The Resurrection of

Jesus

A Miracle in one of Three ways

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a miracle. No matter if you

believe in God or not, no matter if you’re a philosophical

naturalist or a Christian, the account and effects of Jesus’

resurrection are truly miraculous.

The resurrection is a miracle in one of three ways – it is either:

1. A biological miracle

2. A psychological miracle

3. A theological miracle

Before we continue, two quick

points are necessary.

First, the first two options are

purely natural-only explanations

of the resurrection and therefore

the definition of “miracle” in their

case (a highly uncommon / out of

the ordinary, but still natural

occurrence) is different than the

third option, where the Biblical

definition of miracle applies.

Second, it is important to remember that the majority

of historical scholars – Christian or non-Christian – do

not doubt the core facts surrounding the resurrection,

which are:

• Jesus was crucified and buried.

• Three days after His death, His body went missing.

• There were reported appearances of Jesus over

the course of 40 days to both believers and

unbelievers.

• These individual’s lives were transformed from the

appearances and they began to proclaim Christ’s

resurrection even up to the point of being martyred

for their proclamation.

These are the core facts of Jesus’ resurrection, and

these facts are not in dispute with any educated

historian, secular or religious. That being the case,

let’s conduct a brief tour of each possible explanation

of the resurrection and see where a philosophical

appeal to the best explanation leads us.

A Biological Miracle…?

The biological miracle option asserts that Jesus didn’t actually

die, but rather those conducting His execution only believed He

was dead. Sometime after He was placed in the tomb – and

against all biological and medical odds – He revived, emerged,

and then presented Himself to His disciples as being raised from

the dead.

The Biological Miracle

• The New Testament specifically records that Jesus was beaten and scourged before His

crucifixion; a procedure that history says caused the death of many condemned persons before

they ever reached their appointed cross. The historical gospels also record that Jesus was so

physically weakened from His scourging that He could not carry His cross to Golgotha (cf. Matt.

27:32); a clear sign of His failing condition.

• The Romans were experts at carrying out crucifixions. They knew death well; in fact, the soldiers

themselves were held liable if any victim sentenced to death happened to survive.

• John 19:34-34 describes a spear being thrust into Jesus’ side, with the description by John clearly

showing a rupture of the pericardium, which would be instant death if a casualty had not already

occurred via the crucifixion procedure.

• Jesus’ death was viewed by close eyewitnesses, friend and foe alike.

• After He was taken from the cross, He was wrapped in cloths and bathed in heavy spices by loving

friends who certainly would have noticed if He was still alive.

• For Jesus’ ruse to have occurred, He would need to revive in the tomb, push back the huge stone

covering the mouth of His grave, overpower the Roman guards sent to protect the tomb (cf. Matt.

27:62-66), and then appear to His followers and skeptics.

• The disciples’ reaction to a clearly disfigured and crucified Jesus would have been much different

than the accounts recorded in the four gospels of Jesus’ resurrection.

The lack of popularity for this option is due to the following strong points that argue to the contrary:

“Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus

did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern

medical knowledge.“ - “On the physical death of Jesus Christ”, Journal of American Medical Association, March 21, 1986.

Lastly, the biological miracle option paints a picture of Jesus’ moral character that is

markedly different than His portrayed life and teachings. It means that Jesus was not only a

liar, but much worse. Not only would Jesus have deliberately deceived His disciples, but He

would have remained in hiding while His disciples were arrested, tortured, and murdered

for proclaiming His false resurrection.

For these reasons and others, the biological miracle option is highly unlikely, which is why it

is literally never raised against the resurrection of Jesus.

A Psychological Miracle…?

“I believe the best explanation, consistent with both scientific findings and

the surviving evidence . . . is that the first Christians experienced

hallucinations of the risen Christ, of one form or another. . . . In the ancient

world, to experience supernatural manifestations of ghosts, gods, and

wonders was not only accepted, but encouraged.” - Atheist Richard Carrier, “The Spiritual Body of Christ” in The Empty Tomb, pg. 184.

Five reasons why the psychological miracle hypothesis fails…

#1 – It confirms an empty tomb

To even get off the ground, the psychological miracle option needs and confirms

an empty tomb. If the disciples and followers of Jesus were the ones

experiencing hallucinations and being tricked into believing Christ was alive

when He was not, then who stole the body? Certainly Jesus’ enemies would not

have, and if the disciples didn’t, then who would have taken such risk to steal

the corpse?

#2 – Hallucinations? I don’t think so…

A psychological miracle option – and specifically one that proposes hallucinations

as the underlying cause – fails to account for the facts behind the appearances of

Jesus. The appearances of Jesus are remarkable in that they occurred…

• Not just once, but multiple times;

• Not just to one person, but to different persons;

• Not just to individuals, but to groups of individuals;

• Not just at one location, but at multiple locations;

• Not just in one circumstance, but in multiple circumstances;

• Not just to believers, but also to unbelievers, skeptics, and even enemies.

#3 – They weren’t expecting it…

Every account in the gospels showcases the fact that the disciples in no way

expected Jesus to rise from the dead. In fact, they are clearly portrayed as being

dull to the teaching of Jesus on His predicted resurrection. This fact is highly

significant in that it shows how, mentally, they were not building themselves up to

believe that their murdered leader would appear to them alive.

#4 – Jewish Belief on the Resurrection…

Jewish belief only looked forward to a resurrection at the end of the world, with no

one believing that anyone would be resurrected and remain alive before that

appointed time (cf. Dan. 12:2). This fact further solidifies the argument that the

disciples weren’t anticipating any return of Jesus.

#5 – Skeptics Saw Him…

It is worth calling out distinctly, although it has already been mentioned, that

skeptics and enemies of Jesus – including disbelieving members of His own family

– claimed to see Him alive after His crucifixion. From a psychological perspective,

these individuals had no reason to mentally concoct a false appearance of a person

they didn’t believe in from the start.

One More … Cognitive Dissonance?

Lastly, skeptics try to argue that one way the

psychological miracle option could be powered is

through cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance

proposes that people have a motivational drive to

reduce mental dissonance between reality and what

they want reality to be, and so they change their

attitudes, beliefs, or actions to conform to what they

desire. Cynics say that the disciples so greatly wanted

Jesus to be their Messiah that, after He was

executed, they mentally adjusted themselves to

compensate for their internal grief.

However, an argument of cognitive dissonance fails to

explain the two core facts of the resurrection, which

are the missing body and the appearances to skeptics

and enemies of Jesus. Moreover, an argument can be

made that the skeptics who doubt the resurrection of

Jesus are simply suffering from cognitive dissonance

themselves in arguing against the Biblical account.

Although popular, as can be seen, the psychological miracle

option suffers from too many drawbacks to seriously be

considered as the best explanation for Jesus’ resurrection.

A Theological Miracle…?

The theological miracle option asserts that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Unlike the first two options that are pure, naturalistic-only explanations, the

theological miracle option does not omit a supernatural possibility. It allows

a transcendent Creator to be part of the equation, which automatically

permits true miracles.

“But if we admit God, must

we admit Miracle? Indeed,

indeed, you have no security

against it. That is the

bargain.“

- C. S. Lewis

The primary reason this option is rejected by critics is because, following

their anti-supernatural bias, they rule God out in an a priori manner. It is not

a review of the evidence, but rather a commitment to naturalism that causes

skeptics of the resurrection to exclude the theological miracle possibility.

?

The Bible on Jesus’ Resurrection

“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a

severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from

heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his

appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards

shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the

women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has

been crucified. “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see

the place where He was lying. “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has

risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there

you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with

fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met

them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and

worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word

to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

(Matthew 28:1–10)

Evidence for Jesus’ Death and Burial

• Burial recorded in all gospels

• Joseph of Arimathea petitioned Pilate

for body

• Joseph put Jesus in his own tomb –

Sanhedrin member: unlikely that this

would be a lie

• Burial witnessed by close friends

• Tomb guarded by soldiers

• Jews never denied that Jesus was

dead and buried

“All the strictly historical evidence we have is

in favor of [the empty tomb], and those

scholars who reject it ought to recognize that

they do so on some other ground that that of

scientific history."

- William Wand Oxford University Church Historian

Evidence for Jesus’ Appearances

Appeared to Where When References

1 Mary Magdalene Jerusalem Sunday Mark 6:9-11; John 20:11-18

2 Other Women Jerusalem Sunday Matt 28:9-10

3 Peter Jerusalem Sunday Luke 24:32; 1 Cor. 15:5

4 Emmaus disciples Emmaus Sunday Luke 24:13-35; Mark 16:12

5 10 disciples Jerusalem Sunday Mark 16:14; Luke 24:26-42; John

20:19-25

6 11 disciples Jerusalem A week later John 20:26-31; 1 Cor. 15:5

7 7 disciples Galilee ? John 21:1-25

8 500 brethren Galilee ? 1 Cor. 15:6

9 James ? ? 1 Cor. 15:7

10 11 disciples Galilee ? Matt 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18

11 11 disciples Jerusalem 40 days later Acts 1:3-12

"It is historically certain that Peter and the

other disciples had experiences after Jesus'

death in which Jesus appeared to them as

the risen Christ." - Gerd Ludemann, Atheist

Guttingen University, Germany

“Therefore, having received orders and complete

certainly caused by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus

Christ and believing in the Word of God, they [the

disciples] went with the Holy Spirit’s certainly, preaching

the good news that the kingdom of God is about to

come.”

- Clement, Bishop of Rome A. D. 30-100

(perhaps Clement referred to in Phil. 4:3)

“Why, then, did some of the disciples claim to see Jesus

alive after his crucifixion? I don’t doubt at all that some of

the disciples claimed this. We don’t have any of their

written testimony, but Paul, writing about twenty-five years

later, indicates that this is what they claimed, and I don’t

think he is making it up. And he knew at least a couple of

them, whom he met just three years after the event.”

- Bart Ehrman

Evidence for The Disciples Transformed Lives

• Peter – crucified upside down

• Andrew – crucified on an X-shaped cross

• James (disciple) – beheaded by Herod

• John (disciple) – banished to Patmos; died

natural death in Ephesus

• Thomas – martyred in India

• James (half-brother of Jesus) – thrown from the

top of the temple, then stoned

• Bartholomew – filleted alive

• Matthew – killed with sword in Ethiopia

• Luke – hanged in Greece

• Matthias – stoned and beheaded

• Jude – murdered by archers

• Barnabas – stoned at Salonica

• Paul – beheaded in Rome

* Writings of Origen tell of Peter being crucified upside down and Paul’s martyrdom in Rome by Nero.

“And when [Jesus] came to those with

Peter, he said to them: “Take, handle me

and see that I am not a bodiles demon.’

And immediately they handled him and

believed, having known his flesh and

blood. Because of this they also

despised death; but beyond death they

were found.”

-Ignatius Bishop in Antioch

Martyred in Rome, A.D. 110

Foundation for the Undisputed Facts

1. Multiple independent sources support the facts

2. Attestation by enemies of Christianity support the facts

3. Embarrassing admissions support the facts

4. Eyewitness testimony support the facts

5. Early testimony support the facts

When the thinking person steps back and reviews the universally accepted

historiographical criteria used when examining a historical account such as

explanatory power, explanatory scope, not being ad-hoc, plausibility, not

contradicting accepted beliefs, and far exceeding its rival theories in

meeting those conditions, the theological miracle emerges as the best

possible option.

This being the case, the rational person can hardly be blamed if

he/she concludes on the basis of the evidence and a commitment

to unbiased historiographical investigation that a divine miracle

occurred on that first Easter morning.

“I have been used for many years to study the histories of

other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of

those who have written about them, and I know of no one

fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and

fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair

inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that

Christ died and rose again from the dead.”

- Dr. Thomas Arnold,

Former chair of modern history at Oxford

Author three volume “History of Rome”

For More Information And Resources

www.confidentchristians.org

The Resurrection of

Jesus

A Miracle in one of Three ways