Did Jesus really resurrect or not? What are the prevalent theories? How can this be truth?

1. Christian Apologetics
Is Resurrection Hoax-
History

2. But if it is preached that Christ has been
raised from the dead, how can some of
you say that there is no resurrection
of the dead?
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then not even Christ has been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, our
preaching is useless and so is your
faith.

3. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is
futile, you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in
Christ are lost. If only for this life we have
hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than
all men.
If the dead are not raised “let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die”.
(1. Corinthians 15:12–14,17–19,32)

4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central
to our hope in eternal life. Without
resurrection, our faith is pointless.
1. Why worry about an afterlife that
doesn’t happen?
2. If there is no resurrection, there will be
no judgment and no eternal life.
3. We don’t have to fear
punishment and we can’t gain anything

5. a. It doesn’t make sense to
resist our human nature if
there is no afterlife.
B. If we cling to a hope that is
not true, we are truly to be
pitied – and this is how many
unbelievers look at
Christianity.

6. C. Christianity is boring and
takes away all the fun.
D. We restrain ourselves for
nothing.
E. Why shouldn’t we simply
enjoy life in the fullest – after
all, this is all we got!

7. There are people who believe
that Jesus Christ was a real
person.
They even believe that
he is God – but they still
cannot accept resurrection as
a fact.

8. The Christian claim that there is
life after death is one of the most
wicked hoaxes
foisted upon the minds of men.

9. Christianity lets people hope
in something that will never
happen and forego all the joys
of life for this empty hope.
And they are right in seeing it
that way . . . if there is no
resurrection.

10. Why is physical resurrection so
important?

11. In the earliest accounts of his
death, namely,
the Mahaparinibbana Sutta,
we read that when Buddha died
it was 'with that
utter passing away in which
nothing whatever remains
behind

12. There is no trace in the Pali
scriptures or commentaries
(or so far as I know in any Pali
book)

13. Mohammed died June 8, 632 A.D.,
at the age of sixty-one, at Medina, where
his tomb is annually visited by
thousands
of devout Mohammedans. All the
millions and millions of. Jews,
Buddhists,
and Mohammedans agree that their
founders have never come up out of the
dust of the earth in resurrection."

14. A. The resurrection is evidence for the fact
that Jesus has overcome death and opened
the door to eternal life. Jesus himself had
predicted his death and resurrection as sign
(Matthew 12:38–40, 16:21, 17:9, 17:22–23,
20:18–19) and the Jews very well
remembered this after his crucifixion
(Matthew 27:62–65).
B. Old Testament prophecies pointed to the
resurrection
as a sign of the Messiah (Psalm 16:10).

15. The fact that the grave could not
keep Jesus proves several things.
First, he is the
Messiah.

16. Second, he has the power to do
everything he promised, even
through death,
which again proves that he is
God.

17. Third, the resurrection of the
saints, at this time
already questioned by the
Sadducees, is a fact, not a myth

18. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under
Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem

19. From the very beginning, the
church unanimously claimed
that Jesus was resurrected

20. The tomb was empty

21. Josephus AD 38-100
About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man. For he
was one who wrought surprising feats and was a
teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He
won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. When
Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of
the highest standing amongst us, had
condemned him to be crucified, those who had
in the first place come to love him did not give
up their affection for him. The prophets of God
had prophesied these and countless other marvelous
things about him. And the tribe of Christians, so
called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.
Antiquities 18:3:3

22. To squelch the rumor [that he had started the
Great fire in Rome], Nero created scapegoats
and subjected to the most refined tortures
those whom the common people called
‘Christians,’ [a group] hated for their
abominable crimes. Their name comes from
Christ, who, during the reign of Tiberius, had
been executed by the procurator Pontius
Pilate.
Annals 15.44

23. “On the eve of Passover they
hung Yeshu”
Babylonian Sanhedrin 43a-b
Talmud (1st and 2nd Century AD)

24. Thallus
• We know of Thallus only from a
third century Christian historian
named Julius Africanus who wrote
a three-volume treatise of world
history in the 50s AD. In
discussion the darkness at the time
of the resurrection of Jesus, Julius
Africanus mentions that in the 3rd
book of Thallus’ history, he
mentions the darkness and calls it
an eclipse of the sun.

25. 1. Jesus’ body was taken from
the tomb.
2. Jesus did not actually die
3. Jesus was bodily resurrected
from the dead.

26. The Stolen Body Theory

27. The Stolen Body Theory
The stolen body hypothesis says that the
body of Jesus Christ was stolen from
his burial place.
His tomb was found empty not because
he was resurrected, but because the
body had been hidden somewhere
else by the apostles or unknown
persons.

28. The Stolen Body Theory
• It is discussed in the Gospel of Matthew,
generally agreed to have been written
between AD 70 and 100.
• Matthew's gospel raises the hypothesis
only to refute it; according to it, the claim
the body was stolen is a lie spread by the
Jewish high priests.

29. The Stolen Body Theory
• Disciples stole for Jesus bodily
resurrection. “Pious Deceit”
• Matthew accounts that Jews made
people to say JESUS body was stolen
is purely his fear that FOLLOWERS
OF CHRIST DIDN’T like by
everyone. So concoting story that
Jewish priest made them to lie made
the death even more effective.

30. The Stolen Body Theory
• 5th CE theory says TOLEDOTH YESU
means the body was removed long back, so
when Jesus was missing the disciples
thought it was resurrection.
• Grave robbers who stole body for
valuables kept along with the body.
• Since Egyptians keep all gold, silver and
other things kept in the tomb.

31. The Stolen Body Theory
• Who would have stolen the body?
– The Jews?- JEWS HATED JESUS so they
might have never stolen.
– The Romans? Soldiers punished them so
probability them hiding doesn’t gives a clear
rationale.
– The disciples? Bypassing Roman soldiers
and stealing is like committing plotting death
by their own hands because soldiers are in
plural not in singular.
•

32. The Swoon Theory

33. The Swoon Theory
• Explains the resurrection of Jesus,
proposing that Jesus did not die on
the cross, but merely
fell unconscious("swooned"), and was
later revived in the tomb in the same
mortal body.
• 200-year-old hypothesis -debated till
date.

34. The Swoon Theory
• Proponent- Karl Fredrich Bahdrt
• Date: 1780
• Used Drugs by Physician Luke
• He did that to abandon Political messiah
idea
• Joseph of Arimethea was his setup to revive
him later.
• Cool air in the tomb revived him

35. The Swoon Theory
• Jesus fell only in temporary
coma
• Later Mirza Gulam- Ahmedian
proposed that theory saying
post crucifixion Jesus travelled
to India.

36. The Swoon Theory
• Pointus Pilate was given bribe to allow Jesus
to be taken down before he was fully dead.
• People believe the average time taken for any
crucifixion to die is 2-4 days and it can extend
up to 9days.
• This is the reason why Pilate was surprised to
hear JESUS DIED SO SOON (Mark 15:44).

37. The Swoon Theory
• Lack of Eye-witnessess records
• No funeral arraignments but a
sudden agreement between a
rich man buying a corpse.
• No Public viewing of the body

38. The Swoon Theory- Fail
• Beaten to the point of near death.
• No food or water for more than
two days.
• Crucified and died.
• Pierced with a sword.
• Separated blood and “water”
(plasma)

39. The Swoon Theory- Fail
• Not able to carry his own cross that is
why someone else carried that cross.
• Death resulted primarily from
hypovolemic shock and exhaustion,
asphyxia.

40. The Mass
Hallucination Theory

41. The Mass Hallucination Theory
• People always wanted to remember
dead people
• People who they loved the most
think they are with them even if
they are dead.
• They call this as angelic experience.

42. The Mass Hallucination Theory-
Fail
• The women at the tomb- saw the tomb
was empty
• Peter and John- Had conversations.
• The twelve apostles, including
doubting Thomas-TOUCHED
• Many other appearances.
• Over 500 witnesses. (1 Cor 15:3)
• Do hallucinations eat fish? (John
21:12)

43. Jonah 1:7 Jonah was raised from the
dead on the third day. (Matthew 11:40
For as Jonah was three days and three
nights….)
Genesis 22:1-12 Abraham received
Isaac back from the dead on the third
day. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

44. Prophecies of the Resurrection
• Feast of Firstfruits. Lev 23:9-14
• Jesus is the firstfruit from among the dead.
• His resurrection is a promise of ours.
Colossians “the first fruit from the dead.”
• Romans 6:2-7 If we have been united with
him in his death, we will certainly also be
united with him in his resurrection.

45. SO History RECORDS
Historical JESUS
Death of Jesus
Burial of Jesus
Resurrection of Jesus
Prophesy clearly points to Jesus
Evidences shows Jesus

46. So Resurrection is never a hoax
but a
HISTORY