Four Questions to Ask About the Resurrection

The single most important event in Christian history is the Resurrection of Jesus. It is so important, in fact, that in 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul claims that if the resurrection never happened, the hope of Christianity falls apart and there is no atonement for sin. It is so essential to the Christian faith that without a risen Jesus, our preaching is “in vain” (vs. 14) and we should be “pitied” (vs. 19). Because of its significance, how we teach the resurrection is an important task. If we get the resurrection wrong, we get Christianity wrong.

As Easter approaches, many churches will be focusing on teaching through the events of Jesus’ life, ending with His resurrection on Easter Sunday. The tendency is to follow a similar format each time this subject is covered: focusing on the implications of the event while neglecting to cover its historical grounding.

This is a problem that we should be careful to avoid. The resurrection of Jesus is not merely symbolic. Nor is it only a spiritual life He is offering. It is a physical, historically verifiable event! The resurrection is hope for Christians not just because it promises life after death; it promises victory over the grave. If we fail to make this historical connection, we run the risk of presenting the most important event in history as a distant fairy tale: something we might be able to learn from, but one that does not connect with the real world.

Here are four important questions we can ask surrounding the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once that has been accomplished, we can present the significance of it for our students! By grounding the truth of Jesus’s work in real time, we can remind ourselves and our students of the truth that our hope is built upon.

Question 1: Did Jesus Live?

If Jesus never truly existed, then the resurrection never happened. Although most scholars accept that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical person (even if they differ on his significance), what evidence do we have to pull from other than the gospels?

There are two main sources who confirm the existence of Jesus: Josephus, a Jewish historian, and Tacitus, who was Roman. They wrote about the death of Jesus and supposed resurrection of Jesus as the central message of his disciples. Josephus documents the martyrdom of James, whom he identifies as “the brother of Jesus.” We know James to be Jesus’s half-brother, who became influential in the early church. Tacitus, when writing on Nero’s persecution of Christians, identified the origin of their name from their leader, called “Christ”, who lived during the reign of Tiberius (Luke 3:1) and was executed under Pilate (Matthew 27).

Why are these significant? Because they are two independent, non-Christian sources who lived close to the events and corroborate important historical claims about Jesus’s name, death, and family.

Question 2: Did Jesus Die?

If Jesus didn’t die on the cross, then the resurrection is no longer a miracle. For a legitimate physical resurrection, you need a confirmed physical death. But does the Bible provide the details necessary to make this kind of claim?

The Romans were experts at inflicting pain without killing their victims. We see this play out in the gospels, where Jesus is whipped (John 19:1), impaled by a crown of thorns (Mark 15:17), forced to carry his cross (John 19:17), and nailed to the cross through his hands and feet (Matthew 27:35) all before He dies. These would have caused massive blood loss, causing His heart to fail. In fact, the typical death occurred from asphyxiation due to being unable to breathe while hanging on the cross. To speed this process up, they would break the criminal’s legs. This explains why He was too weak to carry His cross (Matthew 27:32), as well as the pleural effusion that occurred when they stabbed Him in the side (John 19:34).

Because the Romans were experts at killing and had already inflicted substantial damage, they didn’t bother breaking His legs since it was unnecessary. They knew He was dead. Their credibility as executioners gives us good reason to believe his death really occurred.

Question 3: Was the Tomb Empty?

If Jesus’ body was still in the tomb, then the physical resurrection could be discredited. Jesus’ tomb was given to the disciples by Joseph of Arimathea. The simplest solution for critics would have been to find Jesus’ body and present it publicly. Yet we don’t see this. In fact, we see the Roman guards bribed to claim that the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:13)! They wouldn’t need to lie if the tomb was not empty.

In addition to this, the disciples saw the tomb was empty. They not only spread the word, but suffered and died because they were so convinced. Some have argued that maybe it was an elaborate lie, but the problem is that the disciples never recanted. Many will die for something they believe to be true, but not for something they know to be a lie. The disciples’ unwavering commitment points against a hoax and to an empty tomb.

Question 4: Did Anyone See Him After?

Post-resurrection appearances are the final piece of credibility to this historical puzzle. If no one saw Jesus post-resurrection, it would be very hard to believe He came back to life and remained hidden.

In 1 Corinthians 15:6-8, Paul explains that Jesus appeared to Peter, the disciples, a group of 500 believers at once, James (Jesus’ own half-brother), and then to Paul himself at his conversion. Why is this list helpful? Because of its diversity: you have the one who denied Jesus, his closest followers, a large crowd (which means it would have to be an elaborate lie or a massive hallucination), and two unbelievers (James and Paul, who were both transformed by what they saw). Paul even clarifies that some of the people in that crowd of 500 are still alive when he wrote his letter - essentially inviting them to go talk with the witnesses directly.

The resurrection wasn’t some cleverly developed story. It actually happened, and there were many witnesses.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach

Evidence does not replace the beauty of story, but it can help to ground it in reality. Through incorporating the historical, textual, and physical evidence that surrounds the resurrection, we can avoid the danger of allowing the foundation of our faith to become stale or distant. We must balance the truth and the beauty of the gospel story, and as Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 15, it hinges on this singular moment in time. Let us present it as just that: the Word who became flesh until the end.

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