The Bible states Jesus died by crucifixion – one of the most horrible means of death ever devised by the human race.  The victim of crucifixion died due to a number of factors such as blood loss, exposure, asphyxiation, exhaustion and other causes.  The Bible asserts Jesus also went through exhausting physical and emotional ordeals immediately prior to his crucifixion.

To become familiar with Jesus’ ordeals and crucifixion please read: Matthew 26:46-27:56, Mark 14:43-15:41, Luke 22:47-23:49 or John 18:1-19:37.

The Bible makes many radical claims.  One such claim is Jesus defeated death and bodily rose from the dead.  The authority of the Christian message relies on the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus.  If Jesus was not resurrected, than the Christian message is invalid.  If he was resurrected from the dead, than the Christian story is true and everyone should treat its news with the utmost respect.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “…if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).

Before discussing whether Jesus’ resurrection occurred, we need to be clear about what the Christian story claims the resurrection to be.  In our day, it is a trend to redefine key terms in order to reconcile various points of view.  At times, this approach to dialogue has merit.  In the case of discussing the Christian claim, however, we must be clear what the New Testament writers meant when they stated Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.

Defining what “Resurrection” Means

First, resurrection is not the survival of death in a ghost like state.  In myth and popular media, a ghost is supposed to be a person’s soul or spirit in a disembodied state.  Jesus said, “Look at my hands and my feet.  It is I myself!  Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39).

Resurrection cannot properly be defined as a resuscitation of one’s body.  While this captures part of the definition of resurrection, it fails to take seriously the concept of transformation.  The Bible says not only was Jesus brought back from death (as was Lazarus, see John 11), but his body was transformed.

The New Testament concept of resurrection defies eastern religious concepts as well.  The claim of the resurrection is not a claim of reincarnation.  Reincarnation is defined as the rebirth of a soul in a new mortal human body – usually with a new identity for the person reincarnated.  Jesus’ resurrection body is immortal and he clearly retained his sense of self identity. 

Resurrection cannot be defined as the attaining of enlightenment, Nirvana, satori or moksha.  These terms imply the loss of a person’s identity as he merges with God as a drop of water absorbs into the ocean.  Jesus clearly remained an embodied individual. 

Jesus’ resurrection was not translation or assumption into heaven.  This Jewish concept is seen in the translation / assumption of Enoch and Elijah in the Old Testament.  This concept is different from the resurrection, in part, because it is the idea of a person being taken from earth to heaven.  Resurrection is the idea of Jesus’ return from the realm of the dead to the earth.

Some understand Jesus’ resurrection as a vision experienced by the disciples.  A vision is an experience occurring to an individual as an internally experienced event (in one’s mind).  It is internally processed and cannot be externally verified, as it has no reality except to the observer.  Jesus resurrection body was clearly more than this.  Jesus was touched by those he appeared to, he ate in their presence and he was seen by many people at the same time.

Neither is the resurrection a myth or legend.  Myths and legends are, by definition, non historical events.  They are based in the imaginations of the persons who create them.  The early church clearly claimed the resurrection as an objective, verifiable event in human history.

Finally, Jesus’ resurrection is not the “triumph of Easter faith in the hearts and lives of the disciples.”[42]  This perspective claims the stories of the miracles serve as encouragement to the Christian to live charitable and good lives even though the resurrection (and other miracles) did not happen as objective events in history.  This idea is completely foreign to the New Testament as it is essentially an act of self deception.  Faith needs to have an object or person on which it rests.  According to the New Testament perspective, if Jesus did not bodily rise from the grave then faith is a waste of time and an illusion.[43]

What the Resurrection Is

If it is important to define what the resurrection is not, it is important to define what it is.  The Bible says the resurrection is the beginning of a new order of things that will not be completed until the time of Jesus’ return.  It is the intrusion of the spiritual world – which we consider as transient and unreal – into the physical world – which we think is permanent.  The result of this intrusion is a transformation of both spiritual and physical realities into something new.  Paul calls this “something new” by different terms – “first fruits,” “the last Adam,” “the clothing of the perishable with the imperishable,” and “the spiritual body.”[44]  The resurrection is not only the resuscitation of a corpse, but the implanting of a new power within that body.  This power transforms and raises the human body to the highest possible levels of life – God’s life.  Interestingly, Jesus promised he was not the only one who would experience this resurrection life, but so will all who receive him as their Lord and Savior.[45]

Did Jesus Defeat Death?

Since we now know what the New Testament means by “resurrection,” we can now ask an important question.  The question is, can we know with certainty that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead?  In the exploration of this question in the next pages, I believe you will discover we can confidently know Jesus indeed defeated death through his resurrection.

Modern scholars – Christian and skeptic alike – believe certain key elements of the resurrection story are beyond any doubt.  These key elements are as follows:

Some of the elements of the above outline will be reviewed more thoroughly in the pages to come.  This outline establishes the basic elements of the resurrection story that are universally agreed upon as historical fact.

To answer the question of whether Jesus resurrected, I want to use a simple outline to help us thoroughly explore all of the possible answers to the question.  This outline begins with a question – what happened to Jesus’ body after he died?

What Happened to Jesus’ Body?

The New Testament records Jesus’ body was taken from the cross and buried in a Palestinian tomb.  As with any burial, there are two possibilities as to what happened to Jesus’ body – either it remained in the tomb or it did not. 

If Jesus’ body remained in the tomb, we must account for the behavior of Jesus’ disciples and their opponents.  Why would Jesus’ disciples proclaim the resurrection story if it did not occur?  Further, if Jesus’ body remained in the tomb, one must ask why the authorities did not produce the decomposing body of Jesus to counter the claim of the resurrection event. 

On the other hand, if Jesus body departed the tomb, we must attempt to discover how it left.  Did it leave through the actions of an outside party or did Jesus’ body leave the tomb under its own power?

Possibility One: The Body Remained in the Tomb

In our investigation, we will first explore the way events usually unfold for people who are buried – let’s suppose Jesus’ body remained in the tomb.  If this was the case, it puts the “fault” of proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection squarely on the shoulders of Jesus’ disciples as they proclaimed Jesus had risen from the dead.  There are only two ways to account for such an apparently false course of action – either the disciples proclaimed Jesus’ resurrection knowing they were lying; or, the disciples themselves were somehow fooled into thinking Jesus was alive. 

Were the Followers of Jesus Lying?

The idea of the followers of Jesus lying about Jesus’ resurrection encounters a number of substantial difficulties.  The first question would have to be simply, why would they lie about such a thing?  There are a many reasons this is unlikely.  First, there is the simple fact of the reverence they had for Jesus.  Despite their frequent misunderstandings of Jesus, his followers clearly believed he was the coming Messiah of Jewish hope.  As such, Jesus’ followers were depending on him for the deliverance of their nation from Roman oppression and for their own personal blessing as well.  His death cut short those hopes.  What strange turn of heart would cause his followers to react to this tragedy in such a way?

We also must account for the cooperation of Jesus’ mother and brothers in this charade.  The New Testament lists them as witnesses of the resurrection and followers of Jesus.  It is important to note the devotion of Jesus’ family to his message comes after his death.[47]  Before Jesus’ death, his family neither understood him nor supported his ministry.

There is the further challenge of the price the apostles paid for their proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus.  History tells us Jesus’ closest followers – the inner group of the eleven apostles – faced many difficulties and died difficult deaths because of their proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection.  In spite of the difficulties they endured, there is no record of an apostle ever renouncing the proclamation of the resurrection.  The apostles would spend the rest of their lives living and preaching an ethic of self sacrifice and service to other people.  What lie could account for their sacrifice?

There is the challenge presented by the first witnesses of the resurrection – a group of women who had gone to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.  The accounts of the women in the gospels are considered by almost all New Testament scholars as accurate.  Why are these stories held in such high regard?  In Jesus’ day, the testimony of women was considered worthless.  It is reasoned no one would report such a story unless it was true.  The idea of inventing a story in which women were the first witnesses would be viewed as counterproductive in that time.  If the disciples lied about Jesus’ resurrection, it is unimaginable they would create the story of the women’s discovery of the empty tomb as it would severely undermine their claims!

We must reckon with the conversion of Paul.  Before Paul became a Christian, he considered the suppression of the Christian message and church to be an item of top priority for him and all faithful Jewish persons.  Yet this all changed when Paul saw the resurrected Jesus!  (For one account of his story, see Acts 9:1-30).

Finally, the religious and secular leaders would have only needed to go to Jesus’ tomb and produce his corpse to show such a lie for what it was.  Of course, if the disciples had decided to lie about Jesus’ resurrection, they might have considered stealing the body and hiding it.  (To consider this possibility, see Did the Disciples Steal the Body? in the next section, Jesus’ Body Exited the Tomb).

The disciples did not lie about the resurrection of Jesus.  Instead, our review demonstrates the disciples were being honest and truthful when they claimed to have seen the resurrected Jesus.

Were the Disciples Victims of a Hoax?

Even though the disciples’ were honest about their claim to have seen the resurrected Jesus, this does not exclude the possibility they were honestly mistaken.  Perhaps the disciples were the victim of a cruel hoax or some sort of delusion.  In this section, we will explore these possibilities.

A reading of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection quickly eliminate the possibility the Disciples were victims of a hoax.  From all accounts, the disciples were deeply suspicious of the news of Jesus’ resurrection.  Each of the gospels highlights the profound initial skepticism of the disciples.  It was only later that their doubt blossomed into committed belief.  It was only after being presented with the reality of Jesus’ resurrection in a variety of situations they came to believe Jesus was alive.

In the gospel accounts, we see the disciples experiencing a variety of supernatural events that convinced them Jesus was alive.  These events included the appearance of angels to announce Jesus’ resurrection, multiple experiences of Jesus appearing in their midst and Jesus’ ascension to heaven.  All of these experiences would have been extraordinarily difficult to counterfeit.

Consider the physicality of the post resurrection appearances of Jesus.  Repeatedly we see the disciples taking hold of the risen Jesus or being invited to touch him.  We also see Jesus eating with his disciples.  The contact of the disciples with the resurrected Jesus was up close and personal.  It would be difficult for any hoax to survive such scrutiny.

There are also the psychological aspects of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances to consider.  Before his death, Jesus demonstrated detailed familiarity with the details of his disciples’ lives.  The disciples knew Jesus as someone who knew them better than themselves.  In their encounters with the resurrected Jesus, they met this same person who knew them better than themselves.

Supposing someone was able to convince the skeptical disciples Jesus had risen from the dead, there is still the question of who would perpetrate such a hoax.  The religious and civil authorities would certainly not, because they wanted this problem to go away!  They certainly did not want Jesus’ disciples thinking their leader was alive.  The idea of other persons attempting this is not reasonable either.  Jesus had just been crucified by the authority of the Roman Government.  The penalties for such folly would likewise be extreme.

Therefore, we conclude the disciples were not the victims of a hoax.

Were the Disciples the Victims of a Hallucination?

Some believe the disciples were the victims of a hallucination.  It is suggested because the disciples wished Jesus to be alive they convinced themselves they had seen him.  This theory, however, does not stand upon close examination of the facts.

Hallucinations are private, individual and internally experienced events.  In contrast to this, the majority of recorded post resurrection appearances are to groups of people.  One group numbered over five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:6).   

Hallucinations are experienced under certain limited conditions of either mindset or situation.  By contrast, the post resurrection appearances of Jesus occurred under a variety of circumstances.  Jesus appeared to his disciples privately and when they were together in groups.  He appeared to them when they were at both leisure and work.  Jesus appeared to his disciples when they were in different frames of mind – moments of grief, moments of confusion (over the issue of his resurrection) and moments when they were full of hope.

Another problem with this theory is one of simple credibility.  If you were to see a dead man walking and talking, wouldn’t you think you were hallucinating or at least needed to see the eye doctor?  It is only reasonable to expect the same of the disciples.  Remember, the initial reaction of the disciples to the news of the resurrection was disbelief.  Matthew 28:17 gives a summary statement of the disciples’ reaction to seeing Jesus after his resurrection.  “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”

Consider these other difficulties with the hallucination theory.

Finally, if the friends of Jesus had all hallucinated, they would not have had a reason to disturb the body.  As a result, when the disciples began to proclaim Jesus had risen from the dead, the religious and civil leaders would have simply produced Jesus’ corpse and put an end to the Christian movement before it gained significant momentum.

Consequently, we know the hallucination theory is not a satisfactory explanation of the resurrection event.

No other explanations account for the actions of the disciples and the possibility the body of Jesus remained in the tomb.  A thorough examination of the above theories reveals they do not account for the facts surrounding the resurrection event.  This leads us to consider the second set of possibilities - Jesus’ body exited the tomb.

Possibility Two: Jesus’ Body Exited the Tomb

We conclude Jesus’ body did not remain entombed but somehow exited the tomb.  How could this happen?  Two alternatives are open to us, either the body was removed by an outside party or Jesus departed the tomb somehow alive.

Did The Religious/Civil Authorities (or both) Remove Jesus’ Body?

We will first consider the possibility the religious / civil authorities removed Jesus’ body from the tomb.  This was the first guess of the disciples upon their discovery of the empty tomb.  Mary Magdalene is quoted as saying, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”[49]  The disciples discovered, just as we will, the idea of the authorities removing Jesus’ body would not bear scrutiny. 

This idea fails for many reasons.  First, there is no discernable interest for the authorities to act in such a manner.  While it is possible they would have removed the body to preclude the possibility of the disciples stealing Jesus’ body, the historical record speaks against this.  When the disciples did claim Jesus had risen from the dead, the authorities failed to produce Jesus’ body to disprove the disciples’ claim.  In order for this idea to be true, it would imagine the authorities had Jesus’ body in their possession but did not produce it when the disciples began to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! 

Another reason this idea fails is because the historical record states the religious authorities had a guard posted to foil any attempt to steal Jesus’ body.  Why steal a body you are guarding?[50] 

This idea also fails because the disciples’ not only claimed the tomb was empty, but they had seen and spoken to Jesus!  If the disciples had not personally encountered Jesus, then the empty tomb would have been a mystery to them – but they would not have proclaimed Jesus’ resurrection. 

For these reasons, we see this theory fails to account for the resurrection event.

Did the Disciples Steal the Body?

The other alternative left to us is Jesus’ disciples stole his body.  This idea also fails because of the many difficulties it encounters.  Many of these difficulties were dealt with in a previous section (please see in this chapter, above: Were the Disciples Lying?)

The psychological challenges to this hypothesis are enormous.  Under what conditions could we conceive of Jesus’ family and friends being convinced to desecrate the body by removing it? 

Even if we grant the disciples and the family of Jesus the psychological ability to overcome the normal feelings one has for the remains of a deceased loved one they would have had to contend with the Roman guard stationed at the tomb (see Matthew 27:62-66).  

The theory of the disciples stealing Jesus’ body cannot account for the resurrection event.

Jesus Did Not Really Die On the Cross

We have narrowed our range of possibilities so we know a third party did not remove Jesus’ body.  We now have to contend with the possibility Jesus survived his crucifixion and exited the tomb under his own power.

The first explanation for this possibility is one that supposes Jesus did not die on the cross.  This theory suggests Jesus was in a coma like state resembling death when he was brought down from the cross.  After Jesus was placed in the tomb, the theory continues, he revived, exited the tomb, and convinced his disciples he had risen from the dead.  There are many difficulties with this theory.

The Roman soldiers responsible for his crucifixion were very skilled at what they did.  The responsibility of insuring Jesus’ death fell to them.  Had Jesus escaped death, the soldiers knew very well they would pay for such dereliction of duty with their lives.  The New Testament account plainly says the soldiers inspected Jesus’ body and declared him dead.[51]

One detail of the soldier’s inspection was to thrust a spear into Jesus’ chest to guarantee he was dead.  The New Testament account tells us when the soldier thrust the spear into Jesus’ side it brought forward a “sudden flow of blood and water.”[52]  The appearance of blood and water is a good medical indication death had already occurred.[53]  According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association if Jesus had not been dead at this point, the spear thrust would have most likely killed him by perforating not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart.[54]

The second difficulty is the interest Pilate, the Roman governor who had sentenced Jesus to death, took in the matter.  The Gospel of Mark gives the account of Pilate’s interest in the situation.  “Joseph of Arimathea…went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead.  Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.  When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.”[55]  With the Roman Governor’s interest focused on the issue, we may be sure Jesus’ executioners made sure of his death.

The third difficulty is the grave clothes in which Jesus’ body was wrapped before his burial.  They would have made impossible an escape from the tomb.  The grave clothes were wrapped in the fashion of an adhesive bandage around the body.  In addition, they were coated in seventy five pounds of embalming spices (John 19:39-40).  These spices acted as a glue or cement to hold the wrappings together and they created a solid covering.  Jesus, weakened as he was by his crucifixion ordeal, would have been unable to escape the grave clothes – or even breathe through them.

There are other difficulties to account for.  Consider the following:

Perhaps the most overwhelming objection to this theory is the very character of Jesus himself.  Would Jesus, who preached the need for truth, integrity and love, have lied in such a way?  For these reasons, we find this theory cannot account for the resurrection event.

Jesus Was Bodily Resurrected by the Power of God

We conclude Jesus’ body left the tomb and it did not exit the tomb by the methods that would commonly account for such an event.  How then did Jesus’ body exit the tomb?  We are left with one possible answer, the answer of the Bible – God raised Jesus from the dead.  There are ten reasons to take this possibility seriously.

1. Overwhelming Eyewitness Testimony.

The historical record of the New Testament gives us impressive and unimpeachable accounts Jesus rose from the dead.  The eyewitness accounts of the risen Jesus provided to us come from poor and rich, educated and uneducated.  They come from individuals and groups.  Their experiences of the risen Jesus occurred in a variety of circumstances and emotional states over a forty day period.  In spite of the initial skepticism of the witnesses, they were won over by the fact of Jesus’ transformed and living body – right in front of them.  The Apostle Peter’s words on this matter are to the point, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”[58]  (For some of the other accounts of the resurrection, read the final chapter of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the last two chapters of the Gospel of John, the first two chapters of Acts, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Of course, it may be objected these events occurred long ago – and so how can we know they happened?  From our earlier chapter, Is the Bible Historically Reliable, we know of the historical reliability of the Bible.  So while these events occurred long ago, we know we have reliable records of these events.

2. Jesus’ Prediction of His Resurrection and His Post Resurrection Statements.

Another reason to trust the story of the resurrection event is Jesus himself predicted he would rise from the dead.  Consider these passages.

Jesus said, “…A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”[59]

“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”…the temple he had spoken of was his body.”[60]

“[Jesus] told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”[61]

Jesus expected to defeat death – and he did!

3. The Changed Attitude of the Disciples.

When Jesus was arrested by the religious authorities, his disciples abandoned him.  After Jesus’ death, the disciples were utterly demoralized and went into hiding.  After the resurrection event, however, the disciples are fearless in the face of the authorities and all threats.  What can account for this change?  The disciples accounted for it by explaining they had seen the risen Jesus, they knew he was Lord of all, and so they did not need to fear.  Acts 4:13 says, “When they [the religious leadership] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”  To learn more about the adventures and boldness of the disciples, read the book of Acts in the New Testament.

4. The Conversion of James.

Before the resurrection event, James is not listed as a follower of Jesus and apparently opposed his ministry.  After the resurrection event, James is listed among the disciples and becomes a prominent leader in the church.  What can account for this change?  The only satisfactory explanation is the one given by the New Testament: Jesus appeared to his step-brother.  As a result, James became convinced Jesus is Lord.

5. The Conversion of Paul.

Before his conversion to Christianity, Paul was a terrorist who delighted in capturing, imprisoning and even killing Christians.  Paul viewed the Christian message as a threat and blasphemy.  Yet, Paul became a Christian and a prominent leader in the Christian movement.  Why the change?  He said it was because he had seen the resurrected Jesus.[62]

6. Sunday as a Day of Worship and Rest.

The founders of the early church were Jewish.  As persons of Jewish belief and background, they believed the seventh day (Saturday) was to be set aside as a day of worship and rest.  Yet very early in Christian history Sunday became the day of worship and rest.  What can attest to this change in a practice that had been observed by the Jewish people for centuries?  The only satisfactory reason available is the one given in the New Testament – Sunday became the day of worship, rest and celebration because it was the day on which Jesus rose from the dead.[63] 

7. The Fact of the Empty Tomb.

Jesus’ burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and the empty tomb are established facts.[64]  How can the empty tomb be explained?  As we reviewed in the various theories above, no explanation outside the resurrection event is able to explain these facts adequately.

8. The Existence of the Christian Church.

If Jesus did not rise from the dead then the existence of the Christian Church must be explained.  The New Testament records the first founders of the Christian movement were men and women who claimed to have seen the risen Jesus.  If not for their work, the Church would not have come into existence.  Apart from the resurrection of Jesus, the existence of the institution of the Christian Church cannot be accounted for.

9. The Millions Who Have Encountered His Living Presence.

The New Testament states Jesus is alive.  Christianity is not founded upon an idea or philosophy but upon the claim that individual people can have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Since the resurrection event, when people call on the name of Jesus they find they encounter a real person.  Of course, this is not the same as physically seeing Jesus as some of the early followers of Jesus did.  Yet millions of people - in many cultures and nations - have attested to a powerful encounter with the living Jesus that has changed their lives.

10. The Best Explanation for the Cumulative Evidence.

The case for Jesus’ resurrection is compelling not only because of the individual lines of evidence listed above, but also because of the cumulative effect of the evidence.  The only convincing explanation of all of the facts is Jesus’ resurrection. 

Conclusion – Jesus is Risen From the Dead!

When all the possible facts and perspectives are considered, there is only one reasonable conclusion to make: Jesus is risen from the dead!  If Jesus rose from the dead, this validates the many claims he made about himself.  In the next chapter, we will consider these claims and explore what bearing they have on our lives.

Dealing with Differences in the Resurrection Accounts

A reading of the accounts of the resurrection event in the New Testament will demonstrate there is a striking unity in the overall story presented.  All of the accounts testify to a basic outline of facts – Jesus rose from the dead, the first witnesses of the resurrection were women and Jesus then appeared to a number of other witnesses.  On the other hand, when compared with each other, these reports also have differences in the details reported.  Some accounts report the appearance of one angel, where other accounts report the appearance of several angels.  One account speaks of a group of women going to Jesus’ tomb, while another speaks of one woman.  What are we to make of these differences?  Do they add to or subtract from the credibility of their reports?  Are these differences complimentary or contradictory?

There are three possible perspectives one can hold in regard to the different versions of the resurrection event reported in the New Testament.

1.  The differences in the accounts point to a lack of historical accuracy in the New Testament accounts.  Therefore, it is concluded, the accounts cannot be trusted and the possibility of Jesus’ resurrection is not taken seriously.

2.  The differences in the accounts of the resurrection event point to the overall reliability of the account of the resurrection event.  When criminal investigators question witnesses, they expect minor differences in the accounts of the people questioned.  This is a mark the witnesses have not colluded on their stories. 

This approach accepts the overall credibility of the reports of the resurrection event, without straining at minor details.  For this approach, the bodily resurrection of Jesus and other details of the accounts are accepted – the first witnesses of the resurrection event being women, the various experiences of the disciples, etc.  Minor details of the accounts, such as the number of angels actually present at the tomb and other variations are actually viewed as strengthening our regard of the historical reliability of the resurrection accounts.

3.  The differences in the accounts of the resurrection event emphasize the extreme accuracy that characterizes the Bible.  In this approach, the differences seen in the accounts of the resurrection events are the result of the reporting of minute details by various witnesses.

Because of our understanding of the overall historical reliability of the Bible, the first approach – rejecting the resurrection story because of differences in the accounts – can be summarily discarded.  Few modern scholars would seriously suggest the gospel accounts are not accurately recorded history.  Whatever conclusions we may draw, this approach is not available to us.

If the New Testament accounts of the resurrection event are correct in the major details than the overall integrity of the Christian message does not suffer.  We still know the resurrection event occurred and we must consider Jesus’ message seriously.

If, on the other hand, the New Testament accounts are accurate in every detail, than what seem at first to be contradictions in the historical accounts are found to be complimentary details.  Of course, if this approach is correct than the resurrection event is also demonstrated to have occurred.

Having read the Bible for over two decades, I (the writer) have struggled with the question of which of the last two approaches best fits the New Testament data.  While either approach supports the Christian story, I find the third approach listed above best fits all the information we posses.  Comparing the details of each of the resurrection accounts, I have found they compliment each other to a great degree.  In the end, however, whether the reports of the resurrection event are accurate in general or in all of their details is an irrelevant question.  We know as a matter of historical fact Jesus defeated death and bodily rose from the dead.  This leads us to the next chapter.