Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? - Part One: The Facts

Summary

The script explores the crucifixion of Jesus and the validity of his claim to be the Son of God, focusing on the historical evidence for his resurrection. It discusses three key facts: the empty tomb, post-death appearances, and the disciples' conviction despite cultural and religious disbelief. It argues that naturalistic explanations fail to account for these facts, suggesting the resurrection as the most plausible explanation.

Takeaways

• 🕎 Jesus of Nazareth was crucified due to his claim to be the Son of God.
• 📜 The credibility of Jesus' resurrection hinges on whether he actually rose from the dead.
• 🔍 Three key facts need explanation: the empty tomb, post-death appearances, and the disciples' belief in the resurrection.
• 📃 The empty tomb is supported by six independent sources, including early New Testament materials.
• 👥 Women were the first to discover the empty tomb, which adds historical credibility.
• 🗣️ The Jewish authorities' response indirectly confirms the tomb's emptiness.
• 👤 Jesus appeared to various individuals and groups after his death, as recorded in early Christian writings.
• 👥 The disciples' transformation from fear to belief in resurrection despite cultural and religious expectations is significant.
• 🧐 Naturalistic explanations for these facts have been largely rejected by contemporary scholarship.
• 🙏 The original explanation—that God raised Jesus from the dead—cannot be dismissed if God's existence is considered possible.

Q & A

Why was Jesus of Nazareth crucified according to the transcript?

Jesus was crucified because he made outrageous claims about himself, such as claiming to be the one and only Son of God.

What significance does the resurrection of Jesus have if it occurred?

If Jesus actually rose from the dead, it would give considerable weight to his claim of being God's unique son.

What are the three main facts that need to be explained regarding Jesus' resurrection?

The three main facts are: the discovery of Jesus' empty tomb, the appearances of Jesus alive after his death, and the disciples' belief that Jesus rose from the dead.

Why does the report of the empty tomb by women increase historical confidence?

In that culture, a woman's testimony was considered next to worthless, so the fact that women were the first to discover the empty tomb suggests that this detail is likely historical and not a later fabrication.

How do the Jewish authorities' response to the empty tomb report support its historical accuracy?

The Jewish authorities' claim that Jesus' followers had stolen his body implies an admission that the tomb was indeed empty.

What does the New Testament's list of witnesses to Jesus' resurrection appearances indicate?

The list indicates that Jesus appeared to various individuals and groups, including Peter, the twelve disciples, more than 500 brothers at once, James, all the apostles, and finally to Paul.

Why were the disciples' initial reactions to Jesus' crucifixion significant?

The disciples were devastated, demoralized, and hiding in fear for their lives, which makes their later belief in Jesus' resurrection more remarkable and in need of explanation.

How did the disciples' belief in the resurrection of Jesus defy Jewish expectations?

The Jewish concept of the messiah did not include a figure who would be executed and then resurrected. The disciples' belief in Jesus' resurrection went against their own cultural and religious expectations.

What is the significance of the fact that none of the disciples recanted their belief in Jesus' resurrection even when threatened with death?

This indicates a profound conviction in the truth of the resurrection, suggesting that they had a transformative experience that was compelling enough to risk their lives for.

Why did the conversion of Paul and James to Christianity require a powerful, transformative experience?

Paul was a persecutor of Christians and James was skeptical of Jesus, so their conversion implies a significant event that changed their beliefs drastically.

What does the historian in the transcript suggest as the explanation for the rise of early Christianity?

The historian suggests that the rise of early Christianity cannot be explained unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty tomb behind him.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Historical Inquiry into Jesus' Resurrection

The paragraph explores the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth and the claims about his resurrection. It emphasizes the significance of Jesus' empty tomb, which is supported by six independent sources, including early New Testament materials. The narrative highlights the historical plausibility of women discovering the empty tomb, given the cultural context that devalued female testimony. The Jewish authorities' response, suggesting a stolen body, inadvertently confirms the tomb's emptiness. The paragraph also discusses the appearances of Jesus after death, as documented by Paul and the Gospels, which are considered historically reliable. It concludes by examining the disciples' transformation from a fearful group to staunch believers in Jesus' resurrection, despite the cultural and religious implications of his crucifixion.

05:03

🔍 Seeking Naturalistic Explanations for the Resurrection

This paragraph delves into the various naturalistic explanations that have been proposed to account for the historical facts surrounding Jesus' resurrection, such as conspiracy theories, apparent death, and hallucinations. However, it notes that these hypotheses have been largely dismissed by contemporary scholarship due to their implausibility. The paragraph concludes by considering the original eyewitness accounts, which attribute the resurrection to divine intervention. It suggests that if God's existence is a possibility, then a divine explanation for the resurrection cannot be dismissed. The paragraph challenges the reader to consider how to explain the historical facts of an empty tomb, post-death appearances, and the disciples' newfound belief in a risen messiah.

Keywords

💡Crucifixion

Crucifixion refers to the act of execution by nailing or binding a person to a cross. In the context of the video, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, which is a central event in Christian theology. The script discusses the reasons behind his crucifixion, including his claims to be the Son of God, and how this event is integral to the discussion of his resurrection.

💡Resurrection

Resurrection in the script refers to the Christian belief that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. It is a key concept in the video, as the discussion revolves around whether Jesus' resurrection actually occurred. The script mentions that if the resurrection happened, it would validate Jesus' claim to be the Son of God.

💡Empty Tomb

The 'Empty Tomb' is a term used to describe the discovery that Jesus' tomb was found vacant after his crucifixion. The script highlights this as a significant historical fact that requires explanation. It is mentioned that the empty tomb is reported in multiple independent sources, increasing the confidence of historians in its occurrence.

💡Appearances

In the script, 'Appearances' refers to the instances where Jesus was seen alive after his death. These appearances are considered evidence for the resurrection and are detailed in the script as reported by Paul and the Gospels. The appearances are crucial for understanding the disciples' belief in the resurrection.

💡Disciples

Disciples in the context of the video are the followers of Jesus. Their belief in Jesus' resurrection is a central theme. The script discusses how their initial despair after Jesus' crucifixion transformed into a conviction that he had risen from the dead, which is a significant part of the argument for the resurrection's historical validity.

💡Historicity

Historicity in the script refers to the historical validity or accuracy of events, particularly the resurrection of Jesus. The video discusses the criteria used by historians to evaluate the historicity of the empty tomb, the appearances, and the disciples' belief in the resurrection.

💡Testimony

Testimony in the script is used to refer to the accounts or evidence provided by witnesses. It is noted that the fact that women were the first to discover the empty tomb adds to the historicity of the event, as their testimony was not highly valued at the time, making it less likely to be fabricated.

💡Jewish Authorities

The 'Jewish Authorities' are mentioned in the script as a response to the discovery of the empty tomb. Their claim that Jesus' body was stolen inadvertently confirms the tomb's emptiness, which is an important point in the discussion of the resurrection's evidence.

💡Paul

Paul, originally a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians, is mentioned as a significant figure whose conversion to Christianity is used as evidence for the resurrection. His testimony, as recorded in the New Testament, is considered by the script as historical evidence for Jesus' appearances after death.

💡James

James, Jesus' brother, is mentioned as another figure whose transformation from skepticism to belief in Jesus' resurrection is highlighted in the script. His change in belief is used as an example of the powerful experience that could have led to the rise of early Christianity.

💡Naturalistic Explanations

Naturalistic explanations refer to theories that attempt to explain the resurrection without invoking supernatural causes. The script discusses various such theories, such as the conspiracy hypothesis or the hallucination hypothesis, and argues that they have been largely rejected by contemporary scholarship due to their implausibility.

Highlights

Jesus of Nazareth was crucified for making claims to be the Son of God.

The credibility of Jesus' claims hinges on the historical fact of his resurrection.

Three main facts need explanation: the empty tomb, post-death appearances, and the disciples' belief in resurrection.

The empty tomb is reported in six independent sources, increasing historical confidence.

Women discovered the empty tomb, which is historically likely due to their low status in testifying.

Jewish authorities' response implies the tomb was indeed empty.

The majority of scholars agree on the reliability of the biblical statements about the empty tomb.

Paul's list in the New Testament confirms the appearances of Jesus after death.

The Gospel accounts independently confirm Jesus' post-death appearances.

It's historically certain that Peter and the disciples experienced Jesus as the risen Christ.

The disciples' belief in resurrection was a radical shift from their initial devastation.

Jewish beliefs did not include a resurrected messiah, making the disciples' conviction all the more remarkable.

The transformation of the disciples and early Christians requires a powerful, transformative experience.

The historian's perspective cannot explain early Christianity without Jesus' resurrection.

Naturalistic explanations for these facts have been nearly universally rejected by contemporary scholarship.

The original eyewitness explanation—that God raised Jesus from the dead—cannot be ruled out.

For a God capable of creating the universe, a resurrection would be a minor miracle.

The empty tomb, Jesus' appearances, and the disciples' new belief are independently established historical facts.

Transcripts

Why was Jesus of Nazareth crucified? Because he made outrageous claims about

himself. He claimed to be the one and only Son of God.

Why would anyone take his claim seriously? Well, that all depends. If Jesus

actually rose from the dead, then his claim to be God's unique son carries

considerable weight. On the other hand, if the resurrection never actually happened,

then Jesus may be safely dismissed as just another interesting, but

tragic historical figure. Did Jesus rise from the dead? As we explore this

question, we need to address two further questions. What are the facts that

require explanation, and which explanation best accounts for these

facts? There are three main facts that need to be explained: the discovery of

Jesus' empty tomb, the appearances of Jesus alive after his death, and the

disciples belief that Jesus rose from the dead. Let's examine each of these. Fact number

one: the discovery that Jesus's tomb was empty is reported in no less than six

independent sources, and some of these are among the earliest materials to be

found in the New Testament. This is important because when an event is

recorded by two or more unconnected sources, historians' confidence that the

event actually happened increases, and the earlier these sources are dated, the

higher their confidence. Moreover, the Gospels indicate that it

was women who first discovered that Jesus' body was missing. This is likely

historical, because in that culture, a woman's testimony was considered next to

worthless. A later legend or fabrication would have had men make this discovery.

Our confidence in the empty tomb is further increased by the response of the

Jewish authorities. When they heard the report that the tomb was found empty,

they said that Jesus' followers had stolen his body, thereby admitting that

Jesus's tomb was in fact empty. Most scholars by far hold firmly to the

reliability of the biblical statements about the empty tomb. Fact number two: the

appearances of Jesus alive after his death. In one of the earliest letters in

the New Testament, Paul provides a list of witnesses to Jesus' resurrection

appearances. He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve, then he appeared to more than

500 brothers at one time, then he appeared to James, then to all the

apostles. Finally, he appeared also to me. Furthermore, various resurrection

appearances of Jesus are independently confirmed by the Gospel accounts. On the

basis of Paul's testimony alone, virtually all historical scholars agree

that various individuals and groups experienced appearances of Jesus alive

after his death. 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. Fact number three: the disciples belief in the resurrection.

After Jesus' crucifixion, his followers were devastated, demoralized, and hiding

in fear for their lives. As Jews, they had no concept of a messiah who would be

executed by his enemies, much less come back to life. The only resurrection Jews

believed in was a universal event on judgement day after the end of the world,

not an individual event within history. Moreover, in Jewish law, Jesus'

crucifixion as a criminal meant that he was literally under God's curse. Yet

somehow despite all of this the disciples suddenly an sincerely came to

believe that God had raised Jesus from the dead. They were so completely

convinced, that when threatened with death, not one of them recanted. Even the

Pharisee, Paul, who persecuted Christians, suddenly became a Christian himself, as

did Jesus' skeptical younger brother James. Some sort of powerful,

transformative experience is required to generate the sort of movement earliest

Christianity was. That is why as an historian I cannot explain the rise of

early Christianity unless Jesus rose again, leaving an empty tomb behind him."

These three firmly established facts cry out for an adequate explanation. How do

you make sense of them? Down through history, various naturalistic

explanations have been offered to explain away these facts: the conspiracy

hypothesis, the apparent death hypothesis, the hallucination hypothesis, and so on.

All of these have been nearly universally rejected by contemporary

scholarship. The simple fact is that there is just no plausible naturalistic

explanation of these three facts. The explanation given by the original

eyewitnesses is that God raised Jesus from the dead. If it's even possible that

God exists, then that explanation cannot be ruled out.

For a God who is able to create the entire universe, the odd resurrection

would be child's play. An empty tomb, Jesus' appearances alive after his death, and a

group of dejected followers suddenly transformed by a radical new belief in a

risen messiah: these are independently established

historical facts. How do you explain them?