"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:5b

When you mention the name of Jesus, most people will have some kind of strong reaction, whether for or against him. Jesus is widely recognized as an historical figure. But what about his death and resurrection? Is it real, or just merely a myth held on to by believers?

Many historians accept the fact that a man named Jesus lived, died a cruel death on a cross, and was buried in a tomb. The tomb was empty, and no one could locate His body. His disciples claimed He was alive, but what really happened to Him?

Is the Resurrection Real?

There are 4 common ideas as to what happened to the body, some more believable than others.

1 Jesus didn't really die. He just fainted.

Knowing the torture that Jesus went through before and during His crucifixion, the fainting idea doesn't make much sense. Also, a huge stone was placed in front of the tomb, and it was guarded by Roman soldiers. Jesus wouldn't have just been able to faint and walk out of the tomb.

2 The disciples hallucinated and just imagined they saw Jesus.

After His resurrection, Jesus was seen by over 500 witnesses. For that many people to have the same hallucination and imagine Jesus just isn't realistic.

3 The disciples stole the body.

First, remember the tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers. The disciples wouldn't have been able to sneak past them to steal Jesus' body. Second, they were willing to die for what they believed, and most people aren't going to die for what they know to be a lie.

4 He really did rise from the dead.

Yes, believing that Jesus rose from the dead takes faith. It also takes faith to believe that He just fainted or any of the other theories that people have come up with throughout the years. 

The decision belongs to each of us.

We all are left with the decision. Do we believe that Jesus rose from the dead, or do we believe that it is just a myth? If we say we believe in His resurrection, what are we going to do about it? He leaves the choice up to each one of us - accept Him or reject Him. The decision is ours alone.

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

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