Did Jesus Really Exist and Rise from the Dead?

Was Jesus Christ a real historical figure, or merely an invention of early Christians? And if He truly lived, is the resurrection fact or pious legend? These questions are raised by skeptics and sincere seekers alike. Let’s examine the evidence.

Jesus as a Historical Figure

Let’s start with the fundamental question: did Jesus of Nazareth actually exist?

The answer from modern historical scholarship is unambiguous: yes. Moreover, virtually no serious historian—regardless of personal religious beliefs—denies the historicity of Jesus.

Non-Biblical Sources

We don’t need to rely solely on the Bible. Jesus’ existence is confirmed by non-Christian authors, some even hostile to Christianity:

Josephus (c. 37-100 AD) - Jewish historian serving Rome. In his Antiquities of the Jews, he writes:

Tacitus (c. 56-120 AD) - Roman historian and senator. In his Annals, describing Nero’s persecution of Christians:

Pliny the Younger (c. 61-113 AD) - Roman governor of Bithynia. In a letter to Emperor Trajan, he describes Christians:

The Babylonian Talmud - Jewish rabbinic commentary, naturally unfriendly to Jesus:

What Do We Know for Certain?

Based on historical sources, we can state with certainty that:

Jesus lived in 1st century Palestine
He taught publicly and gathered disciples
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD)
His disciples believed He rose from the dead
Christianity emerged and spread rapidly

These are historical facts, not matters of faith.

The Crucial Question: The Resurrection

Since Jesus truly lived and died, the most important question arises: did He really rise from the dead?

The Apostle Paul perfectly understood the weight of this issue:

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

— 1 Cor 15:14 (ESV)

This is brutal honesty. Paul isn’t saying “the resurrection is a beautiful metaphor about hope.” He says plainly: if Jesus didn’t physically rise from the grave, the entire Christian faith is worthless.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Either Jesus rose from the grave and is who He claimed to be - or Christianity is the greatest hoax in history. What do the facts say?

Evidence Pointing to the Resurrection

Let’s examine three powerful arguments that make the resurrection the most rational explanation for the events following Jesus’ death.

1. The Empty Tomb and the Enemies’ Helplessness

Jesus was despised by the Jewish religious leaders. The Gospels are full of their attempts to undermine His authority: they asked trick questions, tried to catch Him contradicting Scripture, accused Him of blasphemy. They ultimately brought about His death.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’” […] So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

— Matt 27:62-66 (ESV)

The Jewish leaders knew about the resurrection predictions. They took every precaution: Roman guards, seals, a secured tomb. They wanted at all costs to prevent any deception by the disciples.

Yet the tomb was empty. Just days before, Christ’s body lay there. And now? Nothing.

Consider the implications:

If Jesus’ body lay in the tomb, all they had to do was display the rotting corpse—one gesture and Christianity ends in total humiliation
Jewish leaders had enormous motivation to keep the body in the tomb - and when it vanished, to recover and find it at all costs
They had the power and resources to search all Jerusalem
They found nothing

Are we really to believe that:

The Roman guards, who had been warned about a potential theft attempt, just decided to fall asleep—all of them at once?
Simple fishermen and tax collectors overpowered or bribed trained Roman soldiers?
They escaped with the body through Jerusalem and no one pursued them?
The authorities who had just executed Jesus gave up the search?

If the disciples had stolen the body, the full might of Rome would have pursued them - just as it was mobilized to condemn Jesus. But nothing like that happened. Because there was no body to find. What’s more - there are no historical records of Christ’s enemies even attempting to search for the body. They simply gave up. And even Christ’s greatest enemies, who so desperately wanted to humiliate Him after His death, had to face the truth - He truly rose from the dead.

2. The Explosion of Christianity and the Martyrdom of the Apostles

After Jesus’ death, something predictable should have occurred: His disciples should have scattered and the movement died out. This happened with dozens of other Jewish “messiahs” of that period.

The exact opposite happened.

A few weeks after the crucifixion, the same disciples who had fled in fear began publicly proclaiming the resurrection—in Jerusalem, literally under the noses of those who killed their Master.

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

— Acts 4:19-20 (ESV)

Moreover, they were willing to die for it. And die they did:

James, son of Zebedee - beheaded (Acts 12:2)
Peter - crucified upside down in Rome
Paul - beheaded in Rome
James, the Lord’s brother - thrown from the temple and stoned
Most apostles suffered martyrdom

If the disciples stole the body and invented the resurrection, they would have known it was a hoax. Yet they went to their deaths—not for an abstract idea, but for a specific testimony: “We saw Him alive.”

Martyrs of other religions die for beliefs inherited from others. The apostles died for what they themselves allegedly witnessed. Either they saw the risen Jesus, or they were consciously lying. Liars don’t go to the cross for their lies.

3. Jesus Appeared to Many People

Paul, writing only about 20-25 years after the crucifixion, lists the witnesses:

He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

— 1 Cor 15:5-8 (ESV)

Notice: Paul says most of those five hundred people are still alive. This is a challenge to skeptics: “Go ask them yourselves.” If he were lying, he would have been immediately exposed.

Conclusion: What Is Most Rational?

We have seven undeniable facts to explain:

Jesus of Nazareth lived and existed as a historical figure
Jesus was publicly crucified
His tomb was empty after three days
His enemies couldn’t produce the allegedly stolen body - and curiously, there are no records of them even trying to find it
The disciples claimed they saw Him alive
They were willing to die for this claim
Christianity exploded in the very place where it would have been easiest to disprove

What are the possible explanations?

The disciples stole the body - but why did they die for their own lie? And how on earth did they manage to overcome the Roman-Jewish machinery that was specifically prepared for their theft attempt?
The enemies took the body - but why didn’t they show it? They were desperate to humiliate the Christians and display Jesus’ shameful defeat after He had humiliated them so many times!
Jesus didn’t die, just fainted - but how would a mutilated man after scourging and crucifixion convince the disciples He had conquered death?
Hallucinations - but do hundreds of people hallucinate the same thing for 40 days?
Jesus really rose from the dead - this explains all the facts

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

— Rom 10:9 (ESV)

Faith in the resurrection is not a blind leap into darkness. It’s a reasonable response to historical evidence—a response that requires trust, but doesn’t require switching off your brain.

Jesus lived. Jesus died. Jesus rose again. And that changes everything.