Part 2 of a series on the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This presentation looks at how we analyze the historical facts of the resurrection and compare how the biblical account compares to other resurrection theories.

1. Evidence for the Resurrection
Making the Case that Jesus Rose From the Dead

2. EVERYTHING
What’s at Stake?

3. But if there is no resurrection of the dead,
then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not
risen, then our preaching is empty and your
faith is also empty.
What’s at Stake?

4. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile
and you are still in your sins! Then also
those who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
What’s at Stake?
1 Corinthians 15:12-19

5. Positive ?

6. He lives, He lives,
salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
“He Lives” Hymn Lyrics
He lives within my heart.

7. Is this
positive evidence?

8. Yes, but it is NOT
persuasive
evidence.

9. So what persuasive
evidence do we
have?

10. Christianity
is rooted in
history.
Also Remember…
measured investigated tested

11. THERE ARE
4 CENTRAL, HISTORICAL FACTS
THAT SUPPORT THE CLAIM
THAT JESUS
ROSE FROM THE DEAD

12. FACT #1:
After His Crucifixion, Jesus was
buried in a tomb by
Joseph of Arimathea.

13. FACT #1:
After His Crucifixion,
Jesus was buried in a
tomb by
Joseph of Arimathea. Why Does This
Matter?

14. FACT #1:
After His Crucifixion,
Jesus was buried in a
tomb by
Joseph of Arimathea.
Why Does This Matter?
1. Location of tomb known
2. Burial story very early tradition
3. Joseph of Arimathea inclusion
“The burial of Jesus in the tomb is one of the
earliest and best-attested facts about Jesus.”
- John A.T. Robinson of Cambridge University,

15. FACT #2:
On the Sunday following the crucifixion,
Jesus’ tomb was found empty by a
group of his women followers.

16. Why Does This Matter?
1. Earliest Source Material
2. Simple and Lacks Embellishment
3. Women’s testimony worthless
““By far most exegetes hold firmly to the reliability of
the biblical statements concerning the empty tomb.””
- Jacob Kremer,Astrian specialist in the resurrection
FACT #2:
On the Sunday following
the crucifixion, Jesus’
tomb was found empty
by a group of his
women followers.

17. FACT #3:
On multiple occasions and under various
circumstances, different individuals and groups
of people experienced appearances of Jesus
alive from the dead.

18. Why Does This Matter?
1. Multiple Resurrection Claims
2. Independent Resurrection Claims
3. Conversion of Jesus’ brothers
“It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the
disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus
appeared to them as the risen Christ.”
-Gerd Ludemann, Critic of the historical resurrection story
FACT #3:
On multiple occasions
and under various
circumstances, different
individuals and groups of
people experienced
appearances of Jesus
alive from the dead.

19. FACT #4:
The original disciples believed and preached
that Jesus was risen from the dead despite
their having little to gain and much to lose.

20. FACT #4:
The original disciples
believed and preached
that Jesus was risen
from the dead despite
their having little to
gain and much to lose.
Why Does This Matter?
1. Hope gone after Jesus’ death
2. Nothing to gain much to lose
3. All disciples died to proclaim this!
“That is why, as a historian, I cannot explain the rise of early
Christianity unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty
tomb behind him.”
- NT Wright, British Theologian and Author

21. DESPITE ALL THIS,
THE DISCIPLES DEVOTED THEIR
LIVES AND DEATHS TO
PREACHING THE MESSAGE OF
THE RESURRECTION

22. “Some sort of powerful, transformative experience
is required to generate the sort of movement
earliest Christianity was.”
- Luke Johnson, a New Testament scholar ,Emory University

23. So what best
explains these 4
historical facts?

24. FACT #1: Jesus was buried.
FACT #2: Women found the tomb empty.
FACT #3:
FACT #4:
Multiple, separate accounts of Jesus alive.
Disciples preached the resurrection
despite, pain, rejection and death.

25. GOD RAISED JESUS
FROM THE DEAD

26. Is “God raised Jesus from the Dead”
the best explanation of these facts, or
are there others?
What other theories exist to
explain the resurrection of Jesus?

27. There are 5.

28. Five Theories
about the
Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
1. Jesus died,
Jesus didn’t rise,
the apostles hallucinated
the whole thing.
The disciples just thought that Jesus
rose from the dead in their own minds.

30. Five Theories
about the
Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
2. Jesus died,
Jesus didn’t rise,
the apostles devised a
fable.
The disciples spread the message of
the resurrection of Jesus simply as
a myth or a story, not meant literally.

31. Five Theories
about the
Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
3. Jesus died,
Jesus didn’t rise,
the apostles made up the
whole thing.
The disciples did not believe that Jesus
rose from the dead and intentionally
deceived others into believing that He did.

33. Five Theories
about the
Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
4. Jesus did not die
(Swoon Theory).
Jesus was tortured and almost died,
but was taken off the cross alive and
later resuscitated.

34. Five Theories
about the
Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
5. Jesus died,
and 3 days later rose from
the dead.
The classic Christian view on the
resurrection.

35. Theory #1:
Jesus rose from the dead.
Theory #2:
Disciples hallucinated the resurrection
Theory #3:
Theory #4:
Disciples fabricated a myth
Theory #5:
Jesus didn’t actually die on the cross
Disciples intentionally deceived people

36. So how do we
decide who wins?

37. We put them to the
test(s).

38. What tests?

39. McCullagh lists five
tests which historians
use in determining
what is the best
explanation for given
historical facts

40. Five tests to
determine
the best
explanation for
historical facts.
1. Explanatory Scope
Explanatory scope refers to how many
facts a theory explains. A theory has
more explanatory scope than another
if it explains more things.
NOT explantory scope

41. Five tests to
determine
the best
explanation for
historical facts.
2. Explanatory Power
Explanatory power refers to how
probable the explanation of the facts
is. Is it the most likely conclusion from
these facts?

42. Five tests to
determine
the best
explanation for
historical facts.
3. Plausability
How likely is this theory when
compared to the what we know about
the historical context?

43. Five tests to
determine
the best
explanation for
historical facts.
4. Is it Ad hoc?
Ad hoc means formed, arranged or
done for a particular purpose only. It
also means contrived or faked.

44. Five tests to
determine
the best
explanation for
historical facts.
5. Is it better than its rivals?
When we take all the explanations
together is it the best one compared
to its peers?

45. Test #1:
Is it the best explanation of our options?
Test #2:
Does it explain all the facts we have?
Test #3:
Test #4:
How probable or likely is the explanation?
Test #5:
Was it made up just for this purpose?
Does it fit what we know about the context?

46. So let’s put our
theories to the test

47. Theory #1:
Jesus rose from the dead.
Theory #2:
Disciples hallucinated the resurrection
Theory #3:
Theory #4:
Disciples fabricated a myth
Theory #5:
Jesus didn’t actually die on the cross
Disciples intentionally deceived people

48. Explain all the facts? 1. The Disciples Hallucinated
2. 500+ Other witnesses (besides disciples)
saw Jesus at the same time.
Is it probable?
Does it fit what we know?
Made up just for this?
Best option we have?
1. Hallucinations are individual
3. Hallucinations don’t usually last 40 days,
and don’t repeat themselves
4. It would have been easily disproven if the
body was still in the tomb.
X
X
X
X

49. Explain all the facts? 2. The Disciples Fabricated a Myth
Is it probable?
Made up just for this?
Best option we have?
2. There are details included but not explained
in the gospels.
1. The gospel accounts sound nothing like
ancient mythology
3. There was not enough time for a myth to
develop (too many living witnesses who could
have disproven it)
Does it fit what we know?
X
X

50. Explain all the facts? 3. The Disciples intentionally deceived people
Is it probable?
Made up just for this?
Best option we have?
Does it fit what we know?
2. Their lie took place in a terrible location
because all the places were close by and could
be investigated by anyone.
1. The disciples have nothing to gain by deceiving
people except rejection, torture & death.
3. When rejection, banishment & unthinkable
torture came on the disciples, not one cracked
and said it was a hoax. Not one.

51. Explain all the facts? 3. The Disciples intentionally deceived people
Is it probable?
Made up just for this?
Best option we have?
Does it fit what we know?
The "cruncher" in this argument is the historical fact that
no one, weak or strong, saint or sinner, Christian or
heretic, ever confessed, freely or under pressure, bribe or
even torture, that the whole story of the resurrection was
a fake a lie, a deliberate deception.
Even when people broke under torture, denied Christ and
worshiped Caesar, they never let that cat out of the bag,
never revealed that the resurrection was their conspiracy.
For that cat was never in that bag. No Christians believed
the resurrection was a conspiracy; if they had, they
wouldn't have become Christians.” - Peter Kreeft
X
X
X
X
X

52. Explain all the facts? 4. Jesus Didn’t Die on the Cross
Is it probable?
Made up just for this?
Best option we have?
Does it fit what we know? 2. It would have been impossible for Jesus to
heal in a way that matched people’s accounts
of seeing him, and what they did afterward.
1. Nobody survives crucifixion. Heavily
motivated Roman soldiers made sure of it. Yet
they did not break the legs of Jesus.
3. How could someone tortured as badly as
Jesus move a 300+ stone without anyone
noticing?
X

53. Explain all the facts? 5. Jesus Rose From the Dead
Is it probable?
Made up just for this?
Best option we have?
Does it fit what we know?
Jesus was buried.
Women found the tomb empty.
Multiple, separate accounts of Jesus alive.
Disciples preached the resurrection
despite, pain, rejection and death.

54. We have a solid
foundation for the
trust we place in
Jesus Christ.

55. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has
begotten us again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

56. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled
and that does not fade away, reserved in
heaven for you, who are kept by the power
of God through faith for salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5

57. Now let us live each
day in this hope!