Was Jesus a hypnotizer?
When Jesus multiplied the bread and fish, there were 5 thousand witnesses. How could he have hypnotized them all? Hypnosis does not work on people who are skeptical so how could he have hypnotized his brother James. How did he hypnotize Thomas who was skeptical until he put his fingers in Jesus's nail holes? Hypnosis would not explain the empty tomb.
Did Jesus really die on the cross?
Hematidrosis is a medical condition associated with a high degree of psychological stress in which sweat comes out tinged with blood which Jesus exhibited. This set the skin up to be fragile so that when he was flogged by the Romans, his skin would be very sensitive. Because of the beating Jesus endured before being crucified he was probably in hypovolemic shock. This is a state that occurs when a person experiences a large amount of blood loss. This causes the heart to race to pump blood, causing fainting, the kidneys stop producing urine, and the person becomes very thirsty. Jesus was in serious to critical condition before he was placed on the cross.
From hanging on the cross, Jesus's arms would have been stretched dislocating both shoulders. Once a person is hanging from a vertical position, stresses on the muscles and diaphragms put the chest in an inhaled position. To breath He would need to push up on his feet causing the nail to tear through his feet. This would continue until complete exhaustion took place and breathing would no longer continue causing an irregular heartbeat. At this point Jesus would have known he was near death.
Many first-century and second-century unfriendly roman sources (Thallus, Tacitu, Phlegon) and Jewish ources (Josephus and the Babylonian Talmud) affirmed that Jesus died on the cross. The Roman guards faced death if they allowed a prisoner to survive a crucifixtion.
Jesus death on the cross was confirmed when the roman soldier thrusted a spear into his right side. When the spear was pulled clear fluid came out. Also, the Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two criminals crucified with Jesus. This was done to speed up their death by preventing them from pushing up from their feet to breath. Because Passover and the Sabbath were coming the Jewish leaders wanted to get this over with before sundown. They did not break the legs of Jesus because he was already dead. The soldiers knew when a person was dead - it was their job and they did it well. If a prisoner escaped the responsible soldier was put to death.
Jesus could not have survived the crucifixion or the wound that pierced His lung and heart. Roman executioners were extremely efficient and would face death if any of their victims would survive crucifixion. Even if Jesus had lived his horrifying condition could never have inspired a worldwide movement based on the premise that He had conquered death.
Is there any way that Jesus could have survived?
After going through the crucifixion, having His arms dislocated, hands and feet nailed, pierced heart and loss of blood. He would have been in no condition to be walking on the road to Emmaus with no use of His shoulders and a spear wound through His chest. His disciples would not have believed that He had conquered death and they would not have started a worldwide movement.
How secure was the tomb? Were guards Present? Was the body stolen?
It would take several men to roll the stone to re-open the tomb. Matthew reports that guards were placed at the tomb. After Christians proclaimed that Jesus has risen. The Jews argued that the body was stolen or the guards were asleep or bribed. If there were no guards why would they argue this point? Obviously, the tomb was empty or they would not argue that guards were asleep or bribed. No grave robber would have left the scene in this condition (with the face cloth nicely folded and placed seperately).
Did the gospel writers fabricate the gospels?
Women were very low on the social ladder in the first-century Palestine. If the gospel writers fabricated why would they use women who were friends of Jesus when they could have used witnesses that may have appeared more credible? would the Gospel writers have penned different accounts or coordinate every minute in detail. Would they have painted themselves in an embarrassing light (such as Peter denying Jesus 3 times) or would they have depicted themseves as heroes? Would they have depicted a Messiah who did not defeat Israel's Roman oppressors, but allowed himself to e crucified. If they were making up the story, they would have gotten togethor to make sure they were consistent in every detail. the fact that this did not happen confirms the genuine eyewitness nature of each writer.
Following the ressurection of Jesus, the apostles were scattered across the Roman Empire and were interogated and martyred far from one another. This prevented them from communicating with eah other in a timely manner. They had no idea if any of their pier had "given up the lie" to ave themselves. Each of them suffered unimaginable physical duress and died horrible deaths. Yet not one recanted their claims relating to the ressurection.
These men and women either were involved in the greatest conspiracy of all time or were eyewitnesses who were telling the truth.
Were Jesus' followere nothing more than a cult?
Cults have their beliefs. The New Testament writers actually witnessed what they were reporting.
Did the women go to the wrong tomb?
Jesus tomb was well known to the Jewish authorities. They would not have sent the women to the wrong tomb, encouraging them to believe in an empty tomb. The Jewish authorities or caretaker would have expected Jesus body to be in the tomb and would have directed the women to the correct tomb.
Was Jesus alive after the ressurection?
Christ appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that He appeared to 500 people. Then He appeared to James. Then all of the apostles. He also appeared to Paul. Since no one witnessed the actual resurrection does that mean that it did not occur. No, no one saw the dinosaurs but we know that they existed because of evidence like fossils.
What evidence is there that people saw Jesus after the resurrection?
No one doubts that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, and he affirms in two places that he encountered the resurrected Christ.
He says in 1 Corinthians 9:1 "Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus the Lord?" In 1 Corinthians 15:8 , "Last of all, He appeared to me also".
Paul knew some of the 500 or knew people who knew them.
Jesus appearances:
Could these accounts be hallucinations?
Hallucinations are an individual occurrence. A large group of people do not experience the same hallucination. The risen Christ was reportedl seen on more than one occaion and by a numbr of different groups. Peter was hardheaded and James a skeptic. They were not good candidates for hallucination. If people only thought that they saw Him, his body would still be in the grave. If the resurrection was just a hallucination, what became of the corpse?
Could people have talked themselves into seeing Jesus after His death?
Paul was a persecutor of Christians. James and Thomas did not believe that Jesus would rise from the dead.
Evidence that Jesus rose from the dead
The disciples spent the rest of their lives proclaiming this without any payoff. It was a life of hardship.
They died for their beliefs most being executed or tortured. They were willing to die for something they saw with their own eyes not just a belief.
That is the difference between them and dying following a cult like Jim Jones.
The gospels tell us that Jesus's family where embarrassed by what He was claiming to be.
People who were skeptics (i.e. Paul and James) adopted the Christian faith after the resurrection.
James (Jesus's brother was stoned to death for his belief).
In Galatians, Paul writes that he saw the rise Christ and heard Christ appoint him to be one of his followers.
Paul, James and others died for their faith. Is it likely that they would have died for a lie?
Minimal Facts:
Paul report in his firt letter to the corinthians that Jesus appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time - most of whom were still alive at the time he wrote his letter - and then appeared to James seperately. Paul was making this bold assurtion to people who could have come forward and contradicted him.
The Gospel writers would not have invented a story that would cause so much skepticism when their purpose was to win converts.
Minimal Facts: