How do we know Jesus died and rose?

The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the best-attested facts in ancient history. Sadly, a certain brand of internet-fueled skepticism about Jesus’ existence has arisen in recent years. However, the theories that get peddled are complete nonsense.

If we suggest Jesus never existed, it leaves a thousand other things unexplained. We have all sorts of evidence that points back to him. The crucifixion itself is one of the best because, in the ancient world, the word ‘cross’ or ‘crucifixion’ was almost like a swear word. You wouldn’t want to say it in polite company because it was so horrible and barbaric. 

Crucifixion was a disgusting and shameful notion involving bodies hanging on crosses and being eaten by rats, vermin and birds. And yet, against the odds, the Christians made the cross the symbol of their movement. Why? Because for them it was the sign of the love of God. Without something like the actual death of Jesus, that cultural shift is impossible to explain.

What about the resurrection? In the ancient world there were lots of legends and myths floating around. Was the resurrection just one more of these? Today people sometimes say: “Well, that was then, but now we have modern science, so we know that dead bodies don’t rise.” That’s ridiculous. They knew just as well as we do that dead bodies don’t rise!

My problem as a historian is that unless you say Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead, it is very difficult to explain historically many of the features of early Christianity. There were a whole range of opinions in the ancient world, both pagan and Jewish, about what happens to people after they die. 

Astonishingly, early Christians said: “After we die, if we belong to Christ, we will rest and then we will be raised from the dead on the last day to share in God’s new world.” That was a major revolution. They said that the reason for this new belief was God raising Jesus from the dead.

That’s just one argument out of dozens. There are all sorts of lines of evidence pointing back to the resurrection, but for Christians it wasn’t simply a miracle. This was the creator God launching his new world. That new world nests within, and is transforming, the old world.

Reflect: How do you respond to this evidence of Jesus’ death and resurrection?