The bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Published on 4 December 2025 at 16:57

Without the Resurrection, There Is No Christianity

The Central Importance of Jesus’ Resurrection in Christian Faith
Theological and Spiritual Significance of the Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus is not a secondary belief. it is the bedrock of Christianity. Without it, there is no Christian message, no salvation, and no eternal hope. As Paul wrote: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, NIV)
The resurrection is God’s declaration that death has been defeated, sin has been atoned for, and the Messiah has been vindicated. It proves that Jesus was more than a moral teacher. He is the Son of God with power over life and death. It also guarantees our future resurrection, confirming God's promises.

The Minimal Facts Approach: A Powerful Apologetic

Developed by [1] Dr Gary Habermas, the Minimal Facts Approach focuses on core historical facts that are:

Strongly supported by historical evidence
Accepted by the vast majority of scholars, including sceptical and non-Christian scholars
Difficult to explain apart from the bodily resurrection of Jesus
This method is valuable because it does not depend on assuming the full inerrancy of Scripture but rather demonstrates that even secular history points to the resurrection.

[2]‘[3]The 12 Minimal Facts Accepted by Scholars and Sceptics

Jesus died by crucifixion

Verified by both Christian and non-Christian sources like Tacitus and Josephus. Roman execution was brutal and ensured death.

He was buried in a known tomb

Likely that of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin. Both friends and enemies knew the location.

The tomb was found empty

Even hostile sources acknowledged this (e.g., the Jewish authorities claimed the disciples stole the body). The earliest witnesses were women, an unlikely invention in that culture.

Post-death appearances of Jesus

Jesus appeared to individuals and groups, believers and sceptics, including Peter, the Twelve, 500 people, James, and Paul (1 Corinthians 15:3–8).

The disciples truly believed they saw the risen Jesus

Their actions (enduring torture and death) only make sense if they were utterly convinced.

The disciples were radically transformed

From cowardly deserters to bold proclaimers of the resurrection even unto martyrdom.

The resurrection was preached very early

The creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7 dates to within 3–5 years of Jesus’ death, based on linguistic and contextual analysis.

James, the brother of Jesus, was converted

A former sceptic, James became a leader of the Jerusalem Church after seeing the risen Jesus.

Paul’s conversion

A fierce persecutor became the most passionate evangelist of the resurrection after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Sunday became the primary day of worship

A shift from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday happened rapidly. Why? To commemorate the resurrection.

The early Christian message centred on the resurrection

The resurrection was not a late theological development—it was central from the beginning.

No one ever produced Jesus’ body

If the authorities had the body, they could have instantly stopped the Christian movement. They didn't.

Alternative Theories and Their Refutations

Many attempts have been made to explain away the resurrection. All have fatal weaknesses:

[4] The Swoon Theory (Jesus didn’t really die; he only fainted)

Roman soldiers were experts in execution.
Jesus was pierced with a spear (John 19:34).
A half-dead man could not move a heavy stone or convince others He conquered death.

[5] The Hallucination Theory (everyone seen Jesus was hallucinating!)

Hallucinations are individual, not group experiences.
Multiple appearances, to over 500 people, including enemies, cannot be hallucinations.
Physical interactions (touching Jesus, eating with Him) contradict hallucination claims.

[6] The Theft Theory (Disciples stole the body)

The disciples were terrified and in hiding after the crucifixion.
Why die for something they knew was a lie?
Roman guards and a sealed tomb make theft highly unlikely.

[7] The Wrong Tomb Theory (disciples went to wrong Tomb)

The women followed Joseph to the tomb (Luke 23:55).
If they went to the wrong tomb, so did the Roman guards, Jewish leaders, and Peter.
The real tomb would have been pointed out easily.

[8] The Myth Theory

Myths take generations to develop. The resurrection was proclaimed within months.
The empty tomb and appearances are found in the earliest sources.
There was no time or cultural space for a myth to develop.

[9] The Twin/Lookalike Theory

Highly implausible, Jesus’ family and closest friends would not be fooled.
The lookalike would have to perform miracles and bear crucifixion wounds.

[10] Spiritual Resurrection Theory

The Gospels describe a physical resurrection:
Jesus ate with the disciples (Luke 24:41–43)
Invited Thomas to touch Him (John 20:27)
Jewish expectations of resurrection were physical, not symbolic.

[11] Substitution Theory (Popular in Islam)

Claims someone else was crucified instead of Jesus.
There is no historical or textual evidence for this theory before Islam.
Contradicted by all early sources, including enemies of the Church.
The Qur'an itself is ambiguous and lacks eyewitness support.
Please read a full response in this theory in index 1

[12] Alien Theory (Jesus was Alien)

No historical or philosophical grounding.
Adds an unnecessary and unprovable layer to the evidence.
Jesus' life, teachings, and Jewish context are incompatible with alien speculation.

[13] Conclusion:

The Resurrection Is the Best Explanation
All the available evidence, biblical and extra-biblical, points to one conclusion:
Jesus Christ truly died, was buried, and rose again on the third day.
The transformation of individuals (Paul, James, the disciples)
The empty tomb, The early proclamation, The martyrdom of eyewitnesses and the explosive growth of the Church in Jerusalem itself
All these facts converge to support the resurrection. "He is not here; He has risen, just as He said." (Matthew 28:6, NIV)

The resurrection of Jesus is not a religious wish; it is a historical reality grounded in verifiable facts. And it is this resurrection that makes Christianity not just a philosophy but a proclamation of new life and eternal hope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8fKZ9QyHH4

[1] https://www.garyhabermas.com/

[2] https://binmin.org/12-facts-prove-resurrection/

[3] On Resurrection, Vol. 1, 2, 3 Gary Habermas

[4] https://www.legatichristi.org/critiquing-the-swoon-theory-jesus-didnt-really-die-on-the-cross/

[5] https://worldviewbulletin.substack.com/p/problems-for-hallucination-theories

[6] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/objections-to-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/08-was-the-body-of-jesus-stolen.cfm

[7] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/objections-to-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/10-did-the-women-go-to-the-wrong-tomb-on-easter-sunday.cfm

[8] https://evidenceunseen.com/theology/christ/defending-the-resurrection/legend-theory-the-resurrection-was-a-legend-that-grew-over-time

[9] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/objections-to-the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/12-was-there-a-twin-brother-of-jesus-who-appeared-to-jesus-disciples.cfm

[10] https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/scholarly-writings/historical-jesus/the-bodily-resurrection-of-jesus

[11] https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/islam-and-the-crucifixion