Islam Imploding

The Resurrection of Jesus

A Historical Certainty

Introduction

Christianity stands or falls on a single claim: Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead. If that happened, Christianity is vindicated in full. If not, it collapses into myth.

But here’s the twist: the Resurrection is not just a matter of faith. It is a matter of historical evidence. And when subjected to the same investigative tools used in classical history, the Resurrection emerges not only as credible—but as the best explanation of the known facts.

This post walks you through the historical logic, based not on assumption or dogma, but on data accepted by the majority of serious scholars—believers and skeptics alike.

I. The Minimal Facts Approach: A Historian’s Toolkit

To assess any past event, historians look for:

Multiple independent sources
Early testimony
Eyewitness proximity
Enemy attestation
Lack of competing explanations

Scholars like Gary Habermas and Michael Licona have demonstrated that, regardless of worldview, most experts accept a set of “Minimal Facts”—historical data so well-evidenced that they are nearly undisputed. Let’s look at the top five:

II. The Five Minimal Historical Facts

1. Jesus Died by Roman Crucifixion

Sources: All four Gospels, Tacitus (Annals 15.44), Josephus (Antiquities 18.3), Lucian, Mara bar Serapion, Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a), Creeds in Paul’s letters.

Roman crucifixion was brutal and public.
Jesus’ death is one of the most certain facts in ancient history.

Atheist historian Gerd Lüdemann:

“Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.”

2. The Disciples Believed They Saw the Risen Jesus

Multiple early, independent sources testify to post-death appearances.
Eyewitnesses claimed physical interaction: touching Jesus, eating with Him.
These were not hallucinations, as they occurred in group settings and to skeptics (James, Paul).

Bart Ehrman (agnostic):

“We can say with complete certainty that some of Jesus’ followers came to believe that he had been raised from the dead.”

3. The Tomb Was Found Empty

Reported in multiple early sources: Mark, Matthew, Luke, John.
Women are cited as the first witnesses—a detail no one would invent in a patriarchal culture.
Jewish and Roman opponents never produced the body, even though that would have destroyed Christianity instantly.

Scholar William Lane Craig:

“The empty tomb is a historical fact well supported by the evidence.”

4. The Skeptic James Was Converted

James, Jesus’ brother, was a skeptic (John 7:5).
After seeing the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7), he became a leader of the Jerusalem church and died a martyr’s death (Josephus, Hegesippus).

You don’t die for what you know is a lie—especially if you were once skeptical.

5. Paul, an Enemy of Christianity, Was Converted

Saul of Tarsus was a violent persecutor of Christians.
He claimed Jesus appeared to him after His death.
Paul’s transformation led to his missionary journeys, theological writings, and eventual martyrdom.

NT Wright:

“The best explanation for Paul’s sudden shift is that he actually saw Jesus alive again.”

III. Can Natural Explanations Account for This?

Let’s test the alternatives skeptics have proposed.

❌ Hallucination Theory

Hallucinations are individual, not group phenomena.
Hallucinations do not explain an empty tomb.
James and Paul were not emotionally primed to see Jesus—they were skeptics and enemies.

❌ Legend Theory

The creeds in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7 date to within 5 years of the crucifixion.
That’s not enough time for legend to develop—especially among eyewitnesses.

❌ Stolen Body Theory

Who would steal the body?
- Disciples? Then die for a known hoax?
- Enemies? Then why not produce the body to stop the movement?

❌ Swoon Theory

Jesus didn’t “revive.” He was executed by professionals.
A half-dead man would never convince followers He was the glorified Lord of life.

IV. The Best Explanation: He Actually Rose

Applying the standard criteria of historical analysis:

Explanatory scope: Resurrection explains all five facts.
Explanatory power: It accounts for the radical, enduring transformation of Jesus’ followers.
Plausibility: If God exists, raising Jesus is not only plausible—it’s theologically consistent.

Occam’s Razor favors the Resurrection over multiple strained theories with independent assumptions.

V. The Stakes: Why It Matters

If Jesus rose from the dead, then:

His claims to be the Son of God are verified.
His authority to forgive sin, judge the world, and offer eternal life is validated.
The central message of Christianity — death is defeated — is historical reality.

And if this is true, every human being must respond.

Acts 17:31
“[God] has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Conclusion: A Faith Built on Fact

The Resurrection of Jesus is not a legend. Not wishful thinking.
It is the best-supported event in ancient history when judged by the standards of professional historical investigation.

This is not just good news.
It’s true news.
And truth demands response.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:25)