We all think about what will happen after death. When a loved one dies, we yearn for him and hope to meet when our turn comes. Will there be a glorious reunion with those we love, or will death end our identity?
Jesus taught that life does not end after physical death. He made an amazing statement: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live again even after death. According to the closest eyewitnesses, Jesus Christ showed his power over death by resurrecting 3 days after his crucifixion and burial. It is this belief in the resurrection that has given hope to Christians for nearly 2,000 years.
But some do not hope for life after death. The atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote - "I believe that after death my body will rot, and nothing will remain of my 'I'." Obviously, Russell did not believe the words of Jesus Christ.
Christ's disciples wrote that he appeared to them alive after being crucified and buried. They claim that they not only saw him, but also shared a meal with him, touched him and spent 40 days with him.
Could it be just a story that has grown into fiction over time, or is it based on credible evidence? The strength of the foundations of Christianity depends on the answer to this question. If Jesus Christ was really resurrected, this confirms everything that he said about himself, about the meaning of life and about what is destined for us after death.
If Jesus Christ is really resurrected, then only he can know the answer to questions about the purpose of life and about what awaits us after death. On the other hand, if the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is invented, then Christianity is built on a lie. Theologian R. S. Sproul observes:
“The statement about the resurrection of Christ is vital to Christianity. If Jesus Christ was resurrected by God, then He has such authority and such “credentials” that no other religious leader has. Buddha is dead. Muhammad is dead. Moses is dead. Confucius is dead. But, according to … Christianity, Christ lives."
Many skeptics have tried to refute the resurrection. Josh McDowell was one such skeptic. He spent over 700 hours researching evidence of the resurrection. McDowell stated the following about the importance of the resurrection:
Promotional video:
"I came to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most malicious, harmful and heartless deceptions imposed on mankind, OR the most fantastic fact in its entire history."
So, what is the resurrection of Jesus Christ - a fantastic fact or a harmful myth? To find out, we need to look at the historical evidence and draw our own conclusions. Let's see what they found and what the skeptics came to when they investigated the resurrection issue.
Cynics and skeptics
But not everyone is ready to consider the evidence impartially. Bertrand Russell admits that he "does not take into account" historical facts in his opinion of Jesus Christ. Historian Joseph Campbell, without arguing, calmly declares to the PBS audience that Christ's resurrection is not a real event. Other scholars, such as John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar group, agree. And none of these skeptics provide any evidence to support their point of view.
Real skeptics, unlike cynics, are interested in providing evidence. A Skeptic magazine editorial, entitled "Who is a Skeptic?", Defines: "Skepticism is … the application of reasonable arguments to all questions without exception - including the 'sacred cows'. In other words … skeptics do not begin to study the issue, rejecting in advance the possibility that the studied phenomenon may be a real event or that the statement is true. When we say that we are 'skeptical', we mean that we need convincing evidence in order to believe."
Unlike Russell and Crossan, many real skeptics have studied the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this article, we will give the floor to a few of them and see how they analyzed the evidence for perhaps the most important question in human history: Did Christ really rise from the dead?
Prophecy about yourself
Before his death, Jesus told his disciples that he would be betrayed, arrested and crucified, and that he would rise again three days after death. A strange plan! What was behind this plan? Christ was not about to entertain on demand; on the contrary, he promised that by his death and resurrection he would prove to people (if their minds and hearts are open) that he really was the Messiah.
Bible student Wilbur Smith makes this observation about Jesus Christ:
“When he said that He himself would rise from the dead, on the third day after His crucifixion, He said such things that only a fool could dare to say, hoping that one of the disciples would still continue to follow Him, or - He who was confident that He will rise again. Not one of the founders of any religion in the world known to mankind dared to say something like that."
In other words, since Christ unambiguously declared to his disciples that he would be resurrected, failure to keep this promise would immediately reveal his deception. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. How did Jesus die before he was resurrected (if he was resurrected)?
A terrible death, and then …?
You know what the last hours of the earthly life of Jesus Christ were like if you watched a film directed by Mel Gibson. If you missed some of The Passion of the Christ because you closed your eyes (it would be easier to shoot this film with a red filter on your camera), you can look at the last pages of any Gospel to find out what happened.
As predicted by Christ, he was betrayed by one of his disciples - Judas Iscariot - and arrested. The staged court of the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate convicted him of treason and sentenced him to crucifixion on a wooden cross. Before the crucifixion, Jesus was severely beaten with a nine-tailed whip, into which were woven pieces of bone and metal, which tore flesh when struck. They beat him with fists, kicks and spat on him.
Then the Roman executioners nailed Jesus' hands and feet to the cross with heavy iron nails. And finally, they put a cross between the other two crosses on which the criminals were crucified.
Jesus hung there for about six hours. Then at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, that is, exactly at the same time when the lamb was sacrificed for sins on the Jewish holiday of Passover (a little symbolic, isn't it?) Jesus said "It is finished" (in Aramaic) and died. Suddenly the sky darkened and there was an earthquake.
Pilate demanded confirmation that Jesus was indeed dead before allowing his crucified body to be buried. Therefore, a Roman soldier pierced Jesus' ribs with a spear. Blood and water flowed out of the wound, confirming that Jesus was dead. The body of Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Then the Roman soldiers closed the tomb and guarded it around the clock.
Meanwhile, Christ's disciples were shocked. Professor J. P. Morland explains how overwhelmed and confused they were by the death of Christ on the cross. “They were no longer sure that Jesus was sent by God. They were also taught that God would not allow the martyrdom of his Messiah. And they parted in different directions. The movement of the teaching of Christ has almost ceased."
All hope was lost. Rome and the Jewish high priests seemed to have the upper hand.
Did Christ Really Rise from the Dead?
Something happened
But that was not the end. The movement of the teachings of Christ did not stop (now it is obvious), and in fact today Christianity is the most popular religion in the world. Therefore, we must find out what happened after the removal of the body of Jesus from the cross and burial in the tomb.
In his article in the New York Times, Peter Steinfels cites the amazing events that took place three days after the death of Christ: “Soon after the execution of Jesus Christ, his perplexed and frightened disciples suddenly rallied into a group of faithful followers, preaching at the risk of their lives his word and life and the future kingdom, which ultimately changed the Roman Empire itself. Something happened. … But what exactly? We must answer this question by examining the available facts.
As described in the New Testament, there are only five plausible explanations for Jesus Christ being resurrected:
1. Jesus Christ did not really die on the cross.
2. "Resurrection" was a conspiracy.
3. The disciples of Christ had hallucinations.
4. The story of the resurrection is a legend.
5. The resurrection did happen.
Let's take a closer look at each of these options to find out which one best fits the facts.
Was Jesus Christ Dead?
"Marley was deader than dead, there was no doubt about that." Thus begins Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, whose author did not want to leave the slightest doubt about the supernatural nature of what was about to happen. Likewise, before taking on the role of criminal investigator and collecting evidence of the resurrection, we must first confirm the presence of a corpse. After all, in the end, there are times when the newspapers report that a certain "corpse" in the morgue has stirred and turned out to be a living person. Could this have happened to Jesus Christ?
Some have suggested that Christ survived the crucifixion, and the cool, humid air of the tomb helped revive him - "Wow, how long did I sleep?" But this theory contradicts medical indications. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association explains why the so-called “loss of consciousness” theory fails: “Historical and medical evidence clearly supports the death of Christ. … The spear that pierced His ribs probably pierced not only the right lung, but also the pericardium and heart, and thus guaranteed His death. " But skepticism about such a conclusion can be justified, since no one has undertaken this case for 2000 years. At the very least, we need the opinion of one more expert.
Such confirmation of his death can be found in non-Christian historians who lived at the same time as Jesus Christ. Three historians have mentioned the death of Christ.
- Lucian (c. 120 - after 180 AD mentioned Jesus Christ as a crucified sophist (philosopher).
- Josephus Flavius (c. 37– c. 100) wrote: “At this time Jesus appeared, he was wise and did amazing things. When Pilate sentenced him to crucifixion after being accused by our high priests, those who loved him continued to love him."
- Tacitus (c. 56 - c. 120) wrote: "Christ, from whose name this name is derived, was cruelly executed … our procurator Pontius Pilate."
It's a bit like going to the historical archives and finding that on a spring afternoon in the first century, The Jerusalem Post published a front page article that Jesus was crucified and died. Quite good and pretty convincing investigation.
In reality, neither Christians, Romans, nor Jews have any historical records that would dispute the death of Christ or his burial. Even Crossan, skeptical about the resurrection, agrees that Christ did live and died. "The fact that he was crucified is as historical a fact as other facts." In light of this evidence, we have good reasons to reject the first of our five options. Jesus was clearly dead, "there was no doubt about it."
The question of an empty tomb
No serious historian doubts that Jesus Christ was dead when he was taken down from the cross. However, many doubt the disappearance of the body of Christ from the tomb. English journalist Frank Morison at first thought the resurrection was a myth or a hoax and began research to write a book - a rebuttal. His book became widely known, but for reasons different from the original intention of the author, and we will see why.
Morison began by trying to resolve the issue of the empty tomb. The tomb belonged to a member of the Sanhedrin (highest religious assembly) Joseph of Arimathea. At that time in ancient Judea, the members of this congregation were very famous. Everyone knew the members of the Sanhedrin. Joseph must have really been a real person. Otherwise, Jewish leaders would have exposed the story as a hoax to disprove the resurrection. In addition, Joseph's tomb was supposed to be a well-known site that was not difficult to find, so any suggestion that Jesus was “lost in the cemetery” should be ruled out.
Morison continued to ponder why opponents of Jesus Christ could have supported the "empty tomb myth" if it was not true. After all, the discovery of the body of Christ would immediately destroy the entire conspiracy.
Historical accounts of Christ's opponents indicate that they accused Christ's disciples of stealing the body of Christ - an accusation clearly based on the generally accepted belief that the tomb was empty.
Paul L. Meyer, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, also states: “If all the evidence is carefully and impartially considered, it is indeed justified … to conclude that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was indeed empty on the morning of the first Passover. And so far there is not the slightest evidence … that would refute this statement."
The Jewish leaders were amazed and accused Christ's disciples of stealing his body. But the tomb was guarded around the clock by Roman soldiers from among the experienced guards (from 4 to 12 soldiers). Morison asks, "How could such professionals allow Christ to be vandalized?" Slipping through the guards and pushing the two-ton stone would have been nearly impossible. And yet, the stone was moved away, and the body of Christ was not.
If the body of Jesus Christ were found anywhere else, his opponents would quickly expose the resurrection as a deception. Tom Anderson, former president of the California Bar Association, summarizes the strength of this argument:
“Considering that this event received such publicity, it would be reasonable to assume that there will be at least one historian, one eyewitness or one opponent who would testify for all time that he saw the body of Christ. … History is deafeningly silent regarding the evidence against the resurrection."
Therefore, having no evidence of the abduction of the body, with an apparently empty tomb, Morison accepted the proof of the disappearance of the body of Christ from the tomb as convincing.
Robbing a grave?
Continuing his investigation, Morison began to study the motives behind the actions of Christ's disciples. Perhaps the so-called resurrection was the result of the abduction of the body. But if this is so, how can we explain all the described appearances of Jesus after the resurrection? Historian Paul Johnson wrote in his History of the Jews: "It is not the circumstances of his death that are important, but the fact that many stubbornly believed in his resurrection, and the circle of such believers grew more and more."
The tomb was really empty. But Christ's disciples must have been united not simply by the absence of a body (as they could have believed if they themselves had stolen it). In order for Christ's disciples to stop grieving, stop hiding and begin to fearlessly preach that they saw the living Christ, something extraordinary had to happen.
All eyewitnesses describe the appearance of Jesus Christ to their disciples in the flesh, primarily to women. Morison wondered why the conspirators needed to make women the centerpiece of their conspiracy. In the first century, women had practically no rights and no social status. If the conspirators were counting on the success of their conspiracy, Morison argued, then they should have made men the key persons who first saw the living Christ. And yet, the scriptures say that it was the women who first touched him, spoke to him and were the first to discover that the tomb was empty.
Later, according to eyewitnesses, all of Christ's disciples saw him under different circumstances more than ten times. They wrote that he showed them his hands and feet and asked them to touch them. In addition, he apparently dined with them and then once appeared alive in front of a group of over 500 followers.
The researcher, law professor John Warwick Montgomery said: “In 56 [the apostle Paul wrote that more than 500 people saw the risen Christ, and that many of them were still alive (1 Corinthians 15: 6). It would be absolutely incredible if the early Christians invented such a legend and then preached it among those who could easily refute it by presenting the body of Jesus Christ."
Bible scholars Geisler and Turek agree with him. “If there was no Resurrection, why did the apostle Paul need to present such a list of people who were supposedly eyewitnesses? He would immediately lose all respect from the Corinthians after such an outright lie."
The apostle Peter explained to the congregation at Caesarea why he and the other disciples were so confident that Christ was alive.
And we are witnesses of all that He did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifixion, but God resurrected him after three days…. We ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead. (Acts 10: 39-41)
British Bible scholar Michael Green observes: “The appearances of Jesus Christ are as well documented as other events of antiquity. … There can be no reasonable doubt that they did not exist”.
Consistent until the end
If eyewitness reports were not enough to allay Morison's skepticism, then the behavior of Christ's disciples completely confused him. The historical fact that 11 former cowards were now suddenly ready to endure humiliation, torture and death, equally puzzled historians, psychologists, and skeptics. All but one of Jesus Christ's disciples were martyred. How could they go to torment for a lie, if they knew that they themselves had stolen his body?
The 9/11 Islamic terrorists proved there were people willing to die for the lies they believed in. And yet, to be ready to suffer for a well-known lie is crazy. As Paul Little wrote, “People will die for what they believe to be true, although it may turn out to be a lie. But they will not go to death for the lies they know. The behavior of Christ's disciples was consistent with the true belief that their teacher was alive.
No one has been able to give a proper explanation as to why the disciples would be willing to die for a known lie. But even if they all conspired to lie about the resurrection of Christ, how could they keep this secret for decades, and not one of them sold it for money or for a profitable position? Morland wrote on this score: "Those who lie for personal gain will not last long together, especially if need diminishes the benefits of such a lie."
Chuck Colson, a former "henchman" in the Nixon administration caught in the Watergate scandal, has drawn attention to how difficult it is for multiple people to maintain the same lie over time.
“I know that the resurrection of Christ is a fact that Watergate has proved to me. Proved with what? The fact that 12 people testified that they had seen Christ resurrected and then for 40 years, without ever denying, preached that this was true. All of them were beaten, tortured, stoned and thrown into prisons. They couldn't stand it if it wasn't true. There were 12 of the world's most influential people involved in Watergate, who did not last three weeks in their lies. And are you telling me that the 12 apostles continued to lie for 40 years? It's absolutely impossible."
Something happened that radically changed everything in the lives of these men and women. Morison confirms: “Anyone dealing with this issue sooner or later comes across a fact that cannot be explained otherwise. … This fact consists in the fact that… a small group of persons was imbued with a deep conviction - it is this change in the consciousness of people that confirms the fact that Jesus Christ was resurrected.
Did the students have hallucinations?
Some people still think that they saw the fat gray-haired Elvis Presley popped into the Dunkin Donuts cafe. Others believe they spent the previous night on an alien spaceship, where they were subjected to indescribable experiences. Sometimes some are able to “see” what they want, what is not really there. And so, some argue that the disciples went mad after the crucifixion, and their desire to see Christ alive caused a massive hallucination. Sounds like the truth?
Psychologist Gary Collins, former president of the American Association of Christian Psychologists, was asked if hallucinations were responsible for the dramatic change in student behavior. Collins replied that “hallucinations are an individual phenomenon. By its nature, each hallucination is inherent in only one specific person. Group hallucinations simply cannot exist."
As psychologist Thomas J. Thorburn says, there is no hallucination here. "It is absolutely incomprehensible that … five hundred people, in their right mind … experienced all kinds of influences on the senses - organs of sight, hearing and touch - and that all these … influences would be entirely the result of … hallucinations."
Moreover, the psychology of hallucinations implies that the hallucinator must be in a special psychological state when the brain creates the images that the hallucinating person wants to see. The two main leaders of the early church, the apostles James and Paul, met the resurrected Jesus, each of whom did not expect anything good from such a meeting. The apostle Paul actually led the early persecution of Christians, and his conversion to Christianity remains inexplicable, save for his own testimony that Jesus appeared to him resurrected.
From lie to legend
Some unconvinced skeptics attribute the resurrection story to a legend started by one or more people who lied or thought they saw the risen Christ. Over time, the legend grew and was embellished. According to this theory, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is on the same level as the Knights of the Round Table at the court of King Arthur, or George Washington's inability to lie as a child, or the promise that the social security program will pay when we need it.
But this theory has three big problems.
1. Legends rarely develop when there are many living eyewitnesses who are ready to refute them. N. Sherwin-White, a historian of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, noted that news of the resurrection spread too quickly, which is not the case with legends.
2. Legends are developed as a result of oral tradition, not transmitted through modern historical documents that can be verified. In addition, the Gospels were written within three decades of the resurrection.
3. The theory of legend cannot adequately explain either the fact of the empty tomb, or the historically confirmed belief of the apostles that Jesus Christ was alive.
Why did Christianity win?
Morison was puzzled by the fact that "such a tiny, insignificant movement could prevail over the grasping cunning of the Jewish high priests and over the power of Rome." Why did it win in the face of so many insurmountable obstacles?
He wrote: “For twenty years, the assertions of these peasants from Galilee undermined the foundations of the Jewish Church. … Less than fifty years later, these claims began to threaten the existence of the Roman Empire. After all that could be said has been said … we are faced with the greatest of mysteries. Why did they win?"
By all the rules, Christianity should have died at the cross at the moment when Christ's disciples rushed to save themselves. But the apostles nevertheless proved to be faithful to the doctrine and founded the growing movement of Christianity.
JND Anderson wrote: “Imagine the psychological absurdity of such a picture, when a group of beaten cowards huddled in fear into the farthest room, and after only a few days turns into a close-knit movement that is not afraid of any persecution, but then such a dramatic change try to explain only with a pitiful forgery. … It just loses all meaning."
Many researchers believe (from the words of an ancient commentator) that "the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church." Historian Will Durant observed that "Caesar and Christ met in the arena and Christ won."
Unexpected conclusion
After eliminating myth, hallucinations, and failed autopsies, with overwhelming evidence of an empty tomb, with a significant number of eyewitnesses to his appearance after death and the inexplicable transformation of those who saw him and their impact on the world, Morison became convinced that he was wrong in his bias about the resurrection. Jesus Christ. He began writing another book called Who Moved the Stone? (Who Moved the Stone?) To describe your new findings. Morison simply followed the line of evidence, thread by thread, until the whole truth came before him. It was a surprise to him that the evidence led to faith in the resurrection.
In the first chapter, entitled “The Book That Didn't Want to Be Written,” this former skeptic explained how the evidence convinced him that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a real historical event. "It was like a man walking through the woods on a familiar and well-trodden path, which unexpectedly took him to where he had not expected."
Morison is not alone in his findings. Many other skeptics, after studying the evidence of Christ's resurrection, accepted the resurrection as the most amazing fact in the history of mankind. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ raises the following question: What does the fact that Jesus conquered death have to do with life? The answer to this question is in New Testament Christianity.
Did Christ speak about what will happen after death?
If Christ really rose from the dead, then only he should know what awaits us after death. What did Christ say about the meaning of life and our future? Are there many paths to God, or did Christ claim to be the only path? Read the startling answers in the article "Why Jesus Christ?"