WAS JESUS RESURRECTED?

There have been many times when the subject of Jesus' death and resurrection has confused people. Christians claim that Jesus died and rose again on the third day. But can someone who is God be resurrected? More importantly, can he die? This article takes an impartial approach and looks at those who do not believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior and their sources.

An Agnostic Perspective

In his book, Did Jesus Exit?, Bart D. EHRMAN , an agnostic historian, provides historical evidence for the existence of Jesus and his crucifixion, with the following sentences:

"The reality is that whatever else you may think about Jesus, he certainly did exist. And he certainly was crucified, as even the most critical historians agree."

(“The fact is, whatever you think of Jesus, he certainly existed. And he was definitely crucified; even the most critical historians agree on that.”)

(Ehrman, 2012, p. 231)

Modern Historians and Academic Views

In the book “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” written by Gary R. Habermas & Michael R. Licona , they analyze academic evidence using the “Minimal Facts” approach to argue for how Jesus was historically resurrected and say the following in their book;

(“The resurrection of Jesus, the empty tomb, the afterlife appearances are the events that most plausibly explain widely accepted historical facts.”) - (Habermas & Licona, 2004, p. 48)

When we turn our eyes to NT Wright 's writings, we see that, according to Wright, the main issue is;

"The historical evidence strongly supports both the empty tomb and the post-crucifixion appearances of Jesus. The real challenge is to account for how these events were perceived and understood."

(“The historical evidence strongly supports the empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus after his crucifixion. The real challenge is to explain how these events were perceived and interpreted.”)

(Wright, 2003, p. 710).

These are the difficulties that historians, researchers and academics who are completely selective in perception add to the interpretation.

Records of Jewish and Roman Historians

Flavius JOSEPHUS , the leading Jewish historian of the first century, says in his work “Jewish History” (Antiquities 18. 63-64)*:

“There was a wise man called Jesus...He was crucified by Pilate. But his disciples did not give up on him, for they said they had seen him alive after death.”

Tacitus (around 116 AD) , a Roman historian who was not a believer in Jesus and was affiliated with the Roman Empire

In his work "Annales" , he says that Jesus was crucified, that he died there, that his tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers and that his disciples saw Him.

Theories Put Forward Regarding the Resurrection of Jesus

In response to the resurrection of Jesus, accusatory, critical theories (especially in the first century) made this situation inevitable without discussion. However, the theories that emerged and their refutations led to the following direction in history.

Stolen Body Theory*

First of all, the 'Stolen Body Theory' came to light and it did not take long for the Roman Empire to disprove this situation; Roman soldiers in the lands they ruled personally protected the tomb of Jesus.

Hallucination Theory

Another theory is the 'Hallucination Theory'. Since Jesus was seen by five hundred people after his resurrection, it is absurdly difficult for these five hundred people to hallucinate at the same time, and as soon as the theory emerged, it disappeared.

Myth Theory

The theory that is closer to the present day is the "Legend Theory", but this was also another theory that quickly fell into disuse thanks to the narratives and Roman sources (because it dates back to the 1st century and is very early).

Why Did Jesus Stay in the Tomb for Three Days?

So why did Jesus stay in the tomb for three days?

- He died on Friday.

-Saturday remained in the grave.

- He was resurrected on Sunday.

Because in Jesus' time, the belief that one would not be considered dead for three days was quite widespread. The fact that a dead person would not be considered dead unless he remained in the grave for three days was known among the Jews as the "three-day rule." Therefore, we understand that Jesus' resurrection was also in line with this cultural perception.

New Testament References

* Lazarus was raised from the dead four days later . (John 11:17,39)

* Martha said, “Lord, he must have a bad stink. He has been dead for four days.” (John 11:39)

Here, the fourth day is a clear indication of a death status from which there is no return.

When we look for the basis for not being seen dead for three days, we see that the most obvious source goes back to the Old Testament.

Old Testament References

'After two days he will raise us up; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live in his presence.' - Hoshea 6:2

In the book of Hosea in the Old Testament, this verse represents the theme of resurrection according to Jewish commentators and Christian theologians.

And the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in its belly for three days and three nights.' - Jonah 1:17

In the book of Jonah in the Old Testament, Jonah's stay in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights is considered a foreshadow (typological context) of Jesus' resurrection three days later.

'"Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will restore your health. In three days you will go up to the temple of the LORD.' - 2 Kings 20:5

In the Old Testament, in the Book of 2 Kings, Hezekiah's coming to the temple within three days after his healing is associated with the motif of returning from death to life .

In light of academic, theological, social, cultural and historical data, it is revealed that the crucifixion of Jesus and the subsequent 'resurrection' experiences reported by the disciples are the subject of strong academic research.

- UB

Source:

Flavius JOSEPHUS , “Jewish History”(Antiquities 18. 63-64)

Tacitus, “Annales”

Habermas, Gary R., & Licona, Michael R. (The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. 2004. P48)

NT Wright (The Resurrection of the Son of God, 2003, p. 710)

James DG Dunn (Jesus Remembered (Christianity in the Making, Vol. 1., 2003 p. 854)

Bart D. Ehrman Did Jesus Exist? (The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth 2012, p. 231)

References of Theories:

*Empty Tomb Theory:

William Lane Craig (Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus p.372) (1989)

*Hallucination Theory:

Gerd Lüdemann (The Resurrection of Jesus: History, Experience, Theology, p38) (1994)

*Theft Theory:

J.D. Crossan (Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, p160) (1994)

Bible Bibliography:

*The Resurrection of Lazarus, (John 11:17,39)

*Conversation between Martha and Jesus, (John 11:39)

*Hosea 6:2

*Jonah 1:17

*2 Kings 20:5

UB