The truthfulness and validity of Christianity rests upon one historical event: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What evidence is there that Jesus rose from the dead? While there is a wealth of solid, helpful information that could be discussed here, I want to share five indisputable facts about the resurrection of Jesus that were originally shared by Gary Habermas and Michael R. Licona in a book titled The Case for the Resurrection. These five facts have been labelled as the “Minimal Facts Approach” and are based on principles that historians often use to assess the evidentiary value of testimony.
First, Jesus died by crucifixion. This fact is present everywhere in the New Testament. It is also found in secular sources, such as Josephus (Antiquities 18.64), Tacitus (Annals 15.44, AD 115), Lucian of Samosata (Death of Peregrine 11-13), and the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a). The crucifixion of Jesus is as certain as any other historical fact in existence.
Second, Jesus’ disciples believed that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them. In Acts 2:32, Peter boldly proclaimed, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” The early disciples believed that Jesus rose from the dead so much that they were willing to suffer (Acts 5:41; 14:19) and die (Acts 7:59-60; 12:1-2) for that claim. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, why were the early Christians so convinced that He did? If the resurrection of Jesus was a willful attempt to deceive people, why would those who were propagating the lie endure great suffering for it? What we see with the resurrection of Jesus is vastly different from a myth, which frequently exaggerates historical facts over time. The resurrection account has a long history, dating back to the very earliest period. It was held so firmly that Christians were willing to sacrifice their lives for it.
Third, the apostle Paul was transformed. Paul was one who persecuted the church violently and tried to destroy it (Galatians 1:13). How did he become one of the greatest missionaries to ever live? Paul believed wholeheartedly that his sect of Judaism was correct and that Christianity needed to be destroyed. What caused Paul to convert to Christianity, boldly proclaim Jesus as the Son of God, and suffer greatly for the gospel of Christ? The answer is clear: he had come face-to-face with the resurrected Jesus (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8).
Fourth, James (the half-brother of Jesus) was also transformed. James, along with Jesus’ other brothers, did not believe in Him (John 7:5). But then we find James present with the other disciples (Acts 1:13-14). He becomes a leader of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:12-21; Galatians 1:19; 2:9). How did that James become so radically changed? Just like Paul, the resurrected Jesus appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:7).
Fifth, the tomb of Jesus was empty. All that the enemies of Christianity had to do was present the dead body of Jesus for the movement to be stopped, but they were not able to do so. They could not claim that the tomb of Jesus was empty, so they had to spread the idea that the disciples stole the body of Jesus (Matthew 28:12-13). The fact that the first and primary witnesses to the empty tomb were women holds great significance (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-10; John 20:1). In Jewish and Roman societies, a woman’s testimony was generally disregarded. Therefore, making women so prominent in the story demonstrates its historicity.
These five facts lead us to one fact that secures our justification (Romans 4:25), provides us with hope (1 Peter 1:3-4), gives us new life (Romans 6:4), and empowers us for daily living (Ephesians 1:19-20): Jesus was raised from the dead. May we always keep our eyes on our resurrected, enthroned King!
-Tyler Alverson
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