This month is Easter, when we celebrate our risen Lord's conquering of death. Every year at this time, we see television shows and magazine covers that question the resurrection narrative. Is it possible that a man once died and returned to life, never to see death again, they ask. Because we are often presented as silly for believing such biblical narratives, it may be beneficial to investigate the resurrection. There are many theories commonly suggested to refute the resurrection belief. By examining the evidence, we can determine which is more plausible, that the biblical resurrection story is true or that one of the secular claims is. Let's start at the beginning. Does the resurrection occurrence matter either way? In short- Yes, Christ's resurrection matters.
Why Does Christ's Resurrection Matter?
Some ask, "why is the resurrection so important? Does it matter whether Jesus died and rose again?" The answer is simple, of course, it matters! The resurrection is important for two significant reasons. First, the resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith; if the resurrection is true, then Christianity is true. Every other claim Christianity makes could be wrong; if the resurrection is true, Christianity is true. Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 15:13-15, saying that if the resurrection claim is not true, then our faith is in vain, and worse, we are false witnesses.
Second, the resurrection answers three big questions:
1) Does God exist? If the resurrection is true, God exists, and there is life after death.
2) Which religion is true? If true, the resurrection proves that Christianity is the one true religion. Most, if not all, religions make claims about the spirit world, eternal life, what happens when we die, and so on. If the resurrection happened, we can be sure that the claims of Christianity are true and, therefore, that the claims of other religions are not. By the way, this is an essential distinction between Christianity and many other religions; Christianity can be tested for truthfulness. Many other religions cannot be, for example, Buddhism.
3) Is there life after death? At some point in their life, most ponder whether there is more beyond our current life. The resurrection answers this question.
How Do You Decide Whether or not the Resurrection is True?
Over the three-part blog series, We will consider three pieces of evidence:
1) Jesus physically died.
2) Jesus' tomb is empty.
3) Jesus physically appeared on several occasions after He died.
Defining Terms
Before deciding what the evidence suggests, we must know what "resurrection" is. To do that, we must understand what "resurrection" isn't.
What Resurrection IS NOT
1) Resurrection is not the same as the Greek belief in the soul's immortality. The Greeks believed that the body imprisoned the soul, while the Hebrews had a positive view of the body. They thought that the body was a good and necessary part of humanness.
2) Resurrection is not reincarnation. Reincarnation is a belief found most often in Eastern religions, such as Hinduism, and is viewed as a curse to be escaped rather than a blessing. Conversely, the biblical view is that a human being lives once, then dies. Upon death, they are judged by God (Hebrews 9:27). A resurrection is the opposite of reincarnation.
3) Resurrection is not revivification or resuscitation. Revivified people return to life, but they will die again. Think of Lazarus vs. Jesus. Jesus revived Lazarus, but Lazarus eventually died again. Jesus was raised from the dead, never to die again. Other biblical examples of revivification include:
Ø Elijah raised the son of Zarephath’s widow (1 Kings 17:17-24)
Ø Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:35)
Ø A dead man comes back to life when his body touches Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21)
Ø Jesus raises the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:13-15)
Ø Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:25; Mark 5:42; Luke 8:55)
Ø Jesus raises his friend Lazarus (John 11:43-44)
Ø Peter raises Tabitha (Acts 9:36-42)
Ø Paul raises Eutychus (Acts 20:9-12)
Ø Dead saints come out of the graves (Matt. 27:52, 53)
4) Resurrection is different from translation. In Jewish belief, there was a separate category for those who were translated from this life into heaven rather than dying a physical death. Two examples include Enoch and Elijah.
What a Resurrection Is
Resurrection is a rising to life from death, which involves "a complete transformation of the human being in his or her psychosomatic totality (1 Cor. 15:53-55)."
–– Harper’s Bible Dictionary
Historical Criteria
When considering the evidence for the resurrection, it's crucial to understand how historians typically determine whether evidence is likely true. Here are three types of historical criteria we will use to gauge the veracity of the resurrection evidence:
1) The "Criterion of Embarrassment": Actions or sayings that are difficult for the church to explain.
§ Denial of Jesus by Peter
2) The "Criterion of Multiple Attestation": Actions or saying that can be verified in more than one independent source.
§ Feeding the 5,000
3) The "Criterion of Enemy Attestation": This is when a person who is not friendly to the cause/idea/belief affirms the claim.
§ Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons through Satanic power (Matt 12:22-24)
From the biblical account in Luke, we read that Jesus had such anxiety that his sweat was like drops of blood. Luke's description indicates that Jesus likely suffered what’s known as hematridrosis, a condition that occurs in highly emotional states or in those who suffer from bleeding disorders. Hematridrosis weakens the skin. After being tried before the Sanhedrin, Jesus was spit on, mocked, and beaten. After this, Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged. In Roman times, floggings used a whip consisting of many single or braided leather straps interlaced with metal and bone. After the victim’s clothing was removed (except undergarments), they would be tied to a post, exposing their legs, back, and buttocks. Floggings typically resulted in deep bruises and cuts. The cuts would be deeper with each successive strike. Pain and loss of blood would often lead to shock. When considering the lack of food and water, sleep deprivation, and various forms of abuse, Jesus was likely in serious condition after the flogging.
After the flogging, the Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus was beaten more and had a crown of thorns placed on His head. Afterward, Jesus had to carry His cross. Because of the weight, it is unlikely that Jesus bore the whole cross. More likely, He held the crossbar portion, which probably weighed between 75 and 125 pounds. By this point, Jesus was so weak He needed help carrying the crossbar.
Based on archeological evidence, the crucifixion included having 5–7-inch spikes driven through Jesus’ wrists. The spikes likely crushed or severed the sensorimotor median nerves in the wrists. This crushing would've caused intense pain. Likewise, the spike driven through Jesus’ feet would’ve probably damaged the peroneal nerve and extensions of the medial and lateral plantar nerves. Continued blood loss throughout the crucifixion would’ve increased the effects of shock.
Crucifixion impacted the victim’s ability to breathe. Suffocation was often the exact cause of death for those crucified. The Romans would often break the Victims' legs to hasten their death. However, we know this wasn't done in Jesus's case. Instead, He endured significant pain from the beatings and nerve damage while breathing until His body gave out. A spear or sword was used to pierce Jesus’ side. The resultant blood and water from the puncture wound indicated that the stab penetrated Jesus’ heart.
While it isn’t possible to rule on the exact nature of Jesus' death, medical evidence suggests that Jesus died on the cross before His heart was punctured.
Does it Meet Any Criterion?
Jesus’ crucifixion meets the criteria of embarrassment and the criteria of multiple attestations. First, Jesus' death was embarrassing for the early church because His disciples believed that Jesus came to conquer the Romans. They were shocked when Jesus died. Second, Jesus’ crucifixion is attested in all four Gospels, as well as non-biblical sources such as Tacitus' Annuls and Lucian’s The Death of Peregrine.[2]
Hopefully this information provides helpful information in understanding how the physical death of Jesus took place. In part 2, we'll examine the empty tomb and in part three we will look at Jesus’ appearances after He died.
[1] William D. Edwards, Wesley J. Gabel, and Floyd E. Hosmer, “On the Physical Death of Jesus,” Jama 255, no. 11 (March 21, 1986): 1455–1463. The following section is a summarization of this article.
[2] Other extrabiblical references to Jesus’ death include Josephus’ Antiquities, the Talmud, and by Mara Bar-Serapion.
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