The resurrection is a topic that is still hotly debated today. The purpose of this post is to inject what I have researched and to shed some light on the situation. Now to be clear, I have a bias. I assert that the resurrection is an actual historical event. However, this doesn't make my post invalid. Everyone has a bias. Secularists have a mindset where the resurrection didn't happen. That is still a bias, whether you admit it or not.
Most scholars, secular and theistic, agree on a few basic points.
1. Jesus was a real person
2. He had followers
3. He was crucified under order of Roman Pontious Pilate
4. He was entombed
5. His apostles were scared, despairing, and lost hope due to the death of Christ
6. Many scholars recognize that the tomb was found empty a few days later
7. The apostles experienced what they believe to be a physical appearance of Christ
8. The apostles were emboldened by this and were willing to die for their beliefs
Now people have argued that what the apostles experienced was a shared mass hallucination. However, this is unfounded because there is no instance whatsoever of this ever happening in history. Granted, the resurrection hadn't happened before in history either but Jesus would be the only person capable of that.
I've heard arguments that Jesus wasn't really dead, but in a death-like state. This can be refuted because the Romans were reputable killers. They knew how to kill someone. And according to sources, after Jesus died, a spear was plunged into his side to make sure he was dead.
Jesus didn't just appear to the original apostles. He appeared before many and especially to two skeptics, James and Paul. Paul was a Pharisee and a known persecutor of Christians. He claims that Jesus appeared before him and Paul went on to become one of the most renowned Christians.
Now let's look at the claims of Jesus. He referred to himself as the Son of Man he said, 'No one sees the father except through me'. Now he is either a liar or he is who he says he is. Is there definitive proof that shows beyond the shadow of a doubt the resurrection of Christ? No, there isn't. But there is enough proof to make coming to the conclusion that Jesus rose from the dead reasonable. Christ's claims aren't just mentioned in the bible. There are at least 18 secular sources that from 50 to 150 AD detailing the claims of Christ and Christianity. I hope this will make you look into the resurrection because the implications are huge. I haven't covered everything about the angles and various parts of the resurrection but this post is just meant to get the basics down. For more details, I recommend you look into the book, "Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? The Resurrection Debate; Gary Habermas And Antony Flew" This is a good book that presents both sides of the debate and helps you to honestly look at the Resurrection. Gary Habermas is a renowned Christian scholar and Antony Flew is an extremely renowned atheistic philosopher of the 20th and 21st century.
