Did Jesus rise from the dead?

The resurrection of Jesus brought about a remarkable change in the first Christians. From the very beginning it had a vital place in their message. It changed Jesus' apparent defeat on the cross into a great victory over death. For Christians Jesus' resurrection is the foundation of their faith. But is there any evidence that Jesus rose from the dead? Actually, the resurrection is one of the most well-attested events in history. Investigators have set out to debunk the resurrection claim - and have ended up by becoming convinced that it actually happened. Many lawyers have considered the evidence for believing that Jesus rose again, and have concluded that this evidence is stronger than most that is accepted in a court of law.

Consider the following: The description of Jesus' crucifixion leaves no doubt that he died on the cross. The sealing of the tomb would have prevented any half-dead human from escaping. If the tomb had not been empty, why didn't the authorities simply produce the body? If the disciples stole the body, why were they prepared to die for their belief in his resurrection when they knew it to be a lie? If their claim to have seen Jesus was no more than an hallucination, how do we explain the empty tomb? Whatever happened must also explain why a band of dejected and defeated followers, who had witnessed the execution of their leader, were prepared a few days later to stand up boldly in the same city in which he had died and declare that he was risen from the dead.

FACT:

The tomb was empty

Possible explanation

The disciples stole the body

They went to the wrong tomb

The Jews or Romans stole the body

Jesus didn't really die

Jesus had risen

Objection

But then they gave their lives for what they knew to be a lie

But then the Jews or Romans would have pointed out their mistake

But then they would have produced the body to silence the Christians

But then he would have had to move a 2 ton stone and overcome trained Roman guards by himself

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FACT:

The disciples claimed to see Jesus

Possible explanation

They made it up

They saw a ghost

It was an illusion

Jesus couldn't have been resurrected because such things don't happen

Jesus had risen

Objection

But then why were a dejected band of followers so transformed?

But they could touch him and he ate with them

But 500 people don't all see the same illusion at the same time

Just because something only happens once doesn't make it 'unscientific'

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The former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Darling, once said: "There exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world would fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true."