The Evidence for the Resurrection

The Evidence for the Resurrection – some quotes from the internet!

Thomas Arnold, headmaster of Rugby school and Regius Professor of Modern History at

Oxford University, wrote:

"I have been used for many years to study the history of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them; and I know of no fact in the history of people which is proved by better and fuller evidence… to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign that God has given us, that Christ died and rose from the dead."

(quoted in Michael Green, The Day Death Died, IVP, Leicester, 1987, p.15)

In the 1930s a journalist, Frank Morison, was convinced that miracles did not happen though he admired the character of Jesus, and set out to write a book disproving the resurrection. When he studied the evidence, he wrote his book Who Moved the Stone? and with great honesty entitled the first chapter: "The Book that Refused to be Written." (Michael Green, Man Alive, IVF, London, 1967, pp.54-55)

Lord Darling, formerly Lord Chief Justice of England, wrote:

"The crux of the problem of whether Jesus was or was not what he proclaimed Himself to be, must surely depend on the truth or otherwise of the resurrection. On that greatest point

we are not merely asked to have faith. In its favour as a living truth there exists such

overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in the verdict that the resurrection story is true."

(quoted in Michael Green, The Day Death Died, IVP, Leicester, 1987, p.15)

Sir Edward Clarke, a High Court Judge, said:

"As a lawyer I have made a prolonged study of the evidence for the events of Easter Day. To me the evidence is conclusive, and over and over again in the High Court I have secured the verdict on evidence not nearly so compelling. As a lawyer I accept the Gospel evidence unreservedly as the testimony of truthful people to facts that they were able to substantiate."

Bishop Westcott, one of England's greatest New Testament scholars, said: "It is not too much to say that there is no single historical incident better or more variously attested than the resurrection of Christ."

(quoted in Michael Green, The Day Death Died, IVP, Leicester, 1987, p37)

Consider the evidence: How would you explain?      

(1) The empty tomb

            (2) The resurrection appearances – see especially 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Do any of the alternative explanations of the resurrection seem possible?

E.g. did Jesus’ disciples fake his resurrection by stealing Jesus’ body?

Maybe Jesus wasn’t really dead?