Did Jesus really come back from the dead? 

Part 5 – Proof culturally and logically

The evidence CULTURALLY points to the resurrection being true too, because no major movement of that time originating with Jews would have continued after their leader was killed. Other men of that time had claimed the title of “Messiah,” but as soon as they were killed their movements fizzled out, because the Jews were expecting a Messiah who would defeat their enemies, not be killed by them.

And culturally the gospel writers would never have chosen women to be eye-witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, because women had no legal status and their testimony was inadmissible in court. It was embarrassing having women be the primary witnesses, which only adds to the proof that the gospel writers were simply reporting what actually happened, rather than fabricating a story.

LOGICALLY, then, what better explanation can there be for all this historical and cultural evidence – other than Jesus being resurrected? How do you explain the sudden change in the disciples, from fear and doubt to excitement and the willingness to die for what they believed happened? How do you explain the explosive way Christianity grew, and still grows, based entirely on the belief that Jesus came back from the dead? And what’s the most logical explanation for Saul of Tarsus, the most vicious persecutor of Christians, becoming an apostle putting his life on the line announcing Jesus was the resurrected Son of God?

Clearly, something new and totally unexpected happened at that point in history that shocked people into spreading the news, no matter what risk to themselves. Was it all a cleverly contrived hoax, though? 

Because maybe Jesus didn’t die and need to be resurrected in the first place. But how could Jesus have survived the crucifixion? Crucifixion guaranteed death by asphyxiation, when exhaustion would render the victim unable to push himself up to breathe, and no one could fake that. The separation of blood and water pouring out of Jesus’ body when the Roman stabbed him with his spear was also evidence that Jesus was medically dead. 

The Romans were masters at execution too, and their own lives were on the line if anyone survived. Logically, then, Jesus required a resurrection to be alive again…(more on this tomorrow)