Beyond A Reasonable Doubt: 23 Arguments for the Historical Validity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Reasons Why the Resurrection is Believable

If true, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the single most important event in the history of mankind, and therefore the one most crucial to establish as an authentic historical event.  In fact, the resurrection is the very linchpin of the Christian faith, holding together every claim and every blessing.  If the resurrection could be proven a fraud, Christianity would disintegrate as a total fabrication with little redeeming merit.  Jesus would not even be an example of a “good moral teacher,” as some maintain, for his most important prediction—that he would be raised from the dead—would be found a lie.

As Christians, our very salvation depends in large part upon the reliability of the four historical records of the birth, life, death, and especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  A deeply held belief in the resurrection as a fact of history is a vital element for our eternal salvation.  Romans 10:9 asserts: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  We are trifling with the bedrock of our salvation when we entertain doubts about the historical accuracy of any part of Scripture.  But most crucial are those parts that make historical claims upon which our salvation depends.

Therefore, those who argue that the historicity of the resurrection is not provable and even unnecessary are contradicting the testimony of the apostolic witnesses.  Indeed, the Apostle Paul’s entire ministry was built upon the foundation of the resurrection, and it was his personal encounter with the risen Christ that caused him to develop an unassailable conviction in the reality of this event.  In the following verses, we have highlighted in bold type Paul’s statements of the consequences to the Christian faith if the resurrection of Christ did not, in fact, happen.

1 Corinthians 15:14-20

Later in his life, Paul’s public testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his proclamation of the Gospel in Ephesus caused such an uproar that the Roman authorities took him into protective custody lest he be killed by the Jews. After several appeals according to Roman Law, Paul found himself standing before King Agrippa, his last level of appeal before the Emperor himself.

Given permission to speak freely, Paul launched into a passionate account of his life, culminating with his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. When Paul then verified the resurrection from Old Testament prophecy, the governor, Festus, interrupted him and told him he was crazy. The truth of Paul’s brilliant reply remains emblazoned across the pages of human history.

Acts 26:25 and 26
(25) “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.

Amen! And that is why, taken together, the following historical proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ present evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt.

1. The resurrection narratives have the ring of historical truth






3. The empty tomb is a historical given



4. The disciples were devout Jews


5. The testimony of women


6. Jewish propaganda presupposes the empty tomb and the missing body




8. There was no veneration of the tomb







10. No alternative explanations in the early non-scriptural sources


11. The biblical records of the resurrection appearances give unified witness



  9. To James (1 Cor. 15:7)
  10. To the twelve at the ascension (Acts 1:3-12)[6]




J. P. Moreland confirms this and quotes other scholars:






14. The conviction of his followers in the resurrection

Those who first published the story that Jesus had risen from the dead believed it to be a fact.  They rested their faith not only on the fact of the empty tomb, but on the fact that they themselves had seen Jesus alive after his burial. He was seen not once or twice, but at least ten recorded times; and not just one at a time, but in groups of two, seven, ten, eleven, and five hundred.

15. The martyrdom of his followers for their belief in the resurrection



Some critics say that the early Christians had a vision or an hallucination of Christ after his death, in the same way people today claim to have “seen” the pop icon Elvis Presley.  Could it not have been an ecstatic vision? A dream? A fantasy of an excited imagination?  Perhaps an apparition?  None of these is at all probable, for different groups of people do not keep on seeing the same hallucination.  500 people in a crowd would not all dream the same dream at the same time.


17. The unbelief of the disciples concerning his resurrection




The picture of Jesus was not in keeping with current conceptions of what the Messiah would be like (a theocratic ruler who would deliver Israel from Gentile oppression) and it would have been hard to convince others of its truth.  The Greeks, with their doctrine of the immortality of the soul, thought the idea of a bodily resurrection absurd and unnecessary (cp. Acts 17:32).  If the disciples had invented an event or a doctrine around which to build a new religion, it would have been more in line with the standard expectations of the day.


The “swoon” theory has proposed that Jesus was not really dead when they buried him, and that he “came to” again.  But in that case, weak and exhausted, encased in heavy grave wrappings, he could scarcely have moved, much less removed the heavy stone door and gotten out of the tomb.  Furthermore, the Roman authorities had sealed the door, and even if he had been successful in moving the stone, the guards would have rearrested him and further humiliated him.  Since there is no record of such an event, it must not have happened, because his enemies would have made much of such a bizarre happening.



The resurrection was not a later addition to the Christian faith, but the very cause and incentive for it.  They rested their faith, not on historical records, but on what they had seen with their own eyes. The records were the result of their faith, not the cause of it. Christianity hinges on the historical fact of Christ’s resurrection, for without it the entire faith is found fraudulent.  Had there been no resurrection, there would have been no New Testament, and no Christian Church.



22. The unanimous testimony of the early Christian leaders

If the empty tomb and resurrection was a fabrication, why did not at least one of the disciples break away from the rest and start his own version of Christianity?  Or why did not at least one of them reveal the claim as a lie? The Temple authorities were willing to pay good money to anyone who would provide such information.  Or if money was not alluring enough, what about the possibility of proving the resurrection a lie in order to draw disciples away to follow some enterprising would-be cult leader?  History has shown that this role is a popular one, and this would have been a golden opportunity.


23. All of the alternate explanations proposed for the resurrection lack credibility

In light of the evidence of the empty tomb, the resurrection appearances and the rise of the Christian Church, a reasonable person should conclude that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a well-established historical fact.  In a court of law, such evidence would compel conviction unless contradictory evidence could be brought forward to introduce “a reasonable doubt.” But all alternate explanations and theories are extremely doubtful and counter-intuitive.

Therefore, Christians are being rational, sensible, and fully consistent with common sense when they rest their faith on this well-established historical event.  Not only is there compelling historical evidence to back the belief, but extravagant benefits in the future are promised to those who believe it.[12] According to the Bible, the only sure promise of everlasting life for mankind, both individually and collectively, depends upon belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  As Halley writes:

“What a hale of glory this simple belief sheds on human life. Our hope of resurrection and life everlasting is based, not on a philosophic guess about immortality, but an historic fact.”[13]


1. Henry Morris, The Defender’s Bible (World Publishing, Grand Rapids, 1995), p. 1576. Back to top

2. New Bible Dictionary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1975), p. 1087. Back to top


4. Translated by William Whiston (originally published in 1737), The Life and Works of Flavius Josephus (The Winston Co., Philadelphia, 1957), p. 535. Back to top

5. Traditionally, Judas Iscariot is excluded from the number witnessing his ascension because of the record in Matthew 27:5 that seems to indicate that Judas went and “hanged himself” shortly after the crucifixion. It seems more likely, however, that Judas was received back into the company of the disciples in the period between his repentance and the ascension, which he witnessed. After he saw Jesus ascend, and all hope of the restoration of a Davidic kingdom lost, Judas went and killed himself. His absence then precipitated the need to replace him, which became the first order of business after the resurrection (see Acts 1:16-26). If Judas had killed himself before the resurrection, it is logical to assume that Jesus himself would have been involved in choosing his replacement, since he chose the original 12. The fact that Judas was received back into the company of the disciples after his betrayal of Jesus speaks volumes about the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus, as well as the committed brotherhood of the disciples. Back to top

6. J.P. Moreland, Scaling the Secular City (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids MI, 1987), pp. 171,172. Back to top

7. Thomas Arnold, Sermons on Christian Life (London, 1854), p. 324. Back to top

8. Simon Greenleaf, The Testimony of the Evangelists (New York: 1874), p. 28. Back to top

9. See our book Is There Death After Life? Back to top

10. Henry Morris, op. cit., p. 1574. Back to top

11. See our book The Christian’s Hope: The Anchor of the Soul Back to top

12. From Halley’s Bible Handbook, 1955 edition, p.497. Back to top

13. Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, Twenty-Fourth Edition (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1965), p. 557. Back to top

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