Resurrection: Fact Or Fiction?

1. Jesus Died by Roman Crucifixion

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

This is a fact that both believers and non-believers are convinced happened. Crucifixion was a common form of execution employed by the Romans to punish members of the lower class, slaves, soldiers, the violently rebellious, and those accused of treason. We know crucifixion happened, and we have evidence of this today.

1.1 Archeological Evidence of Crucifixion

Here is a picture I took this picture several years ago when I was in Jerusalem at the Israeli National Museum. This is the only physical evidence that I am aware of from the Roman practice of crucifixion.3 It is kind of an odd fact that only archaeological evidence of this punishment has ever been found anywhere in the world, with this one exception. This was found in a cave in Jerusalem in 1968, and we don’t know the specific nature of this man’s crime. This body was discovered with about thirty-five other bodies, and it’s thought most of them suffered a violent death as part of the Jewish uprising against Rome in AD 70. You’re looking at the heel bone of a criminal who had a seven-inch nail driven through it, and his lower arms showed evidence of nails as well. It’s thought that this man was twenty-four and twenty-eight years old, and they even discovered he had a cleft palate.4

His legs were crushed by a blow, consistent with common Roman crucifixion (John 19:31–32). This offers us real proof crucifixion happened. Before we can say that Jesus rose, can we say Jesus died on a cross? How do we know for certain Jesus Died by Roman Crucifixion? That Jesus was executed by crucifixion is recorded in all four gospels.

1.2 Secular Historians

But even a number of secular, historically reliable sources also tell us Jesus was crucified. I’ll highlight two of these secular historians. Josephus writes, “When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified.…”5

Tacitus reports, “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 had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.”6 Now, I bring up that Jesus was crucified because it’s impossible to have a resurrected Jesus without a dead Jesus.7

1.3 Here’s What We Know

Both the enemies and the friends of Jesus believed He was dead. The Romans, who were professional executioners, whipped and beat Jesus brutally to the point of His collapse. They then drove heavy, wrought-iron nails through his wrists and feet, and plunged a spear into His side. They didn’t break His legs to speed death because they knew he was already dead. Crucifixion victims often died by asphyxiation because they couldn’t push themselves up to breathe. Breaking the legs would, therefore, speed death. Plus, Pilate checked to make sure Jesus was dead, and Jesus’ death was the reason the disciples had lost all hope.8