Reasonable Reasons to Believe the Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christian faith, as highlighted by Paul in his letters. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then the preaching of the gospel and the foundation of Christianity itself would be meaningless (1 Corinthians 15:4).

But how do we prove the resurrection is true?

We cannot necessarily prove it to be true, but we can evaluate the evidence and determine reasonable reasons that support the biblical record.

The Nature of Evidence: Reasonable vs. Possible

Consider the distinction between what is possible and what is reasonable.  While anything might be possible, not everything is reasonable. This distinction is crucial when examining the resurrection of Jesus. The goal is not to prove beyond all possible doubt, but rather beyond any reasonable doubt.

Investigating Evidence with Reasoning

We will be using a method called abductive reasoning — sometimes referred to as “inference to the best explanation.” It is based on examining evidence and finding the most plausible and reasonable explanation.

Let’s begin with the  facts accepted by most scholars and skeptics alike:

• Jesus was crucified and buried.
• The tomb was found empty.
• The disciples claimed to see Jesus alive after his death.
• The disciples were transformed by these experiences.

These facts do not inherently prove the resurrection but provide a foundation for evaluating competing explanations.

Five Possible Explanations for the Resurrection

Historically, skeptics have proposed several theories to explain these facts. Let’s analyze them.

 1. Jesus Didn’t Die — The Swoon Theory

This theory suggests Jesus survived the crucifixion and later appeared to his disciples.  However, this explanation fails under scrutiny:

• Crucifixion was a brutal process designed to ensure death. The physical toll of crucifixion and subsequent treatment makes survival highly improbable.
• Roman soldiers were experienced executioners who confirmed Jesus’ death by piercing his side with a spear, resulting in blood and water—a phenomenon consistent with circulatory shock and pleural effusion.
• Handling Jesus’ body for burial would have revealed signs of life, such as a pulse and breathing. 
• The disciples would have noticed if Jesus were merely unconscious.

While some claim it’s possible Jesus did not die, it is not reasonable, given the evidence.

 2. The Disciples Lied—The Conspiracy Theory

Some argue that the disciples fabricated the resurrection story to establish a new religion. However, successful conspiracies require specific conditions, including:

1. A small number of conspirators: The more people involved, the higher the risk of exposure.
2. Strong communication: Conspirators must coordinate their stories effectively.
3. A short time span: Long-term conspiracies are more complicated to maintain.
4. Low pressure: External threats increase the likelihood of conspirators confessing the truth.

It’s easy to refute the conspiracy theory based on those four conditions:

1. First, there were 11 apostles, but on the Day of Pentecost, the number of believers grew to more than 3,000.
2. The apostles and other believers were scattered across vast distances without any means of communication. 
3. Over the course of decades, none of the apostles recanted their testimonies.
4. The apostle and other believers faced immense pressure—persecution, torture, and execution—yet continued to testify of the resurrection.

Additionally, they had no motive tied to financial gain, power, or personal relationships. Instead, they endured suffering, and many were put to death for their claims.

Furthermore, if they had fabricated the resurrection story, they likely wouldn’t have chosen women as the first witnesses because women’s testimonies were considered unreliable in first-century Jewish culture. This counterintuitive detail suggests authenticity rather than fabrication.

3. The Hallucination Theory

This theory suggests that post-resurrection appearances were hallucinations caused by grief or emotional distress. While a hallucination can occur in an individual, group hallucinations are virtually impossible.  This can easily be debunked because:

– Multiple people experiencing identical hallucinations defy psychological norms.

• Accounts describe appearances to groups ranging from two (the disciples on the Road to Emmaus) to over 500 individuals simultaneously.
• Hallucinations cannot explain the empty tomb. Hallucinations are a perception of seeing something that is not there.  They are not a perception of not seeing something that is there.  

Thus, while hallucinations are possible, they fail to account for key evidence, such as group sightings and the empty tomb.

4. The Imposter Theory

Could someone impersonate Jesus post-crucifixion? This theory would require an individual who knew Jesus intimately enough to deceive his 11 closest followers, who had been with Him continually during His three and a half years of ministry. 

Additionally, the impostor would need supernatural abilities to mimic Jesus’ miraculous acts (e.g., appearing suddenly in locked rooms or ascending into heaven), and the empty tomb would imply a collaboration with others to remove Jesus’ body.  That suggests a conspiracy, which we have already deemed unreasonable.

5.  The Influence Theory

A modern skeptical view suggests that an influential disciple, perhaps one of the first to see Jesus, such as Peter or John, may have had such a deep desire for Jesus to be alive that he used his influence to convince the others. 

This theory is very weak. It ignores the numerous group reports of seeing Jesus alive, including one involving more than 500 people. For this theory to be true, the disciple who fabricated it would have had to influence far too many people, convincing each one to the point that they also reported seeing Jesus.

6. The Resurrection is TRUE!

The final explanation aligns with the biblical account and Christian belief: Jesus rose bodily from the dead as described in the Gospels. This hypothesis accounts for all minimal facts—his death, the empty tomb, post-resurrection appearances, and the transformation of his followers—and does so without requiring convoluted assumptions about conspiracies, hallucinations, or impostors.

Biblical Accounts

• Jesus was buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea, a detail that aligns with Jewish burial customs and is backed by multiple early accounts. Historians, including skeptics, overwhelmingly agree that Jesus was crucified and died under Roman rule. This is one of the most well-documented events in ancient history, supported by both Christian sources and non-Christian writers, such as Tacitus and Josephus.
• The Empty Tomb — Atheists and skeptics who claim His body was stolen indirectly confirm that the tomb was empty. So if Jesus had not bodily risen from the grave, the authorities could have easily produced his body to discredit the disciples.
• The Gospels tell that women were the first to find the empty tomb. Since women’s testimony was not highly valued at the time, it is unlikely that this detail was fabricated to lend credibility to the story.

Eyewitness Testimonies

• Many people claimed to see Jesus alive after His death. Paul tells that over 500 people saw Him at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).
• Some accounts describe people touching Jesus after His resurrection, indicating that these were not just visions or hallucinations.
• After Jesus’ death, His followers went from scared and hiding to boldly testifying of Jesus and spreading His message of saving grace, even though it put their lives at risk. 

Transformation Testimonies

There are many accounts of people being transformed by the saving grace and testifying, among which are:

Paul went from persecuting Christians to becoming a believer after his encounter with the risen Jesus. His sudden change is difficult to explain without some significant event having occurred.

James, Jesus’ brother, didn’t believe in Him during His life but became a leader in the church after seeing Him alive again.

Early Christian Creeds Testify

Early Christian creeds like 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 summarize Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and appearances. These creeds were written just a few years after the resurrection, making it unlikely they were legends or myths that developed over time.

Growth of Christianity Testifies

Christianity spread rapidly despite facing intense opposition. This growth is difficult to explain unless something extraordinary—like the resurrection—served as its foundation.

Conclusion

All naturalistic explanations for the resurrection—whether hallucination, conspiracy, influence, or legend—fail to account for all the evidence.  When examining the evidence, there is, beyond a reasonable doubt, sufficient proof to support the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection. 

As C.S. Lewis observed, “If the resurrection is true, it is the most important truth one could ever know. The challenge for each of us is to allow the evidence to speak, and to be willing to follow it wherever it leads—even if that means reconsidering our presuppositions about what is possible.”

For Christians, the ultimate proof is the inerrancy of Scripture. Therefore, we stand by faith.  God said so, and we believe God!

Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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