Evidence for the Resurrection: The Minimal Facts Approach
The Minimal Facts argument comes from Dr. Gary Habermas. Watch his talk here
Before we look at what Easter means for our lives, we need to remember:
The resurrection of Jesus is not just a matter of faith — it’s a matter of history. Everything we believe hinges on this one reality. If it didn't, then we are wasting our time and living a fantasy. So, that begs the question:
Can We Really Investigate the Resurrection?
The resurrection of Jesus isn't just about theology — it’s about real, historical events. And while we can't prove the resurrection, we can, at the very least, see where the evidence leads. Because Jesus either rose from the dead, or He didn’t. Either the resurrection best explains the evidence, or it doesn’t.
But what we can’t do is dismiss it just because it’s miraculous.
The evidence itself — the crucifixion, the empty tomb, the appearances — is historical, accessible, and open to investigation.
And once you see the evidence, the most reasonable conclusion is that something happened...and we'd be foolish to not open ourselves up to the possibility of its reality.
What the Evidence Shows
Let’s look at what nearly every serious historian agrees on:
1.Jesus died by Roman crucifixion
No one seriously doubts that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Roman authority. We have confirmation from Christian sources, but also from Jewish and Roman historians. The Roman method of execution was brutal — and fatal. Modern medical experts agree: Jesus didn’t swoon, faint, or escape. He died.
2. The disciples believed they sawthe risen Jesus
Something happened to Jesus’ body. The tomb was known, public, and easily checked. If the body had been there, Christianity would have been crushed from the start. Even Jesus’ enemies admitted the tomb was empty — they just tried to explain it away. The earliest reports, the multiple sources, the testimony of unlikely witnesses like women — all point to authenticity. There’s simply no serious competing story.
3. Some or most of the 12 died for their beliefs
People will die for a lot of things they believe are true. But these disciples were dying for something they claimed they personally saw. There’s a world of difference between dying for an inherited belief and dying for what you know to be either true or false. And as Jews, this would have been radical! God being human and the resurrection happening now are two completely antithetical to Jewish beliefs at the time.
4. Jesus' brother, James, was converted
James, the brother of Jesus, didn’t believe in Him during His lifetime.
He thought Jesus was out of His mind. But after the resurrection, James became a leader of the early church and gave his life for the faith he once mocked. What could flip a skeptic into a leader? James said it himself: He saw Jesus alive.
5. Paul, a skeptic and persecutor of the church, was converted
Paul wasn’t neutral about Jesus. He hated the church. He hunted Christians down. But one encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus shattered his world. Paul went from persecutor to preacher, from enemy to apostle. And he spent the rest of his life proclaiming that Jesus was alive — because he had seen Him.
6. The claims of the resurrection are early and widespread
The gospels were only written decades after Jesus' death. Even the most liberal of biblical scholars and historians would agree that the first of the gospels were written within decades of Jesus' death. But even earlier than that, we have the epistles! Scholars agree that Paul had written on the resurrection early, not late. Within Paul's letters, we have quotations that Paul didn't write, but simply quoted. Meaning, these are widely known enough that he could quote to the church and they would know these sayings. 1 Cor. 15:3-8 is an example of one:
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
What About the Alternatives?
Through history, some have suggested other theories:
Conclusion: A Real Resurrection
At the end of the day, it’s really this simple: if Jesus was dead at point A, and alive at point B, resurrection has occurred.
And because Jesus lives, the dust isn't our destiny. The grave isn’t our future. Death isn’t our end.
We will rise.
Before we look at what Easter means for our lives, we need to remember:
The resurrection of Jesus is not just a matter of faith — it’s a matter of history. Everything we believe hinges on this one reality. If it didn't, then we are wasting our time and living a fantasy. So, that begs the question:
Can We Really Investigate the Resurrection?
The resurrection of Jesus isn't just about theology — it’s about real, historical events. And while we can't prove the resurrection, we can, at the very least, see where the evidence leads. Because Jesus either rose from the dead, or He didn’t. Either the resurrection best explains the evidence, or it doesn’t.
But what we can’t do is dismiss it just because it’s miraculous.
The evidence itself — the crucifixion, the empty tomb, the appearances — is historical, accessible, and open to investigation.
And once you see the evidence, the most reasonable conclusion is that something happened...and we'd be foolish to not open ourselves up to the possibility of its reality.
What the Evidence Shows
Let’s look at what nearly every serious historian agrees on:
1.Jesus died by Roman crucifixion
No one seriously doubts that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Roman authority. We have confirmation from Christian sources, but also from Jewish and Roman historians. The Roman method of execution was brutal — and fatal. Modern medical experts agree: Jesus didn’t swoon, faint, or escape. He died.
2. The disciples believed they sawthe risen Jesus
Something happened to Jesus’ body. The tomb was known, public, and easily checked. If the body had been there, Christianity would have been crushed from the start. Even Jesus’ enemies admitted the tomb was empty — they just tried to explain it away. The earliest reports, the multiple sources, the testimony of unlikely witnesses like women — all point to authenticity. There’s simply no serious competing story.
3. Some or most of the 12 died for their beliefs
People will die for a lot of things they believe are true. But these disciples were dying for something they claimed they personally saw. There’s a world of difference between dying for an inherited belief and dying for what you know to be either true or false. And as Jews, this would have been radical! God being human and the resurrection happening now are two completely antithetical to Jewish beliefs at the time.
4. Jesus' brother, James, was converted
James, the brother of Jesus, didn’t believe in Him during His lifetime.
He thought Jesus was out of His mind. But after the resurrection, James became a leader of the early church and gave his life for the faith he once mocked. What could flip a skeptic into a leader? James said it himself: He saw Jesus alive.
5. Paul, a skeptic and persecutor of the church, was converted
Paul wasn’t neutral about Jesus. He hated the church. He hunted Christians down. But one encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus shattered his world. Paul went from persecutor to preacher, from enemy to apostle. And he spent the rest of his life proclaiming that Jesus was alive — because he had seen Him.
6. The claims of the resurrection are early and widespread
The gospels were only written decades after Jesus' death. Even the most liberal of biblical scholars and historians would agree that the first of the gospels were written within decades of Jesus' death. But even earlier than that, we have the epistles! Scholars agree that Paul had written on the resurrection early, not late. Within Paul's letters, we have quotations that Paul didn't write, but simply quoted. Meaning, these are widely known enough that he could quote to the church and they would know these sayings. 1 Cor. 15:3-8 is an example of one:
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
What About the Alternatives?
Through history, some have suggested other theories:
- Maybe Jesus didn't really die — but the evidence says otherwise.
- Maybe the disciples stole the body — but liars don't make martyrs.
- Maybe they hallucinated — but hallucinations don't happen to groups, and they don't produce physical interactions.
- Maybe Christianity copied myths — but there’s no historical basis for that, especially among first-century Jews.
Conclusion: A Real Resurrection
At the end of the day, it’s really this simple: if Jesus was dead at point A, and alive at point B, resurrection has occurred.
And because Jesus lives, the dust isn't our destiny. The grave isn’t our future. Death isn’t our end.
We will rise.
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