What evidence supports the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Read Dave’s answer
Answer 1
There is indeed convincing evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
However, it’s not the kind of evidence that a skeptical scientist would accept.
It’s the kind of inferential and circumstantial evidence that might convince a jury based on a “more likely than not” standard after a careful and considered examination of the testimonies of all of the witnesses of Jesus Christ throughout history, both before and after the resurrection.
Just a few examples of the kinds of “evidence” they would consider:
- The 39 books comprising the Old Testament are factually known to have existed before the time of Jesus Christ.
- These books contain numerous incredible symbols and prophecies of a Messiah, with specifics, that point to Jesus of Nazareth according to the Gospels. It would have been incredibly difficult to construct four independent accounts, which differ in the ways most scholars would expect four Gospels written by four different people who were either eyewitnesses (Matthew, Mark, and John) or historians relating the accounts of eyewitnesses (Luke) while telling a story that captures so incredibly well an amazing diversity of symbols and prophecies without being so obvious about it that the faithless are forced to accept it all. Read Isaiah 53 for a beautiful prophecy of Jesus Christ. and see my answer to What's the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind that makes it difficult to grasp the reality that the event occurred?
- Then the New Testament, consisting of four narratives about the life and resurrection of Jesus, and many epistles (letters) that taken as a collection, contain such a remarkable record that it rings true enough to have convinced billions of the veracity of the resurrection.
But of course, my summary of the depth of data found in the sources I point to might be considered by skeptics to be compelling only to those inclined to have faith in the first place.
But they might be utterly convincing to anyone depending on how open one is to spending a lot of time to study ALL of the evidence contained therein, while having enough hope and faith to motivate one to pursue the evidence, one bit at a time.
That is the way God ordained it to be.
Those with hope and faith pursue the evidence, and those without hope and faith consider it a waste of their time. And when those who pursued the research in all sincerity and are given a witness from God as promised try to communicate the miracle of that compelling witness, based on all of the evidence they discovered, they are not believed by those skeptics who lack the hope and faith in the first place.
And that is the way God ordained it to be as well.
Each of us is able to choose the evidence we pursue, the evidence we ignore, the evidence we explain away and reject, and the evidence we believe and accept.
It is God’s way of letting each person decide what kind of spiritual life they will live while on earth, and in the eternities. And that is because God loves us enough to hold our freedom sacred and let us make those choices as we learn good from evil here on earth and in the spirit world to come.
But again, I don’t expect you to believe that unless you have hope and faith. It’s literally your choice what you will believe about the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, especially in view of the utter lack of evidence for any alternative explanation.
Answer 2
I know that Jesus died on the cross and on the 3rd day rose again. He lives!
The idea that the disciples stole the body, or that there were mass hallucinations, or that the Romans fabricated the tales, is just so much nonsense - because every single one of those theories literally focuses on small and petty considerations while offering absurd reasoning and twisting facts while ignoring the bulk of the evidence and witnesses in order to make their pet theory fit their unexamined assumptions. All to avoid accepting the good news supported by countless witnesses in the Gospels, Acts, and the rest of the New Testament that Jesus has overcome death and sin, and offers us eternal life!
Let the atheists and disbelievers instead believe whatever nihilistic darkness they choose. As for me and countless Christians, we choose to follow the good news of eternal light - and Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light - Rejoice!