The Resurrection as a Fact of History |
The Resurrection as a Fact of History
Why the Resurrection of Jesus Is the Most Important Event in History
The Quiet Crisis of Manhood and the Profitable Lie Filling the Void
Michael Knowles Joins Scholars to Discuss Catholicism and the American Founding
Obama Judge Halts Trump Effort to End Parole for Hundreds of Thousands
House Passes Legislation to Combat Mexican Government’s Seizure of American-Owned Port
Judge, Longtime Thorn for Trump, Sides With Administration
Appeals Court Hands Trump Big Win on Detaining Illegal Immigrants
Reclaiming the Lunar High Ground
The Space Race Is Back: NASA Prepares for Liftoff of Deep Space Exploration Crew
China’s Military Went Silent Around Taiwan for First Time in Years. Why?
Congressman Asks Trump to Press China to Release Prisoners
Members Confused Why British Monarch Set to Address Congress 250 Years After America Dumped Him
‘Hollywood for Ugly People’ Finally Gets a Taste of Celebrity Treatment
GOP Rising Star Backs Paxton’s Senate Bid
A GOP Senator’s Fight for Life Continues on Capitol Hill
Democrats Sue to Stop Trump’s Latest Election Integrity Effort
Trump Mail-In Ballot Order Sets Up Battle With States
4 Key Election Law Battles Hitting Court Rooms During 2026 Midterms
Maryland Loves My Ratty Old Rug More Than It Loves Me
Where Do Dem Presidential Favorites Stand on Israel?
PoliticsSecurityNews
Trump Claims Gold Star Families Told Him to ‘Finish the Job’ in Iran
Citing ‘Echo Chamber’ on Iran, Trump Counterterrorism Chief Resigns
International Commentary
‘It’s a Very Surreal War’
Conservative and Proud: Is the Right Representing Women?
Girl Boss vs. Trad Wife: Forced to Choose?
Beyond the Oyster Fork: An Etiquette Expert’s Tips for ‘Relationships, Work, and Life’
Is the Iran Operation ‘America First’?
If Donald Trump Did What Obama Did, Media Would Cheer—So Why the Outrage Now?
Victor Davis Hanson: Trump Could Crush Iran, So Why Doesn’t He?
The Democrats Have Descended Into Utter Nihilism
Victor Davis Hanson: The New Democratic Party
The Resurrection as a Fact of History
"Appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena" by Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov in the Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg. (History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Tom Griffin is the chair of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of a print and online Catholic magazine called The Empty Tomb Project. His first book, on the life and power of St. Francis for renewing the culture, was published in 2024.
The central claim of the Christian faith is that Jesus rose from the dead.
If Christianity is true, this cannot be mere wishful thinking in the mind of the believer. If Jesus did not rise from the dead as a fact of history, then the entire Christian faith is destroyed.
Thankfully, there is very good reason to believe in the historicity of the resurrection. The following is an attempt to show that the most logical (not merely religious) conclusion of the evidence is to state that the resurrection was a fact.
There is no doubt that Jesus was a real historical person who lived 2,000 years ago in the Middle East. There are multiple primary sources apart from the New Testament attesting to Jesus’ existence and what he was known for, and they agree in broad strokes with the account provided by the Gospels.
For example, Josephus (36-100 B.C.) was a Jewish historian who lived and died as a pious Jew but who also wrote about the life and actions of Christ. Most notably, he stated that Jesus was a miracle worker and great teacher who was executed by the Romans.
Josephus also noted that Jesus’ closest followers claimed that he rose from the dead on the third day. He said that the body of Jesus was never found and that Christians continued to increase their numbers by the day.
After Jesus was tortured and killed on a cross by the Roman Empire, hundreds of people attested to having seen Jesus risen from the dead. Many of the people who saw the risen Christ were convinced that they should spend the rest of their lives telling everyone about Jesus. Countless eyewitnesses even went to their deaths refusing to deny the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.
The details concerning Jesus’ burial are essential for showing the truth of his resurrection. First, according to Matthew 27:57-66 Jesus was placed in a new tomb that had never been used before for burial.
Scholars estimate that the rock in front of the entrance to Jesus’ tomb would have weighed roughly 3,000 pounds and 8 to 10 feet tall. In front of the rock would have been the ancient equivalent of police tape: a metal chain attached to a piece of clay that had Caesar’s face on it. Since Jesus was convicted of a capital crime, messing around with his grave would be deemed a capital offense. If you broke this barrier, you would also be crucified.
We also know that a Roman Guard was placed there because the Jewish hierarchy was afraid that Jesus’ followers would steal his body. A Roman guard consisted of four highly trained Roman soldiers (a modern equivalent would be Navy Seals).
If the disciples had stolen the body, they would have agreed to commit a capital offense (tampering with the tomb of a criminal killed of a capital crime). Then they would have had to disarm four Navy Seals; move a 3,000-pound, 10-foot rock; and then take Jesus’ body and discard it in a way that no one (over 2000 years) could find. Not only would they need to succeed in the cover-up, but then they would have committed to traveling the world—at great personal risk—to convince people that Jesus was, in fact, risen from the dead despite knowing that it was a lie.
The historical record is also clear on another point: All of the Apostles (except for John) died for their faith. They were not just killed, however. These first followers were burned alive, boiled alive, filleted alive, and crucified (upside down, in Peter’s case). They were killed in some of the most gruesome ways in history, and yet they were willing to do so. None of them said that they had lied, despite the fact that doing so would likely have meant safety.
This is because what they saw transformed everything. What they saw was the truth.
This is critical. Think about the character of a liar. A liar is mischievous because he is selfish. He only cares about himself and what is best for himself. Therefore, a liar (actually, hundreds of liars) were willing to reject their selfishness and die for a lie?
Why die in such a brutal way for a lie? How is it possible that no one ever slipped up and told the truth rather than be tortured? How come no one has ever found Jesus’ body?
Isn’t it more reasonable to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead, appeared to his closest friends, and so inspired them that they were willing to do anything to talk about his life (even give their own lives)?
The answer is obvious. The resurrection is a fact of history. The evidence is overwhelming in its support.
All history is dependent on eyewitness testimony. We count on it the court of law and in the transmission of events passed down over history. In the case of the resurrection, the testimony of the eyewitnesses continues to empower Christians today to know and believe that sin, evil, and death was defeated by Christ, and that Jesus is truly alive—truly risen.
We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.
God Is Worth Everything: Why Ashes Matter
As Ireland Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, New Signs Suggest a Slowing of Faith’s Decline
What Is ‘Good’ About Good Friday
Read the first chapter of The Woketopus right now for FREE
Today, even with President Trump’s victory, leftist elites have their tentacles in every aspect of our government.
The Daily Signal’s own Tyler O’Neil exposes this leftist cabal in his new book, The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government.
In this book, O’Neil reveals how the Left’s NGO apparatus pursues its woke agenda, maneuvering like an octopus by circumventing Congress and entrenching its interests in the federal government.
You can read the first chapter of this new book for FREE in this eBook, The Woketopus: Chapter One using the secure link below.
The Tony Kinnett Cast
The Daily Signal Podcast
© 2025 The Daily Signal Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
We use cookies on our website. By using our website, you consent to cookies. Learn More .