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As we head into the Easter season and springtime, the thoughts of Christians everywhere turn to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  So does the attention of writers of articles in the paper and magazines, and television specials.  However, it seems intellectually fashionable these days for scholars to refer to the Easter event in an doubtful, nebulous way.  “Something” happened, many of them say, but we can never know what.  And that is a start, being at least a minor concession for a skeptic.

However, as Habermas and Licona point out in their book The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus,  saying that just “something” happened rejects the conclusion only, without even denying the evidence.  Secondly, there are historical facts that support the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus happened.  These facts are so strongly supported that they are believed by the majority of scholars, even those who are the most critical.  Five of these facts are:

Jesus’s death by crucifixion.

The disciple’s belief that Jesus appeared to them.

The conversion of the church persecutor Paul.

The conversion of the skeptical brother of Jesus, James.

The empty tomb.

Habermas and Licona point out that these facts do not depend on the inspiration of the Bible or so called “contradictions” in the gospel accounts.  They are simply so strongly attested to, that they demand an explanation.  In Chapter eight of  my book entitled “Ammunition for the Canon”, I elaborate on these positive evidences for the resurrection, and why they are so strong.  For example, Jesus’ death by crucifixion is attested to by five non-Christian sources in addition to the four gospels: Josephus, Tacitus, Lucian, Mara Bar-Serapion, and the Talmud.  Another example is that the disicples were so sure they saw the risen Jesus, that they were willing to die for their beliefs.  And people do not die for something they know is a lie.