Did Jesus Truly Die? Death Before Resurrection

By René A. López

[René A. López, Th.M., Ph.D., founder, Scripture Unlocked Ministries; pastor, Iglesia Biblica Nuestra Fe, Dallas, Texas; and, adjunct professor of Greek and New Testament and Spanish biblical studies at Criswell College, Dallas, Texas.]

Schonfield wrote, “If the Gospels afforded us no assistance we would have to imagine how Jesus contrived to give the impression of death, and suggest a way in which his body could have been secured by his friends. It is by no means a novel theory that Jesus was not dead when taken from the cross, and some will have it that he subsequently recovered. . . . There is no cause to doubt the crucifixion of Jesus, or that he had an assistant to aid him in his bid for survival.”[1] The Jesus Family Tomb[2] and The Lost Tomb of Jesus[3] claim that Jesus was resurrected spiritually. However, since they claim to possess the ossuary that contained Jesus’ bones, why did no one provide the corpse when the disciples preached His physical resurrection?[4]

That Jesus really died on the cross needs to be established for various reasons. If Jesus did not die—which is a necessary prelude to rising physically—there can be no forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all who believe in Him (Rom 6:1–23; 1 Cor 15:12–23). Furthermore, the Old Testament Law illustrated the necessary shedding of blood in order to forgive sins as seen in its sacrificial Levitical system. If Jesus faked His death, the Christian message is void and worthless, since John testified of Jesus, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, 32; see also Gen 3:15; Ps 22; and, Isa 53:1–12).

One of the best-known books denying that Jesus rose bodily from the grave is The Passover Plot, by Hugh J. Schonfield, which has sold over a million copies throughout the years.[5] He argued that Jesus did all He could to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies but that He did not intend to die. Instead He plotted to survive the crucifixion. Though Schonfield’s fictional Passover Plot theory was analyzed and found completely wanting,[6] this has not stopped others from making similar allegations.

Another conspiracy theory denying Jesus’ death on the cross is The Jesus Conspiracy, by Elmar R. Gruber. He claimed, “A detailed analysis shows that the term used in the Greek original for the thrust of the soldier, nyssein, means a light scratch, puncture or stab to the skin, not a thrust with full force, let alone a deep penetration. . . . Even Origen (185–254), who did actually believe Jesus was dead at the time when the blood and water came out from the wounds, pointed out that corpses do not bleed.”[7] Recently best-selling author Michael Baigent claimed in The Jesus Papers: “Pilate took steps to ensure that Jesus would survive. He spoke with a member of the Sanhedrin and friend of Jesus, the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea.”[8]

Could these allegations be true? Was Jesus lightly tortured, thereby making it possible for Him to endure the cross? Did He really die or was He resuscitated instead of resurrected? How does one deal with an empty tomb, or was it not empty, after all?

Jesus Tortured Nearly Within Death

Before Jesus faced the death sentence of crucifixion, Pilate had Him “flogged/scourged” (Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:25; John 19:16). Even before being flogged, Jesus underwent six trials and in some of them He was beaten to the point of death.

RELIGIOUS TRIALS	Scripture References
Before Annas Before Caiaphas Before the Sanhedrin	John 18:12–14 Matthew 26:57–68 Matthew 27:1–2
CIVILIAN TRIALS	Scripture References
Before Pilate Before Herod Before Pilate	Luke 18:28–38 Luke 23:6–12 John 18:39—19:6

Before Jesus ever reached the civil trials He was already punched and slapped in His first religious trial,[9] according to Mark 14:65. “Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.”[10] When Jesus was finally yielded to the Roman guards to be flogged, He was probably already in some physical pain. What was His condition after the Roman guards finished?

Before a person received a Roman execution, he was given a preliminary legal flogging, (all except women, Roman senators, and soldiers).[11] Though Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ has Hollywood embellishments, one of the things Gibson got correct was perhaps the most gruesome and bloodiest scene, next to the crucifixion, of the flogging of Jesus. Roman guards would inflict just the right amount of pain without killing the victim facing capital punishment. Victims were forcefully stripped of their clothes and tied to a post, then the guards administered one of the most painful and cruel scourgings ever imaginable. Hebrew law did not allow more than 40 lashes, but the Romans placed no limitation on them (Deut 25:3). The scourging instrument was called a flagrum, which was sometimes called the Cat of Nine Tails because it had nine pieces of leather with pieces of sharp bones and metal attached that would “greatly lacerate human flesh” (see Figure 1, p. 74).[12]

The following quotation describes graphically the medical evidence showing the gruesome torture endured by a crucifixion victim.

As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and Subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross.

At the Praetorium, Jesus was severely whipped. (Although the severity of the scourging is not discussed in the four gospel accounts, it is implied in one of the epistles [1 Peter 2:24]. A detailed word study of the ancient Greek text for this verse indicates that the scourging of Jesus was particularly harsh.) It is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to 39, in accordance with Jewish law. The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man had claimed to be a king, began to mock him by placing a robe on his shoulders, a crown of thorns on his head, and a wooden staff as a scepter in his right hand. Next, they spat on Jesus and struck him on the head with the wooden staff. Moreover, when the soldiers tore the robe from Jesus’ back, they probably reopened the scourging wounds.[13]

John P. Mattingly observed correctly, “The phrase ‘And they bring unto the place of Golgotha’ (Mark 15:22a) would also indicate that Christ, unable to walk under His own power, had to be literally brought or borne along the place of execution. Thus, the revolting and horrifying pre-cross sufferings were brought to a close, and the crucifying began” (see Figure 2, p. 75).[14]

In view of these intense sufferings how could anyone argue that Jesus survived the crucifixion?

Did He Really Die?

Since skeptics cite the Koran (Surah 4:157–58) as evidence that Jesus merely pretended to die on the cross, it is necessary to investigate whether He actually died.[15] If He did not die, then He merely resuscitated and was not resurrected; that is not, however, what the biblical records and extrabiblical accounts claim.

Biblical Records

The Scriptures present several facts with regard to Jesus’ death. First, as already noted, Jesus was critically injured before He was crucified. After the flogging, a crown of thorns was placed on His head, which most certainly intensified the bleeding (Matt 27:29).

Second, besides being in serious condition before He was put on the cross, Jesus “suffered five major wounds between nine in the mourning and just before sunset (cf. [Mark 15] vv. 25, 33). Four of these were nails used to fix Him on the cross. We know from remains of Palestine crucifixion victims that these nails were five to seven inches long and about three eights inch square.”[16] The knife-size nails would certainly result in death (see Figure 3, p. 76).[17]

Third, Roman soldiers crucified convicts often. Therefore, the odds of allowing one to survive crucifixion are zero. Indeed, they made certain that the two criminals crucified with Jesus were dead by breaking their legs, which was necessary since the Sabbath day was approaching and Jewish Law did not permit anyone to remained crucified overnight (Deut 21:22–23; Mark 15:42). However, when the soldiers “came to Jesus came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs” (John 19:32–33). Breaking the legs caused a crucifixion victim to suffocate since he could not push himself upward to get air (see Figure 4, p. 77).

As Gary R. Habermas described, “It was typical for a person to hang on the cross for days. However, on occasion when the Romans desired to speed up the process they would employ the crurifragium, the act of breaking the legs with a heavy club or mallet. This would prevent the victim from pushing up and exhaling. The cause of death for a crucified victim was simple—he could not breathe.” Were the soldiers mistaken in thinking that Jesus was dead? “The soldiers had seen hundreds of men executed by crucifixion. It was routine to know when the victim was dead. He was not pushing up any longer for air.”[18]

Furthermore, to insure that Jesus was dead the guards “pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34). The Greek word νύσσω (“pierced”) does not refer to a mere “light scratch, puncture or stab to the skin,” as Elmar R. Gruber argued.[19] The degree of the “stab” depends upon the description given in the context not the word itself.[20] In this case, the context clearly attests to Jesus’ death. Pilate also verified this according to the biblical record. “Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time” (Mark 15:44). Therefore, the stabbing was deep enough to penetrate the skin and rupture something since according to John “blood and water came out” (John 19:34) (see Figure 5, p. 78).

Three medical doctors described what the spear did and the medical results of what probably occurred. “Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to His side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between His right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.”[21] Gruber also argued that people do not bleed after death. However, this wrongly assumes Jesus was dead for a long time. Jesus was pierced in the “sac” surrounding the heart that contains plenty of blood for a person to bleed even if the heart is not pumping blood.[22]

Fourth, anointing a body with approximately 75 to 100 pounds of spices, then wrapping it tightly in “strips of linen,” and placing it in a cold slab tomb-rock would definitely guarantee asphyxiation or some other form of death, if it did not occur on the cross. Imagine the scenario if Jesus had survived the cross? Such is the portrait Habermas presented by explaining liberal scholar David F. Strauss’ critique and also decisively refuting the swoon theory.

Strauss’ most convincing point concerned Jesus’ condition upon reaching his disciples. Very few would doubt that he would be in sad physical shape, limping badly, bleeding, pale and clutching his side. He would obviously be in need of physical assistance and, at any rate, would not appear to be the resurrected and glorified Lord of Life! As Strauss pointed out, the disciples would have gone for a doctor’s help rather than proclaim Jesus the risen Son of God! Strauss asserted that even if the swoon theory was conceivable, it still could not account for the disciples’ belief in the risen Jesus. Since they did proclaim him to be the resurrected and glorified Lord, the swoon theory is not able to account for the facts.[23]

Indeed, there is more to know more with regard to Jesus’ burial than that of any other historical figure of the past. Wilbur M. Smith wrote, “We know more about the burial of the Lord Jesus than we know of the burial of any single character in all of ancient history. We know infinitely more about His burial than we do the burial of any Old Testament character, or any king of Babylon, Pharaoh of Egypt, any philosopher of Greece, or triumphant Caesar.”[24] Nevertheless, one does not find anyone questioning whether these individuals died, and the reason is because those who questioned Jesus’ death know those who followed these leaders were not claiming they were resurrected. Therein lies the issue, not whether Jesus died but whether He was bodily resurrected. Therefore, denying Jesus’ death is just another way of refuting His physical resurrection.

People just did not survive crucifixion. “Survival of crucifixion was unknown, just as surviving the firing squad, the electric chair, a lethal injection, or the gas chamber is unheard of today. Because the law had decreed the prisoner’s death, even if a first attempt failed, procedures would be repeated until the decree was carried out. But death from crucifixion was as certain as any modern method of execution. There was no escape.”[25]

Extrabiblical Records

A number of sources outside the Bible also attest to the common Roman practice of crucifixion.[26] The cruel form of punishment that was first-century crucifixion is also well documented by scholars.[27] Josephus, Cicero, Tacitus, Lucian of Samosata, Mara Bar-Serapion, the Babylonian Talmud, and even critical scholars testify regarding Jesus’ death.

Josephus wrote, “And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”[28]

Tacitus described, “Nero fastened the guilt [of the burning of Rome] and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name has its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.”[29]

Lucian of Samosata, a Greek satirist, stated, “The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.”[30] Mara Bar-Serapion said, “Or [what advantage came to] the Jews by the murder of their Wise King, seeing that from that very time their kingdom was driven away from them?”[31]

The Babylonian Talmud records, “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!”[32] The name Yeshu is the equivalent Hebrew name for “Joshua,” or Greek ᾿Ιησοῦς translated in English as “Jesus.” The Jews believed that if a person “hung on a tree,” the equivalent terminology for crucifixion, he was “accursed of God” (Deut 21:23).

Critical scholar John Dominic Crossan also believes Jesus died on the cross. “That he [Jesus] was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be.”[33] New Testament critic, Gerd Lüdemann said, “Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.”[34] Even Jesus Family Tomb advocate James D. Tabor concluded, “None of these theories appear to have any basis whatsoever in reliable historical sources. I think we need have no doubt that given Jesus’ execution by Roman crucifixion he was truly dead and that his temporary place of burial was discovered to be empty shortly thereafter.”[35]

The Empty Tomb

Many theories are suggested to explain the empty tomb, such as the “swoon theory” which has been mentioned already. The most persuasive issue that critics of Jesus’ physical resurrection have to address is that of the empty tomb. Since no one was able to produce the body of Jesus, in order for proponents to disprove the resurrection, it remains a primary argument indicating Jesus’ physical resurrection. Hence Smith said, “No man has written, pro or con, on the subject of Christ’s resurrection, without finding himself compelled to face this problem of Joseph’s empty tomb. That the tomb was empty on Sunday morning is recognized by everyone, no matter how radical a critic he may be.”[36]

Attestation For The Resurrection

William L. Craig presented eight reasons why the empty tomb gives attestation to Jesus’ physical resurrection.[37]

“The Historical Reliability Of The Account Of Jesus’ Burial Supports The Empty Tomb.”

As already mentioned, it is possible to know more with regard to Jesus’ burial than the burial of any other historical figure. How does this relate to an empty tomb and a risen Jesus? First, the disciples would not believe in Jesus’ resurrection if a body lay in the tomb. Second, even if they were deceived, others living in Jerusalem would not be, since a stroll to the tomb would prove that the disciples’ idea was a hoax. Third, the Roman authorities could easily disprove the resurrection by exhuming the corpse. “Thus, you see, if the story of Jesus’ burial is true, then the story of the empty tomb must be true as well.”[38]

“Paul’s Testimony Implies The Fact Of The Empty Tomb.”

Paul believed in the empty tomb. The statement, “He was buried” followed by the remark “He was raised” refers to an empty tomb. N. T. Wright also defended this point from critics who accused Paul of not mentioning the empty tomb.

The fact that the empty tomb itself, so prominent in the gospel accounts, does not appear to be specifically mentioned in this passage, is not significant; the mention here of “buried then raised” no more needs to be amplified in that way than one would need to amplify the statement “I walked down the street” with the qualification “on my feet.” The discovery of the empty tomb in the gospel accounts is of course significant because it was (in all the stories) the first thing that alerted Jesus’ followers to the fact that something extraordinary had happened; but when the story was telescoped into a compact formula it was not the principal point. The best hypothesis for why ‘that he was buried’ came to be part of this brief tradition is simply that the phrase summarized very succinctly that the entire moment in the Easter narratives.[39]

Furthermore, Paul’s witness recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5 was the earliest creed (like the Apostles Creed). Creeds are pithy ways to transmit oral information that is easy to memorize. Numerous scholars believe three years after Paul’s salvation (AD 33 or 36),[40] or later when he visited Jerusalem and met with James and Peter (Gal 1:18–19), he received this “creedal” information. Even if he received it later, it could not have surpassed AD 51, which is when he first arrived at Corinth.[41] Therefore, he wrote, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received” (1 Cor 15:3a). Habermas stated, “At minimum, we have source material that dates within two decades of the alleged event of Jesus’ resurrection and comes from a source that Paul thought was reliable. Dean John Rodgers of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry comments, ‘This is the sort of data that historians of antiquity drool over.’”[42] Therefore, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5 testify that he believed and incorporated the message of the empty tomb, and they also demonstrate that the earliest creed could not have been “a late legendary development.”[43]

“The Empty Tomb Story Is Part Of Mark’s Source Material And Is Therefore Very Old.”

If one considers Mark’s source (perhaps Peter) to be early, the inclusion of the empty tomb at the end of Mark’s Gospel that appears to be grammatically and linguistically linked is significant. If one considers Caiaphas’ occupation from AD 18–37, Mark’s source of information comes within only seven years of Jesus’ death. Why would anyone circulate a story of a buried man as opposed to an empty tomb?[44] They would not. Hence this strongly indicates the validity of an empty tomb.

“The Phrase ‘The First Day Of The Week’ Is Very Ancient.”

Contrasting Paul’s term “on the third day” (1 Cor 15:3, NASB) are the women who found the empty tomb “on the first day of the week” (Mark 16:2). Since Paul’s “on the third day” creedal statement is accepted to be one of the earliest repeated credos by the church, it seems that if Mark’s account was late and legendary, promoters would want to eliminate any contradictions with these statements. Mark’s creedal statement “on the first day of the week” is perhaps earlier than that of Paul’s, thereby removing any doubt of the authenticity of the empty tomb account.[45]

“The Story Is Simple And Lacks Legendary Development.”

Other than including or excluding various small details because of the Gospel writers’ different perspectives, the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ burial agree and record a simple and straightforward testimony (Matt 27:57—28:8; Mark 15:42—16:8; Luke 23:50—24:10; John 19:38—20:8). By contrast, the Gnostic Gospel of Peter has embellishments that are obviously legendary; it describes scribes, elders, Pharisees, a number of soldiers, and a huge crowd witnessing “a loud voice in heaven, . . . the heavens opened, . . . two men come down from there in a great brightness and draw night to the sepulcher. That stone . . . started of itself to roll . . . both the young men entered in. . . . And . . . three men come out from the sepulcher, and two of them sustaining the other, and the cross following them, and the heads of the two reaching to heaven, but that of him who was led of them by the hand overpassing the heavens. And they heard a voice out of the heavens crying, ‘Hast thou preached to them that sleep?’ and from the cross there was heard the answer, ‘Yea’” (The Gospel of Peter 8:28; 9:34–35; 10:38).[46] The straightforward and simple explanations of the event in the Gospels argue for the authenticity of the Gospel accounts of the empty tomb.[47]

“The Tomb Was Discovered Empty By Women.”

Women were the first to witness the empty tomb (Matt 28:1–8; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–10; John 20:1–8), yet in Jewish society women were not considered credible witnesses.

But let not a single witness be credited; but three, or two at the least, and those such whose testimony is confirmed by their good lives. But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex, nor let servants be admitted to give testimony on account of the ignobility of their soul; since it is probable that they may not speak truth, either out of hope of gain, or fear of punishment. But if anyone be believed to have borne false witness, let him, when he is convicted, suffer all the very same punishments which he against whom he bore witness was to have suffered (Josephus, Antiquities 4.219 [4.8.15.219]).[48]

It is not possible to have a world without either males or females, but happy is the one whose children are males, and woe for him whose children are females (Talmud, bPesahim 65a [5.10.10.1]).[49]

This is the governing principle: Any evidence that a woman is not valid [to offer], also they are not valid [to offer]. Thus any evidence that a woman is valid [to offer], also they are valid [to offer]. Said Rab Ashi, “This is to say that a person who, by their [that is, Rabbinical] standards, is a robber is valid to offer testimony [normally allowed] of a woman” (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 22a [1:8]).

As Rosh Hashanah’s statement demonstrates, the witness of a woman was viewed as no more reliable than that of a thief. Perhaps this provides understanding as to why the Jewish disciples did not immediately believe the women’s witness of the empty tomb.[50] “And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). Romans too shared contempt toward women. “Whereas men and women hitherto always sat together, Augustus confined women to the back rows even at gladiatorial shows: the only ones exempt from this rule being the Vestal Virgins, for whom separate accommodation was provided.”[51]

Therefore, if one were to invent the account of the empty tomb, women would not be the best witnesses to use. Why would someone record the most incredible event in history and risk the chance of embarrassment by using questionable witnesses to verify it? Hence Habermas concluded:

If the Gospel writers had originated the story of the empty tomb, it seems far more likely that they would have depicted men discovering its vacancy and being the first to see the risen Jesus. Why would they not list the male disciples Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and avoid the female issue altogether? If the account of the empty tomb had been invented, it would most likely not have listed the women as the primary witnesses, since in that day a woman’s testimony was not nearly as credible as a man’s. Thus the empty tomb appears to be historically credible in light of the principle of embarrassment.[52]

“The Disciples Could Not Have Preached The Resurrection In Jerusalem Had The Tomb Not Been Empty.”

If the tomb were not empty, a brief stroll to the Jerusalem tomb would have resolved the issue and would have silenced the disciples once for all. However, since no one produced a corpse, the preaching of the disciples was clearly based upon the fact that Jesus’ tomb was empty.

“The Earliest Jewish Propaganda Against The Christians Presupposes The Empty Tomb.”

An early skeptic’s attempt to refute the empty tomb appears in Matthew 28:11–15.

Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

By the last phrase, “This saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day,” Matthew recorded an effort in his day to try to refute the physical resurrection of Jesus. In the zealous attempt, however, of those who tried to refute the physical resurrection of Jesus, they did not deny the empty tomb because they admitted, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away.” They could not have it both ways: an empty tomb and a non-resurrected Jesus. “The Jewish propaganda did not deny the empty tomb, but instead entangled itself in a hopeless series of absurdities trying to explain it away. In other words, the Jewish propaganda that the disciples stole the body presupposes that the body was missing. Thus, the Jewish propaganda itself shows that the tomb was empty.”[53]

Furthermore, this theory has many problems. Could the disciples have overpowered Roman guards and stolen the body? Not a chance. Just hours before, they were all scared and abandoned Jesus; and the most fearless, Peter, became fearful and denied Him three times (Mark 14:30, 47 [John 18:10], 50–51, 66–72). In Additionally, how could the guards know who took the body since they were sleeping? The best they could do was say, “Someone stole the body?” Even believing this is problematic. How can anyone sleep through the removal of a rock covering the tomb heavy enough that took a number of men to move? Assuming the thieves were successful, the guards would never claim such a thing because by Roman law they would deserve the death penalty for falling asleep and allowing grave robbers to steal a body on their watch.[54]

Without answers to all these eight reasons that give attestation to an empty tomb, one must continue to believe that Jesus of Nazareth rose bodily, not spiritually, as the Jesus Family Tomb and the Lost Tomb of Jesus advocates claim.

Conclusion

Jesus was not casually tortured. He underwent such a severe mode of torture and execution that it would have been impossible for Him to have survived the cross. The biblical records verify Jesus’ death on the cross, and extrabiblical sources do so also. Josephus, Cicero, Tacitus, Lucian of Samosata, Mara Bar-Serapion, the Talmud, and even critical scholars, all testify regarding Jesus’ death.

Eight good reasons demonstrate that the tomb was empty. The tomb was not empty because Jesus did not die, or because the disciples stole the body. Such theories create more problems than they solve. Indeed, Craig noted that New Testament critical scholar and resurrection researcher, Jacob Kremer provided names of twenty-eight scholars (including his) who acknowledge the empty tomb:

Blank, Blinzler, Bode, von Campenhausen, Delorme, Dhanis, Grundmann, Hengel, Lehmann, Léon-Duffour, Lichtenstein, Manek, Martini, Mussner, Nauck, Rengstorff, Ruckstuhl, Schenke, Schmitt, Shcubert, Schweizer, Seidensticker, Strobel, Stuhlmacker, Trilling, Vögtle, and Wilckens.’ [He adds] I can think of at least sixteen more that he failed to mention: Benoit, Brown, Clark, Dunn, Ellis, Gundry, Hooke, Jeremias, Klappert, Ladd, Lane, Marshall, Moule, Perry, Robinson, and Schnackenburg. Perhaps most amazing of all is that even two Jewish scholars, Lapide and Vermes, have declared themselves convinced on the basis of the evidence that Jesus’ tomb was empty.[55]

The fact is that Jesus died, and the tomb was empty because He rose physically from the dead, which is verifiable by a number of witnesses and various accounts.

Figure 1. Scourging

Figure 2. The Cross

Figure 3. Nails and Crucifixion

Figure 4. Feet of the Crucified

Figure 5. Piercing

Notes

1. Hugh J. Schonfield, The Passover Plot: New Light on the History of Jesus (New York: Random House, 1965) 163-65.
2. Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino, The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History (San Francisco: Harper, 2007).
3. The Lost Tomb of Jesus documentary (made by the famous James Cameron) was aired worldwide by the Discovery Channel on 4 March 2007.
4. In response to the erroneous and misleading allegations of the book and the film, this article appeared in a modified form in chapter 13 of the following: Rene A. Lopez, The Jesus Family Tomb Examined: Did Jesus Rise Physically? (Springfield, MO: 21st Century Press, 2008) 199-215.
5. Hugh J. Schonfield is a British Bible scholar with a doctorate from the University of Glasgow. He has written over forty books. See also also Hugh J. Schonfield, After the Cross (London: Tantivity Press, 1981).
6. Gary G. Cohen, “The Passover Plot: Verdict, Not Guilty,” Grace Theological Journal 13 (Winter 1972): 33-45; Gary R. Habermas, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing, 1996) 69-99.
7. Elmar R. Gruber, The Jesus Conspiracy: The Turin Shroud and the Truth about the Resurrection, trans. Holger Kersten and Elmar R. Gruber (Munich: Langen and Verlag, 1992; reprint, Rockport, MA: Element, 1994) 249-50.
8. Michael Baigent, The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-Up in History (San Francisco: Harper, 2006) 126. In summary, the more popular views today are wide ranging: “Jesus never died on the cross; he was connected with the Qumran community; someone else changed his message to fit their own desires; he traveled to various parts of the world during the so-called ‘silent years’ or even after the crucifixion” (Habermas, Historical Jesus, 69). See also, Lopez, Jesus Family Tomb, 253-75.
9. For an article summarizing the illegitimate aspects of Jesus’ trials, see Gabriel N. Lischak, “12 Reasons Jesus’ Trial Was Illegal: Part 1” [article online] (Pillar, March-April 2008, accessed 1 March 2012) available from http://rcg.org/pillar/0902pp-trjtwi.html; and, idem, “12 Reasons Jesus’ Trial Was Illegal: Part 2” [article online] (Pillar, May-June 2008, accessed 1 March 2012) available from http://rcg.org/pillar/0903pp-trjtwi.html.
10. Κολαφίζω, which is translated “beat,” means “to strike with a fist” and/or “to cause physical impairment.” The word conveys much more severity than to “slap,” which is a different word, ῥάπισμα, meaning “a blow on the face with someone’s hand” (Walter Bauer, William Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, rev. and ed. Frederick William Danker, 3rd ed. [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000] 555, 904).
11. R. Bucklin, “The Legal and Medical Aspects of the Trial and Death of Christ,” Science Law 10 (1970): 14-26, quoted in John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs, What’s the Big Deal about Jesus? (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2007) 135. Roman soldier deserters were also flogged.
12. John P. Mattingly, “Crucifixion: Its Origin and Application to Christ” (Th.M. thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1961) 21. Mayo Foundation holds the copyright for the pictures. All rights to these figures appear in the following article, which belong solely to Mayo Foundations and are used by permission of Mayo Foundation for medical education and research: William D. Edwards, Wesley J. Gabel, and Floyd E. Hosmer, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” Journal of the American Medical Association 255 (21 March 1986) 1455-63.
13. See “Scourging” [online] available from http://the-crucifixion.org/scourging.htm#2. The picture of the torture instrument and procedures comes from the latter site, and this writer is indebted to the following authors for the website where the quotation appears: Ankerberg and Burroughs, Big Deal about Jesus, 136. Interested researchers are encouraged to visit the site in order to see the complete documentation regarding the quote.
14. Mattingly, “Crucifixion: Its Origin and Application to Christ,” 36.
15. Surah 4:157-58 states, “‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’—but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.” Not only are there good reasons not to accept such a statement superficially, but even such an interpretation of this is highly questionable. See David Wood, “The Irony of the Qur’an” [article online] (Answer Muslims, 22 July 2008, accessed 2 March 2012) available from http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2008/07/irony-of-quransurah-4157-158.html.
16. Norman L. Geisler and Ronald M. Brooks, When Skeptics Ask (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990) 120-30.
17. Nails of this size driven into the wrist “would crush or server the rather large sensorimotor median nerve. The stimulated nerve would produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms” (Edwards et al., “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460).
18. Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004) 102. He noted, “The many physicians who have studied crucifixion over the years have invariably concluded that the major problem faced by victims of crucifixion was breathing, or more precisely—asphyxiation. Once on the cross, the victim would want to take the pressure off his nailed feet. To do this, he would allow the weight of his body to be held up by his nailed hands. However, in this ‘down’ position, certain muscles would be in the inhalation position, making it difficult to exhale. Thus, the victim would have to push up on his pierced feet in order to exhale. However, the first several times he did this would cause intense pain, since it would cause the nail to tear through the flesh in the feet until it enlodged itself against one of the bones. Thus, the crucifixion victim would be seen pushing up quite often and retuning to the down position. Sever muscle cramps and spasms would also make breathing all the more difficult and painful” (ibid. 101). See also, Edwards et al., “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1461.
19. Gruber, Jesus Conspiracy, 249.
20. Bauer et al., Greek English Lexicon, 682-83.
21. Edwards et al., “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1463.
22. Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Historical Evidences for the Christian Faith, 2 vols. (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, 1972) 1:198-99.
23. Habermas, Historical Jesus, 73. See David F. Strauss, A New Life of Jesus 2 vols. (London: Williams and Norgate, 1865) 2:408-12.
24. Wilbur M. Smith, Therefore Stand: Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1965) 370-71.
25. John Ankerberg and John Weldon, The Passion and the Empty Tomb (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2005) 42-43.
26. Josephus, The Jewish Wars 4.51, and, Cicero, Against Verres 2.5.64 cited by Gerard S. Sloyan, The Crucifixion of Jesus: History, Myth, Faith (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1977) 13. See also Martin Hengel, Crucifixion (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977) 8.
27. See Hengel, Crucifixion, 8-9.
28. Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews 18.64 (18.3.3.64) taken from Accordance 7.4 of the electronic volume: Flavius Josephus, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, trans. William Whiston, new updated ed. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987).
29. Tacitus, Annals 15.44 (AD 115), cited in Habermas and Licona, Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 59.
30. Lucian of Samosata, The Death of Peregrine 11-13 (AD 150-175) cited in ibid.
31. The translation is from Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. C. Coxe, eds., The Ante-Nicene Christian Library: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325, trans. A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, and A. C. Coxe (Oak Harbor, OR: Logos Research Systems, 1997), cited in Habermas and Licona, Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 59.
32. bSanhedrin 43a (6.2.1e) translation from Accordance 7.4 electronic volume: Jacob Neusner, The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005).
33. John D. Crossan, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (San Francisco: Harper, 1994) 145, see also 154-55, 196, 201.
34. Gerd Ludemann, The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2004) 50.
35. James D. Tabor, The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family and the Birth of Christianity (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006) 230 (italics in original). Henceforth, Habermas concluded, “Such strange ‘twists’ to the swoon theory have been virtually ignored by scholars with good reason, for serious problems invalidate each of these theses” (Historical Jesus, 93).
36. Smith, Therefore Stand, 373-74.
37. The eight points are taken from William Lane Craig, The Son Rises: The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981) 45-90; and, idem, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984; reprint, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994) 272-78.
38. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 272.
39. N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God) (London: SPCK, 2003) 3:321, see also n. 21. Craig said, “Second, the expression ‘on the third day’ implies the empty tomb. Since no one actually saw Jesus rise from the dead, why did the early disciples proclaim that he had been raised ‘on the third day’? The most likely answer is that it was on the third day that the women discovered the tomb of Jesus empty; and so naturally, the resurrection itself came to be dated on that day. In this case, the expression ‘on the third day’ is a time-indicator pointing to the discovery of the empty tomb” (Reasonable Faith, 274).
40. The date one picks depends upon how one dates Jesus’ death. See Harold W. Hohner, Chronolgical Aspects of the Life of Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1977) 37.
41. Habermas and Licona, Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 52-53, see also n. 25. See also Craig, The Son Rises, 47-51; and, Habermas, Historical Jesus, 29-30, 143-44.
42. Habermas and Licona, Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 53.
43. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 274.
44. Craig, The Son Rises, 51-52; Craig, Reasonable Faith, 274-75.
45. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 275.
46. Christian Maurer, “The Gospel of Peter,” in New Testament Apocrypha, 2 vols., ed. Wilhelm Schneemelcher, trans. R. McL. Wilson (Tubingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1990; reprint, Louisville: John Knox Press, 1991) 1:2224-25.
47. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 275-76.
48. Accordance 7.4 electronic volume: Josephus, Works.
49. Accordance 7.4 electronic volume: Babylonian Talmud.
50. Gary R. Habermas, The Secret of the Talpiot Tomb: Unravelling the Mystery of the Jesus Family Tomb (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2007) 72.
51. Gaius Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, trans. Robert Graves (New York: Penguin, 1989) 80, cited in Habermas and Licona, Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 73.
52. Habermas and Licona, Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 73 (italics in original). See also, Craig, The Son Rises, 77-78.
53. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 277.
54. Louis A. Barbieri, “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 2 vols., eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983; reprint, Colorado Springs: Cook Communications, 1996) 2:93.
55. Craig, Reasonable Faith, 277-78.