Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Experts and historians, regardless of their beliefs, mostly agree that Jesus was a real person who lived in history. However, they do not all agree on what happened after he died.

The Bible tells of religious leaders asking Jesus for a special sign. Jesus replied that they would not get any other sign except the 'sign of Jonah.' He explained it would be like how Jonah was inside a big fish for three days before the fish spit him out onto land. (Matthew 12, Luke 11) Similarly, Jesus would be dead in a tomb for three days. The religious leaders later remembered what Jesus said, which is why they had Roman soldiers guard the tomb.

Why does it matter?

The real reason for Jesus’ crucifixion was His claim to be God (Matthew 26:63-66, Mark 14:61-64, John 19:7). Because of this, the religious authorities condemned Him to death. However, God vindicated Jesus by raising Him from the dead, proving that His claims about His death, resurrection, and identity as the Son of God were true. If Jesus is indeed the Son of God, then every word He spoke must be taken with utmost seriousness. Let's look at some evidence for the resurrection.

1. The Empty Tomb

Three days after Jesus' crucifixion, his tomb was found empty. If Jesus' body had still been there, his enemies could have easily proven that he had not risen.

If the disciples had stolen the body, it would be hard to explain their change in behavior. They went from being scared and unsure after Jesus' death to bravely telling everyone that he had risen. This change only makes sense if they truly believed Jesus had come back to life.

2. Embarrassing events
There were several embarrassing events related to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Here are a few:

The disciples fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked for their support.-
One of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrayed him with a kiss.
When Jesus was arrested, the disciples got scared, fled, and went into hiding, except for John, who took care of Mary, Jesus’ mother.
Peter denied Jesus three times, even though he promised to be faithful until the end.
Three women named Mary were the first to witness the resurrection. In that time and culture, women were not considered trustworthy witnesses in legal matters, and one of these women had previously been possessed by demons.

These unexpected details make the story seem more real because such embarrassing and humiliating things would not likely be included if the story were invented.

3. The Appearances after the Resurrection

In the New Testament, there are many accounts of Jesus appearing to different people in various places after he died. He appeared to his disciples, to women, and even to more than 500 people at one time, offering proof that he had risen from the dead.

These different stories show Jesus meeting with individuals, groups, and even skeptics like Thomas. This gives a lot of different eyewitness accounts that support his resurrection. In some meetings, Jesus ate food with people and let Thomas touch his wounds, showing that his resurrected body was real and not just a ghost.

4. Transformation of the Disciples

Jesus' disciples showed a sudden and big change in their behavior and beliefs. They went from being afraid and hiding to bravely telling everyone about his resurrection. This change is seen as proof that they truly believed what they experienced.

The disciples said they saw and talked to Jesus after he had risen from the dead. Seeing these events firsthand changed their beliefs and actions. They became dedicated to sharing the message of Jesus' resurrection. Their strong belief and spreading the message of Jesus' resurrection helped the Christian faith grow quickly.

5. Martyrdom of the Disciples

The martyrdom of the disciples is undoubtedly a strong argument for the resurrection. The disciples' belief and message didn't make them rich, powerful, or famous. Instead, they were ready to endure tough times, pain, and even death because of what they believed.

The disciples' deaths are mentioned in the Bible, other historical records, and early Christian writings. The disciples died as martyrs in the following ways and places:

Peter was crucified upside down in Rome.
Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross in Greece.
James was killed by the sword in Jerusalem. (Acts 12:2)
Philip was killed in Turkey.
Thomas was speared to death in India.
Matthew was killed in Ethiopia.
Bartholomew was skinned alive and then beheaded in Armenia.
James, son of Alphaeus, was killed in Egypt or Jerusalem.
Judas Thaddaeus was cut in half with a saw in Persia.
Simon was crucified in Lebanon.

Judas Iscariot died by suicide. He hanged himself (Matthew 27:5), and then he fell down and his body broke open with his intestines spilling out (Acts 1:18). He was replaced by Matthias, who was either stoned in Georgia or Jerusalem.

John is the only disciple who died a natural death from old age. Paul the apostle, who wrote most of the letters in the New Testament, was beheaded in Rome.

For more information: https://overviewbible.com/how-did-the-apostles-die/

6. An early Christian Creed

The earliest Christian creed is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 and comes about 20 years after the time of Jesus' resurrection. It clearly mentions his appearances to both individuals and groups, showing that belief in his resurrection started early.

The creed sums up the important Christian beliefs about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. It highlights how central Jesus' resurrection is to the Christian faith.

7. The Day of Worship Became Sunday

The disciples of Jesus were Jewish and all Jews rest on the Sabbath, which is Saturday. But after Jesus' resurrection on the day after the Sabbath, the Jewish followers of Jesus started to worship on Sundays.

The first Christians met for worship and the breaking of bread on the first day of the week, to remember Jesus' resurrection (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). “On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7a) shows that Christians gathered on Sundays.

As Christianity spread to non-Jewish groups, people stopped keeping the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday. Instead, they worshipped on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. In 321, the Roman emperor Constantine made Sunday the official day of worship by introducing the first law about it.

8. Consistency in the Gospels

There is agreement in the stories of the resurrection told by different Gospel writers. Even though some eyewitness details are different, which actually should make the testimonies more believable, the main message of an empty tomb and Jesus appearing after his resurrection stays the same.

9. Biblical and non-Biblical Sources

There are historical accounts both from different writers in the Bible and other historical sources, written within decades of the events they talk about. Two main non-Biblical sources mention Jesus' resurrection: Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, and Tacitus, a Roman historian. Neither of them were followers of Jesus.

Flavius Josephus, in his work "Antiquities of the Jews" (Book 18, Chapter 3, also called the Testimonium Flavianum), briefly mentions Jesus and his crucifixion and rising on the third day. Tacitus, in his work "Annals," talks about Christians and their founder, Christus (Christ), who suffered under Pontius Pilate during Emperor Tiberius's rule. Tacitus writes about the crucifixion of Jesus and the growth of the Christian Church.