How to Examine Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the defining moment that differentiates the Christian faith from other religious traditions. Despite the evidence pointing to Jesus' disciples and followers roaming the earth professing Jesus' resurrection, there is much controversy surrounding the actual events following the crucifixion. For these reasons, examine the facts that support the belief that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Think of the broken Roman seal on the tomb where the body of Jesus was laid to rest. Breaking the Roman seal involved serious consequences, such as upside-down crucifixion if caught.

2. Examine the fact of the empty tomb. The news of the empty tomb at the time was public knowledge. Contemplate the stone outside of the tomb that was removed. Keep in mind that this stone weighed almost 2 tons.

3. Consider that the Roman guards charged with guarding the tomb fled the scene. The consequence for desertion was the death penalty.

4. Ponder the empty clothes left at the grave, which were worn by Jesus when he was buried. It is said that John, one of Jesus' disciples, was the one who found the glass.

5. Examine the many occasions that Jesus was spotted alive after his crucifixion. Some scholars claim that over 500 people were witnesses to Jesus' resurrection.

6. Consult the 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) of the New Testament, all of which give detailed testimonies to the resurrection of Jesus.

7. Discuss these points of evidence with your church priest or minister, who may share the arguments refuting the resurrection story. Examine the most popular arguments put forth refuting Jesus' resurrection by consulting The Gospel Way website (see Resources below). Here, you will find each counterargument with supporting evidence.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many contradictory stories about what happened at Jesus' crucifixion. For example, the Swoon Theory posits that Jesus did not die, but rather, fainted from exhaustion, which would refute his death and subsequent resurrection. According to another theory, Jesus' body was merely stolen from the tomb.

Resources

• Arguments for and against the resurrection of Jesus at The Gospel Way

[shv2]

on 7/23/2009 Why not? The gospel was written by eyewitnesses and people who had personal experiences. Virtually all scholars (99% by some counts, whether liberal or conservative, atheist or Christian) accept that Paul wrote Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians and Philippians. These same scholars agree that Paul was converted around 18 months to three years after the death of Jesus (using A.D. 30 as the date for Christ’s death, Paul’s conversion was AD 31-33). If Paul a rich, highly educated Jew who had powerful positions amongst Jewish council, a Christian heretic could transform and become a Christian, it proves the historical facts in the Bible. The fact that Jesus lived is even written in the Toledoth Jesu, which in an anti-Christian Jewish document.

[smokeAndMirrors]

on 3/16/2008 Not exactly convincing, eh? The only sources of "evidence" for this alleged event are the synoptic gospels. And it is their validity that is in question. There are *no* contemporaneous accounts of Jesus existence (odd seeing as how the Romans documented just about everything that happened). All the gospels were written at least 40 years after Jesus' (alleged) death, and there are strong suspicions that the texts have been interfered with subsequently. Apologists like to cite Alexander the Great in this regard, whose biography was written about 400 years after his death. There is a difference. I don't find it hard to accept that there could have been a Macedonian warlord who ruled much of Eastern Europe - why not? I find it ridiculous in the extreme that a deity whose existence is totally indefensible split himself into three and sent his son down in human form to sacrifice himself to him