peter, arriving second, charges straight in. Inside, they find the linen cloths and the face covering—neatly folded and set aside. The Greek verb used for “saw” implies thoughtful, sustained observation. They were stunned and deeply reflective, not jubilant or expectant.
Rather than immediately assuming resurrection, the disciples are confused. This contradicts the common skeptical claim that they were hallucinating from grief. Instead, their surprise and deliberation show that resurrection was not their initial expectation. The Greek word used suggests a process of theorizing and contemplation. Luke 24:12 echoes this, saying Peter went away “wondering to himself what had happened.”
Historical Evidence Supporting the Empty Tomb
There are multiple historical facts that support the claim of the empty tomb and bodily resurrection:
Lack of Tomb Veneration – Unlike other prophets whose tombs became pilgrimage sites, Jesus’s tomb was not venerated. This implies it was empty.
Joseph of Arimathea – Jesus was buried by a prominent Jewish council member, a surprising and verifiable detail unlikely to be fabricated, especially given the council’s opposition to Jesus.
Women Eyewitnesses – In the patriarchal culture of the first century, women were not considered reliable witnesses. That the Gospels report women as the first to see the empty tomb argues against fabrication; it would have undermined the story’s credibility if it were merely propaganda.
Eventually, John also enters the tomb, sees the same evidence, and believes. He connects the empty tomb with Jesus’s teachings and recognizes that Jesus must have risen from the dead.
Eyewitness Testimony of the Risen Christ
As the disciples return home, Mary remains at the tomb weeping. When she looks inside, she sees two angels who ask why she’s crying. She explains that Jesus’s body is missing. She then turns around and sees Jesus but doesn’t recognize him at first, mistaking him for the gardener. When Jesus calls her by name—"Mary"—she instantly realizes it is him and calls him “Rabbani” (Teacher). She clutches him emotionally, but he tells her not to hold onto him, as he has not yet ascended. Instead, he commissions her to go tell the disciples that he is ascending to God. Mary obeys, becoming the first person to declare the resurrection to others: “I have seen the Lord.”
This marks a powerful and personal resurrection encounter, underscoring Mary's central role in the early Christian witness and the deeply relational nature of Jesus's ministry.
On the evening of that same resurrection day, Jesus appears suddenly to his disciples, even though they were behind locked doors, hiding in fear of the Jewish authorities. His first words to them are, “Peace be with you,” an offering of reassurance amid their terror. The disciples are stunned, probably thinking they are hallucinating or imagining things, but Jesus shows them his hands and side, the marks of his crucifixion. The disciples are overjoyed once they recognize him, realizing this is not an illusion but the resurrected Jesus in the flesh.
This encounter introduces the second major piece of evidence for the resurrection: positive eyewitness testimony. Unlike the empty tomb, which is a form of negative evidence, eyewitness testimony is active proof. In 1 Corinthians 15:4–8 Paul provides a concise and early list of resurrection appearances. Jesus appeared to Peter, then to the twelve, then to more than 500 people at one time—many of whom were still alive when Paul wrote. He also appeared to James and finally to Paul himself. This passage is seen as a historical anchor for the resurrection claims, written within two decades of the crucifixion.
Transformation of the Witnesses
The transformation in the lives of Jesus’s followers serves as further confirmation of the resurrection. Peter, for instance, had previously denied even knowing Jesus out of fear. Yet, 50 days later, he stands before a crowd at Pentecost boldly proclaiming Jesus’s resurrection. The other disciples, too, had fled at Jesus’s arrest but later emerge as leaders of the early church, boldly testifying that Jesus had risen. Something extraordinary must have happened to turn these fearful individuals into courageous witnesses.
The 500 Eyewitnesses and Early Documentation
Paul’s reference to over 500 eyewitnesses is particularly important, as he notes that most of them were still alive at the time of his writing (around AD 50–51). 1 Corinthians is one of the earliest New Testament documents, adding weight to its reliability.
James and Paul: Unlikely Converts
Paul also names James, Jesus’s half-brother, as a witness. James had previously rejected Jesus’s messianic claims, even thinking Jesus was out of his mind. Most people don’t believe their older brother is the Son of God—so what could possibly have convinced James otherwise? Only a resurrection would explain such a dramatic shift. Paul himself was originally a hostile opponent of Christianity, known for violently persecuting the early church. His sudden reversal, triggered by a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, led to his transformation into one of Christianity’s most important leaders. These conversions are powerful evidence of the resurrection’s truth.
The Role of Eyewitnesses in Knowledge and History
Much of our knowledge—both present-day and historical—depends on eyewitness testimony. Most of what we accept as true (like news events or sports scores) comes through the reports of others. The same is true for history: if we dismissed eyewitness accounts, we’d have to reject most of what we know about figures like Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy. In legal courts, the corroborated testimony of even two or three eyewitnesses is enough to send someone to prison for life. The Gospels and early Christian writings offer far more than that regarding Jesus’s resurrection.
Alternative Explanations: The Disciples Stole the Body
Are there alternative explanations for the empty tomb? The most plausible-sounding is that the disciples stole Jesus’s body. This theory imagines the disciples trying to salvage their failed messianic hopes by fabricating a resurrection story. This is unlikely, the disciples had no clear motive. After Jesus’s death, they were rejected, poor, persecuted, and most of them were eventually executed. John was the only disciple who wasn’t martyred—and even he was exiled. Why would they willingly suffer and die for something they knew was a lie? Unlike deluded people who die for false beliefs they think are true, no one would die for a belief they know to be false.
[Friend example]. Even eccentric or delusional people won’t die for something they knowingly invented. The disciples’ willingness to face persecution and death makes no sense if they had simply made up the resurrection story.
Unlike modern charlatans who might invent religions to gain a following, the first-century Jewish world was deeply devout and theologically conservative. To claim that a man had risen from the dead and was the Son of God was tantamount to blasphemy. If the resurrection were false, the disciples were not only risking social shame and execution—they were endangering their souls. Paul himself acknowledges this in 1 Corinthians 15:14–15, writing that if Christ has not been raised, then they are “false witnesses about God.” That would have been a terrifying prospect in such a society.
The Swoon Theory and Historical Evidence
We reject the theory that the disciples stole Jesus’s body. The second major alternative is the "swoon theory." This proposes that Jesus never actually died, but merely passed out from exhaustion and injuries, later reviving in the tomb. However, this idea is implausible given what we know of Roman execution practices. Victims of crucifixion were often scourged with a flagrum beforehand, a brutal form of torture that alone could be fatal. The Romans were known for their efficiency in execution, and no historical record exists of anyone surviving crucifixion. Even skeptical scholars like Bart Ehrman affirm that Jesus’s death by Roman crucifixion is one of the most certain historical facts available.
This certainty is reinforced by non-Christian sources like Tacitus, a Roman historian, who documented that Jesus—whom he called Christus—was crucified under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius’s reign. These facts match the Gospel accounts precisely. Neither the theft theory nor the swoon theory has credible historical or forensic backing, nor do they explain the disciples' radical transformation and willingness to die for their claims.
The Conviction of the Early Church
What is clear, historically, is that Jesus’s earliest followers truly believed they had seen him raised from the dead. Their conviction launched a movement that spread rapidly, starting with 120 people and growing to thousands. This is not easily explained unless something real and powerful occurred. The scholar C.F.D. Moule is quoted as saying that the origin of Christianity creates a “hole” in history that only the resurrection adequately fills. To deny the resurrection, Moule argues, is to leave a massive historical enigma unresolved.
Thomas the Doubter Becomes a Believer
In the famous account of Thomas, he is often remembered as the doubter. He wasn’t present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples, and despite their persistent claims, he refused to believe without direct evidence—wanting to see and touch Jesus’s wounds himself. A week later, Jesus appears again and specifically invites Thomas to inspect his wounds. His response, “My Lord and my God,” stands as one of the most powerful affirmations of Jesus’s divinity in the New Testament. Jesus gently rebukes Thomas, saying, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This blessing extends to all later believers, including modern readers, who believe without firsthand sight.
The Stakes of the Resurrection
What does it mean if the resurrection didn’t actually happen? Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15 is clear—if Jesus wasn’t raised, Christian faith is empty and futile. Faith only has value if it’s rooted in something true. Believing passionately in a lie is not commendable; it's delusional. If Jesus remained dead, then Christians are to be pitied more than anyone for building their lives on a falsehood.
Furthermore, the resurrection is the basis of Christian hope for life after death. Without it, there is no assurance of future resurrection or eternal life. In the Eastern view of reincarnation, post-death identity and relationships are erased. In contrast, Christianity teaches continuity between this life and the next—eternal life with loved ones who also trust in Christ. Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven illustrates this hope: a little girl facing death is comforted by her mother’s explanation that her family will follow her through "death’s door," one by one, to be reunited in heaven.
But without the resurrection, even this hopeful story becomes cruel—an empty fantasy offered to a dying child. Only if Jesus truly rose does the story become one of real comfort and assurance.
The final verses of John 20 clarify the purpose of the Gospel: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The heart of the Christian message is not condemnation, but grace. God offers forgiveness and eternal life to anyone who will believe.
For those who haven’t yet made a decision, you should consider it seriously. Delaying the decision is, in effect, a decision. There is compelling historical and biblical evidence to support belief in Jesus’s resurrection and divinity.