CFS-WB-CH07

UNIT 3 CHAPTER 7 

Evidence for 

Jesus’ Divinity 

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Chapter 7 Overview 

In the last chapter you reflected on how you would answer six questions with significant implications for your 

life of faith and your relationship with Jesus Christ, who is Emmanuel — God with us in the flesh. In this chapter, 

we will turn our attention to the bountiful evidence that supports this claim. We will begin with evidence 

from outside the Bible, and then turn to the evidence we can find from the Gospels and the rest of the New 

Testament. 

In this chapter you will learn that … 

■ A preponderance of evidence exists both in Scripture, specifically the Gospels, and in non-scriptural sources that 

support Jesus’ claim to be divine. 

■ The preaching of the Apostolic Church is remarkably consistent in its central claims about Jesus contained in the 

kerygmas. 

■ The New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life are trustworthy and persuasive. 

■ Most scholars conclude from the evidence that something happened to Jesus’ body after His death that is 

attributable to a supernatural cause. 

■ Accounts of near-death experiences correlate with certain details of Jesus’ Resurrection. 

Bible Basics 

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, and that he 

appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then 

he appeared to more than five hundred brethren 

at one time most of whom are still alive, 

though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared 

to James, then to all the apostles. Last 

of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared 

also to me. 

—1 Corinthians 15:3–8 

[I]f Christ has not been raised, then our 

preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We 

are even found to be misrepresenting God, 

because we testified of God that he raised 

Christ ... If Christ has not been raised, your faith 

is futile and you are still in your sins. 

— 1 Corinthians 15:14–17 

Connections to the Catechism 

■ CCC 445 

■ CCC 464–478 

■ CCC 638–655 

© Sophia Institute for Teachers 

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Chapter 7 

Follow the Evidence 

Thus far in this unit we have considered six questions whose answers 

have significant implications not only for our own lives of faith, but also 

the way we interact with the central and most foundational truth of our 

Faith: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God become man — Emmanuel 

(“God with us”). Now we turn our attention to the preponderance of 

evidence that exists supporting this claim. Since evidence from the 

Bible may be least likely to convince skeptics of Christianity, we will begin 

this chapter with what we know about Jesus from outside the New 

Testament. 

Historical Works 

Outside of the Gospels, there are three notable sources from the 

period — sources that were not interested in Christ as the Messiah, and 

even hostile to Him, but which mention Him in their own historical works. 

The Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus 

In his Annals (ca. AD 105–120), while recounting how Nero blamed the 

Christians for the burning of Rome, Tacitus provides a non-Christian 

historical reference to Jesus. It states that Christus was executed by 

crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate during the reign of the Roman 

Emperor Tiberius. 

The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus 

Flavius Josephus (a Jewish historian writing a history of the Jewish 

people for a Roman audience in approximately AD 93) provides the 

most impressive and detailed evidence for the historical Jesus outside 

Christian scripture. Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jewish People cites 

Jesus’ Crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, and refers to Jesus as wise, 

having authority, a teacher and a wonder-worker (miracle-worker). This 

reference to miracles is rare in Josephus’ history. John the Baptist, for 

example, receives a long description but without any mention of miracles. 

The fact that a Jewish historian writing for the Romans would 

mention not only Jesus’ execution by crucifixion, but also the positive 

attributes of His wisdom, authority, teaching, and miracle-working indicates 

how well-known Jesus’ reputation was for these attributes. 

126 Apologetics I: The Catholic Faith and Science 

© Magis Center

Jewish historian Flavius 

Josephus described Jesus’ 

Crucifixion under Pontius 

Pilate and Jesus as a wise 

teacher and wonder-worker 

in his work Antiquities of the 

Jewish People. 

Aa 

VOCABULARY 

Babylonian Talmud: 

Compilation of Jewish oral law 

and other rabbinical material 

completed around AD 400. 

Portrait of Flavius Josephus, by Jan Caspar Philipsnaar. 

The Babylonian Talmud 

This Jewish source compiled Jewish oral law and other rabbinical material 

from prior centuries, was mostly written between AD 50–300 and 

completed around AD 400. It contains several references to Jesus, including 

His Crucifixion and His reputation for supernatural power. The 

Babylonian Talmud is especially notable as evidence since the passages 

indicate a rabbinical hostility toward Jesus, and their negative tone 

precludes any suspicion of Christian influence. 

In sum, Tacitus speaks to the historicity of Jesus’ trial and 

Crucifixion — naming both Pontius Pilate as procurator and Tiberius 

as Caesar. Josephus also speaks to Jesus’ Crucifixion under Pontius 

Pilate, explicitly mentioning Jesus as wise, authoritative, and as teacher 

and miracle worker. The Babylonian Talmud affirms Jesus’ Crucifixion 

and miracle working. 


Unit 3, Chapter 7: Evidence for Jesus’ Divinity 

127

St. Paul and the Apostles 

faced alienation, persecution, 

torture, and execution for 

claiming Jesus was divine. 

Kerygmas: Brief Christian 

texts that express simple 

credal teachings. These were 

the first proclamations of the 

Early Church, written within a 

decade of Jesus’ Death and 

Resurrection, and preserved in 

the New Testament within the 

Acts of the Apostles and the 

Letters of St. Paul. 

St. Paul Preaching in Athens, by Raphael. 

The Preaching of the Apostolic Church 

The earliest information we have about Jesus is found in the 

kerygmas — brief texts that proclaim in a relatively simple way the basic 

core teachings of the Gospel message (kerygma is Greek for “proclamation”). 

These were the first proclamations of the Early Church, written 

within a mere decade of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. They have 

been preserved in the New Testament within the Acts of the Apostles 

and the Letters of St. Paul. (See: Acts 2:14–39; 3:13–26; 4:10–12; 5:30– 

32; 10:36–43; 13:17–41; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:1–7; and 

Romans 8:34.) 

These proclamations have eight repeated themes: 

1. Jesus was a descendant of David. 

2. Jesus was predicted by the Prophets. 

3. Jesus worked miracles. 

4. Jesus was crucified and buried for our sins (in all major kerygmas). 

5. Jesus rose in glory (in all major kerygmas). 

6. Jesus gave His disciples the Holy Spirit. 

7. Jesus is now exalted in God. 

8. Jesus is therefore, Messiah and Lord. 


© Magis Center

Since these themes form the foundation of Christian creeds today, 

they might strike us as routine and familiar. But these are radical claims 

that Christians were making about Jesus right at the beginning. Calling 

a man the Lord (the term in New Testament Greek — ho Kurios — is a 

translation of the Divine name Yahweh) would have been blasphemous 

in the eyes of other Jews, and calling a crucified man God would have 

been repulsive to virtually everyone. Furthermore, the early Christians 

suffered terribly for their claim of Jesus’ divinity — they lost their social 

and financial status, were religiously ostracized and ultimately expelled 

from the synagogue, and were persecuted to the point of death. Why 

would anyone risk alienating their audience, getting expelled from the 

synagogues, losing social status, and facing persecution and death for 

claiming Jesus was divine if they were not sure it was true? All of this 

suffering could have been avoided by simply calling Jesus a holy man, 

or a martyr-prophet who lost His life for the truth. Something must have 

impressed the early Christians to make such specific, radical claims in 

the face of such strong disincentives. Three possible reasons why the 

Church would have believed in Jesus’ divinity so strongly in the face of 

such sacrifices would seem to be His Resurrection and glory, His gift of 

the Holy Spirit, and the miracles He worked by His own authority during 

His ministry. We will first consider in this chapter the evidence for Jesus’ 

Resurrection and glory. In Chapter 8 we will take a look at the evidence 

for Jesus’ miracles and the sending of the Holy Spirit. 

Gnostic Gospels: Ancient 

books about the life of Christ 

that are infused with false 

theology that reflects the 

Gnostic heresy rampant at the 

time. Two are falsely attributed 

to St. Thomas the Apostle and 

St. Mary Magdalene. 

The Evidence of the Heart 

Before we proceed, we must first reflect on the fact that, even though 

we are looking at a lot of hard evidence in this unit, anytime we are genuinely 

being persuaded of something — rather than just scoring points 

in an argument — there are usually additional factors besides the evidence 

itself. One of these factors is the trustworthiness and general 

feel we get of the person giving the evidence. In the case of the New 

Testament, there are several striking patterns that can inspire confidence 

in its authors: 

1. Restraint: Miracles are reported in simple factual prose, like 

a news report, without the dramatic embellishment we find 

in any other ancient story of miracles (such as the so-called 

Gnostic Gospels). 

2. Initital Doubt: All three Gospel accounts of Jesus’ risen 

appearance to the Apostles report the initial doubts of the 



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Resurrected Jesus Christ with Thomas the Apostle, by Sebastiano Santi. 

All the Gospels show the 

Apostles as initially doubtful 

that Jesus had risen from the 

dead. 

Apostles, a notably honest admission for an account intending to 

inspire belief. 

3. Humility: Other unflattering details like the insults the religious 

authorities leveled at Jesus or the failings and weaknesses of the 

Apostles (e.g. Peter’s betrayal) are also included, indicating that 

reporting the whole truth was more important than making the 

early Church leaders look good. 

4. Challenging tone: The restrained reporting, honest inclusion 

of unpleasant details, and refusal to explain away challenging 

teachings all convey a tone of authors who are convinced of the 

truth of what they are reporting but who are not trying to soften 

the difficulty of that truth to win people over with a flattering 

presentation. There is a bracing earnestness in their writing. 

5. Inspiring appeal: Paradoxically, laying out the mission of the 

Gospel without trying to soften it or downplay its challenges can 

be inspiring, inviting us to aspire to its high calling. 


© Magis Center

Jesus’ Resurrection in Glory 

While belief in Jesus as Emmanuel (“God with us”) requires a movement 

of the heart to recognize our need for love and to be open to receiving 

that love, it also requires evidence for the mind that Jesus is divine. 

It is for this reason that Jesus’ Resurrection, as a demonstration of his 

divine power, is so central to Christianity. St. Paul even remarks that if 

Jesus did not rise from the dead, Christians are essentially wasting their 

time (1 Corinthians 15). Is there any historical way of verifying whether 

the Resurrection happened? The answer to this question is undeniably 

yes. Let us now consider the evidence. 

Recent Scholarship on the Resurrection 

A 2005 survey of exegetes (scholars who analyze the Scriptures) by 

Gary Habermas indicates that most agree the early disciples at least 

had experiences they perceived as the Risen Christ. A few exegetes 

propose natural causes for these experiences (e.g. subjective visions 

caused by religious intoxication and enthusiasm). But most seem to 

conclude that there was a supernatural cause — that something happened 

to Jesus after His Death. The consensus is that Jesus’ body was 

transformed; in other words, Jesus did not just appear to the Apostles 

as a vision or ghost (a luminous appearance) but fully came back to life 

as Himself, with a risen and transformed body (a transformed corporeal 

appearance). What evidence has led them to this consensus? 

There exist four main areas of evidence: 

1. The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ risen appearances to the 

Apostles; 

2. St. Paul’s testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus; 

3. N.T. Wright’s historical analysis of the Resurrection; and 

4. The empty tomb. 

1. The Gospel Accounts of Jesus’ Risen Appearances to the 

Apostles 

The Gospel accounts of Jesus’s risen appearances to the Apostles 

share many common elements, and one of the most telling of these is 

that the Apostles were not expecting what they saw. The general pattern 

of the Resurrection narratives is as follows: Jesus’ appearance as a 

spiritually and gloriously transformed body, the Apostles’ initial doubts 

about this being Jesus, and Jesus’ proof that it is really He. 

All the Gospels show the Apostles as initially doubtful of the 

Resurrection. They are so overwhelmed by His transformation that 



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Soma Pneumatikon: Phrase 

coined by St. Paul to describe 

Christ’s glorified body, 

meaning literally “spiritual 

body.” 

they seem to think they are witnessing a divine vision — not the Jesus 

they had worked with during His ministry. Jesus had to reassure them 

that — however wondrously transformed — it was really He and really 

His actual body. Far from something the Apostles were expecting, let 

alone planning, this transformed Christ that appeared to them was so 

radically unfamiliar that St. Paul would have to coin a new phrase to describe 

it: a Soma Pneumatikon or “Spiritual Body” (1 Corinthians 15:44). 

As we continue, we will see just how radical the consequences were for 

Christianity in receiving and adopting this new concept. 

2. St. Paul’s Testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus 

One of the earliest kerygmas is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. It contains 

a list of the witnesses to the Resurrection: 

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, and that he appeared to Cephas, then 

to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five 

hundred brethren at one time most of whom are still 

alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared 

to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, 

as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 

Paul seems to be offering this list with an eye to its value as legal 

evidence. He mentions that, of the more than five hundred people who 

witnessed the Risen Christ, most “are still alive,” implying that his audience 

could have still consulted them to corroborate the story. The list 

also does not include the women at the tomb — the earliest witnesses 

mentioned in the Gospel narratives — as Jewish law of the time would 

not have held their witness legally admissible. 

Having offered the evidence of these witnesses to the Resurrected 

Christ, Paul probes the value of their evidence by laying out a dilemma 

in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19: either the witnesses believed in God, or they 

did not believe in God. In either case, Paul argues, they had everything 

to lose and nothing to gain by falsely claiming to have witnessed the 

Resurrection. For a believer to publicly lie that he had witnessed the 

Resurrected Christ, he would have put his own salvation in jeopardy 

by bearing false witness that undermined and caused apostasy to the 

Jewish faith. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14–19: 

[I]f Christ has not been raised, then our preaching 

is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even 


© Magis Center

The Risen Christ appeared 

radically different to the 

Apostles. 

Apostasy: The abandonment 

or renunciation of one’s 

religious faith. 

The Ascension, by Benjamin West, 

found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified 

of God that he raised Christ ... If Christ has 

not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still 

in your sins.... If for this life only we have hoped in 

Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. 

For one who believed in God, lying about the Resurrection represented 

the worst possible crime in the eyes of St. Paul. The witnesses 

of the Risen Christ, if they were believers, had everything to lose 

and nothing to gain by publicly lying about the Resurrection (causing 

apostasy), for they were jeopardizing their eternal salvation. 

Those who did not believe in God would also have had to make great 

sacrifices to preach the Resurrection, which would have made lying 



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The unprecedented growth 

of the early Church gives 

evidence not only of the 

power of the Holy Spirit in the 

ministry of the Apostles, but 

also of the Resurrection of 

Jesus. 

about it senseless. Such a lie would have brought needless suffering 

onto oneself. The Resurrection doctrine set the early Christians at odds 

with the Jewish tradition they lived in, causing them to be expelled from 

their synagogues and ostracized by their communities. It quickly led to 

hounding by the Roman authorities as well. Ultimately, it meant active 

persecution, torture, and death. It would have been a huge leap of logic 

for an unbeliever to willingly associate himself with such persecution 

and danger to his own life for a lie he himself did not even believe. 

Indeed, Paul himself suffered repeatedly from these threats and 

would even die for the Faith. If the Resurrection were a lie, all that suffering 

would have been for nothing. As he himself indicated — “If the 

dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 

Corinthians 15:32). Paul uses this dilemma to show (in a legal fashion) 

that he and the other witnesses — believers and unbelievers alike — had 

everything to lose and nothing to gain by bearing false witness to the 

Resurrection of Christ. Their testimony is more reliable since it goes 

against their own self-interest. 

Constantine’s Conversion, by Peter Paul Rubens 


© Magis Center

3. N.T. Wright’s Historical Analysis of the Resurrection 

N.T. Wright, a contemporary Anglican New Testament scholar and 

Pauline theologian, offers two arguments for the historicity of Jesus’ 

Resurrection: the remarkable success of Christian messianism and the 

Christian mutations of Second Temple Judaism. These two aspects of 

the early Church are difficult to account for without the Resurrection. 

Messianic Movements: 

Groups which formed around 

leaders who claimed to be 

God’s promised Messiah, and 

which inevitably died out after 

the leader’s death. 

The Remarkable Success of Christian Messianism 

The first historical anomaly central to N.T. Wright’s argument is that 

there were many messianic movements in the time of Christ, each 

separate and distinct from that of Jesus and His followers. Wright lists 

several of these: “Judas the Galilean, Simon, Athronges, Eleazar ben 

Deinaus and Alexander, Menahem, Simon bar Giora, and bar-Kochba.” 

In every case, a charismatic leader attracted an enthusiastic following, 

the leader died (usually at the hands of the authorities), his followers 

scattered, and the messianic movement soon died. One example of 

this pattern is even found in the Gospels with John the Baptist. 

Christianity is the one dramatic exception to this pattern. After the 

public humiliation and execution of their leader, the disciples did not 

fade away. Instead, they began preaching throughout the surrounding 

countries that their crucified leader is in fact the Messiah, has succeeded 

in fulfilling the ancient prophecies, rose from the dead, and is divine. 

Even more shockingly, their messianic movement grew exponentially. 

In a few generations, Christianity became the dominant religion of the 

Roman Empire. Where did this momentum come from? What inspired 

the Apostles with such conviction? 

Wright believes that the Apostles would have had no credibility with 

this message among the Jewish or Gentile people were it not for two 

extraordinary occurrences — (1) the Apostles’ ability to perform healings 

and miracles on a regular basis by the power of the Holy Spirit, and (2) 

the fact that they worked these miracles in the name of Jesus. As the 

Apostles explained, if Jesus was not risen from the dead as they had 

preached, then how could they work miracles through His Spirit in His 

name? Given that no other messianic movement worked regular miracles 

in the name of their messiah (including the movement of John 

the Baptist), it explains how Christianity’s preaching of the Resurrection 

was so credible and, therefore, how the early Church grew so rapidly. 

This historical perspective gives evidence not only of the power of the 

Holy Spirit in the ministry of the Apostles, but also of the Resurrection 

of Jesus. 

In a few 

generations, 

Christianity 

became the 

dominant 

religion of the 

Roman Empire. 



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From Judaism to Christianity 

The teaching of the Early Church also gives evidence for the 

Resurrection. Wherever possible, the early Christians tried to maintain 

continuity in teaching with the broader Jewish community of the time 

(whose teachings are referred to as Second Temple Judaism). There 

is one area, however, where Christians made several unprecedented 

changes in doctrine, changes dramatic enough to get them expelled 

from the synagogues: the Resurrection. 

Here are the changes: 

Second Temple Judaism 

Resurrection means return to 

the same kind of physical body. 

Christianity 

Resurrection means 

transformation into a spiritual 

and glorified body (the soma 

pneumatikon). 

No one will rise before the end 

times. 

Jesus has already risen. 

The Messiah is not associated 

with Resurrection. 

The hope for a Messiah and the 

hope of a Resurrection are both 

fulfilled in Jesus. 

The end times (parousia) are in 

the Future. 

The end times have begun with 

Jesus, and will be completed in 

the future. 

Resurrection is a minor 

doctrine. 

Resurrection is the central 

doctrine that justifies and 

connects the entire Faith. 

Historians have theorized about where these new ideas came 

from — perhaps from paganism, some have suggested, or the desire 

of Christians to come to terms with the death of their leader. The 

problem with these theories is that the ideas are unprecedented — no 

one had ever proposed them even outside of Judaism. It is difficult to 

find a plausible source for these ideas other than the one given in the 

Gospels — that Jesus really did rise from the dead and appeared to the 

disciples in a spiritual and glorified body. (Remember that St. Paul even 


© Magis Center

St. Peter Preaching in the Presence of St. Mark, by Fra Angelico. 

had to make up a new term to describe the idea of a spiritual and glorified 

body; they literally didn’t have a word for it!). Combine the novelty 

of the doctrine with how uniquely controversial it was — again, it was 

the only area where Christians opposed the prevailing Jewish doctrine, 

Christians knew that the negative consequences would be significant, 

and yet they fearlessly separated themselves from the doctrine and endured 

its consequences, including expulsion from the Synagogue. Thus, 

we are forced to ask, where did this conviction come from, if not from 

the gloriously resurrected Jesus witnessed by the early Christians? 

The early Church sought to 

maintain continuity with the 

broader Jewish community 

when possible, but the 

Resurrection necessitated 

radical new changes in 

doctrine. 

4. The Empty Tomb 

The empty tomb does not in and of itself give direct evidence of 

the Resurrection, of course, but does provide indirect corroboration. 

When the Apostles began gaining converts by preaching 

the Resurrection, it was in the interests of the Jewish authorities to 



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Jesus’ Resurrection shows 

us His divine power, and also 

reveals the new life we are 

destined for as His disciples. 

undermine this claim by producing the body of Jesus, which they 

were unable to do. This fact points to the likelihood that the body really 

was not in the tomb. Even more, in the Gospels, the Jewish authorities 

charge that the Apostles stole Jesus’ body (an accusation 

that would not be necessary unless there was an identifiable burial site 

that was now empty). We are quite sure about the historical reliability 

of this charge because it is unthinkable that the Christians would have 

reported such a damaging claim to their own credibility in the Gospel 

(Matthew 28:13) unless it were really true. The empty tomb also indicates 

continuity between Jesus’ original body and the glorified body 

of the Resurrection — i.e. His same body that was buried was later 

raised and left the tomb transformed in glory. 

Supper at Emmaus, by Matthias Stom. 


© Magis Center

Correlations Between the Resurrection of Jesus and 

Near-Death Experiences 

As we began to explore in Unit 1, we can also find some interesting parallels 

between Jesus’ Resurrection and the accounts of people who 

have had near death experiences (NDEs). Part of the significance of 

Jesus’ Resurrection, in addition to establishing His own divine power, is 

to show us the new life for which believers will be destined. 

What do we know of our own future after combining the evidence 

of Christian revelation and NDEs? There are a few recurring details in 

accounts of near-death experiences that correlate with details of Jesus’ 

Resurrection: 

Theophany: A profound 

manifestation, or revelation, 

of God. 

1. Human beings are not limited to corporeal life or the physical 

world — we have a transphysical consciousness and spiritual embodiment 

that can survive bodily death. In NDEs, people experience 

continued conscious awareness after medical brain death 

has occurred. Furthermore, when patients encounter deceased 

relatives and friends, they report that they have a recognizable 

body (looking similar to the body they had as a young adult — and 

without physical imperfections). This continued spiritual embodiment 

and consciousness after death is also demonstrated by 

Jesus’ Resurrection appearance — though Jesus’ body is not just 

spiritualized, but glorified, appearing like a manifestation of God 

(a theophany). 

2. The transphysical dimension of human beings has continuity with 

embodiment but is not limited by physical laws or structures. 

Several near-death experience accounts report an ability to see 

and hear as well as an ability to move beyond the confines of the 

room they were in, often reporting on events and conversations 

in other parts of the hospital that they could not have otherwise 

witnessed. Gospel accounts also ascribe to Christ’s glorified 

body a similar freedom from physical laws and boundaries (e.g. 

passing through walls). 

3. The transcendent deity (and the so-called other side) are 

overwhelmingly loving (from both NDEs and Jesus’ revelation). 

One of the more well-known details of near-death experiences, 

perhaps, is the vision of a white light. Many people spontaneously 

use the adjective loving to describe this light, often portraying 

this love as not just obvious but even overwhelming. Not only is 

God’s unconditional love a central teaching of Jesus, but it is also 



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an unprecedented teaching not found in any religions prior to 

Christianity. 

The reports of near-death experiences, however, only provide partial 

corroboration of the Resurrection. The revelation of the Resurrected 

Jesus contains other truths about our final destiny that we would not 

otherwise know. 

For instance: 

1. Our transphysical embodiment will be transformed in power and 

glory — like Jesus’. 

2. Life after death is eternal. 

3. God’s and Jesus’ intention is to give eternal life to all who accept 

and seek it — still allowing for the possibility of some to freely 

reject love, a loving God, and loving people. 

Conclusion 

If Jesus was 

not who the 

Apostles said He 

was, why would 

God validate 

it by working 

miracles 

through the 

hands of the 

Apostles in 

Jesus’ name? 

Let us now review what we have gathered from surveying the historical 

evidence on the Resurrection. 

First, there is significant reason to believe that the Risen Jesus appeared 

to the Apostles (and other witnesses) after the women had discovered 

His empty tomb. He appeared spiritually transformed — not a 

vision or a ghost — but maintained continuity with His former embodiment, 

complete with the wounds of His Crucifixion. These post-Resurrection 

appearances account for all five of the changes Christians made 

to Second Temple Judaism’s teaching about resurrection. 

Second, after His Resurrection, He imparted the Holy Spirit upon 

His Apostles, and they could perform the same kinds of miracles Jesus 

performed in His name. If Jesus was not who the Apostles said he was, 

why would God validate it by working miracles through the hands of 

the Apostles in Jesus’ name? Doing so would not have been logical or 

in His best interests. The inspiration of the Resurrection and the capacity 

to work miracles in the name of Jesus gave the Apostles the 

momentum to grow in the midst of persecution after the death of their 

founder. 

This evidence for Resurrection is essential to the foundation of believing 

that Jesus is truly the unconditional love of Emmanuel (“God 

with us”). In the next chapter we will look in more depth at two other 

parts of the foundation of this belief: Jesus’ miracles and the gift of the 

Holy Spirit. 


© Magis Center

Focus and Reflection Questions 

1 What historical account of Jesus does Cornelius Tacitus provide? Flavius Josephus? The Babylonian 

Talmud? 

2 Why is this historical evidence important for skeptics? 

3 What is the kerygma and how does it figure into the life of the early Church? What theme is present 

in all major kerygmas? 

4 How were the claims of the kerygmas radical for the time? 

5 If the early Christians suffered so strongly, what are the three possible reasons why the Church 

would have believed in Jesus’ divinity so ardently? 

6 Why should we be confident in the trustworthiness of the authors of the New Testament? 

7 Why is Jesus’ Resurrection so central to Christianity? 

8 What historical evidence do the Gospels provide of the Resurrection? 

9 What does soma pneumatikon mean? Who used this phrase and why? 

10 What argument does St. Paul make as to why we should trust the witnesses he lists in 1 Corinthians 

15:3–8? 

11 What is N.T. Wright’s argument regarding Christian messianism? What accounts for the momentum 

and conviction of the Apostles? 

12 What is N.T. Wright’s argument regarding Second Temple Judaism and the Resurrection? 

13 How does the empty tomb corroborate the Resurrection? 

14 What corroborating evidence can near-death-experiences provide regarding Jesus’ Resurrection? 



141

Straight to the Source 

ADDITIONAL READINGS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES 

Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII, Chapter III, Flavius Josephus 

About this time lived Jesus, a man full of wisdom, if indeed one may call Him a man. For He was the 

doer of incredible things, and the teacher of such as gladly received the truth. He thus attracted to 

Himself many Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. On the accusation of the leading men 

of our people, Pilate condemned Him to death upon the cross; nevertheless those who had previously 

loved Him still remained faithful to Him. For on the third day He again appeared to them living, just as, 

in addition to a thousand other marvelous things, prophets sent by God had foretold. And to the present 

day the race of those who call themselves Christians after Him has not ceased. 

1 How does Flavius Josephus describe Jesus? 

2 Who do you think Josephus means by saying Christ was accused by “our people”? What does this tell 

us about Josephus? 

3 From the way Josephus writes, do you think he was a follower of Jesus? Why or why not? 

Redemptoris Missio 6, An Encyclical Letter of Pope St. John Paul II, December 7, 1990 

6. To introduce any sort of separation between the Word and Jesus Christ is contrary to the Christian 

faith. St. John clearly states that the Word, who “was in the beginning with God,” is the very one who 

“became flesh” (Jn 1:2, 14). Jesus is the Incarnate Word – a single and indivisible person. One cannot 

separate Jesus from the Christ or speak of a “Jesus of history” who would differ from the “Christ of 

faith.” The Church acknowledges and confesses Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 

16:16): Christ is none other than Jesus of Nazareth: he is the Word of God made man for the salvation 

of all. In Christ “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9) and “from his fullness have we all received” 

(Jn 1:16). The “only Son, who is the bosom of the Father” (Jn 1:18) is “the beloved Son, in whom 

we have redemption.... For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile 

to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his Cross” (Col 

1:13-14, 19-20). It is precisely this uniqueness of Christ which gives him an absolute and universal significance, 

whereby, while belonging to history, he remains history’s center and goal: “I am the Alpha and the 

Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rv 22:13). 

Thus, although it is legitimate and helpful to consider the various aspects of the mystery of Christ, we 

must never lose sight of its unity. In the process of discovering and appreciating the manifold gifts – 

especially the spiritual treasures – that God has bestowed on every people, we cannot separate those 

gifts from Jesus Christ, who is at the center of God’s plan of salvation. Just as “by his incarnation the 

Son of God united himself in some sense with every human being,” so too “we are obliged to hold that 

the Holy Spirit offers everyone the possibility of sharing in the Paschal Mystery in a manner known to 

God.” God’s plan is “to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:10). 


© Magis Center

1 Why is it an error to speak of the “Jesus of history” as distinct from the “Christ of faith”? 

2 What must we never lose sight of when contemplating the various aspects of the mystery of Christ? 

3 Who did Christ mysteriously unite Himself to by His Incarnation? 

Homily 66, 1–3, St. Augustine, ca. AD 354–AD 430 

1. The Lord appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, as you have heard, and saluted them, saying, 

Peace be unto you. This is peace indeed, and the salutation of salvation: for the very word salutation has 

received its name from salvation. And what can be better than that Salvation Itself should salute man? 

For Christ is our Salvation. He is our Salvation, who was wounded for us, and fixed by nails to the tree, 

and being taken down from the tree, was laid in the sepulchre. And from the sepulchre He arose, with 

His wounds healed, His scars kept. For this He judged expedient for His disciples, that His scars should 

be kept, where by the wounds of their hearts might be healed. What wounds? The wounds of unbelief. 

For He appeared to their eyes, exhibiting real flesh, and they thought they saw a spirit. It is no light 

wound, this wound of the heart. Yea, they have made a malignant heresy who have abided in this wound. 

But do we suppose that the disciples had not been wounded, because they were so quickly healed? 

Only, Beloved, suppose, if they had continued in this wound, to think that the Body which had been buried, 

could not rise again, but that a spirit in the image of a body, deceived the eyes of men: if they had 

continued in this belief, yea, rather in this unbelief, not their wounds, but their death would have had to 

be bewailed. 

2. But what said the Lord Jesus? Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts ascend into your hearts? If 

thoughts ascend into your heart, the thoughts come from the earth. But it is good for a man, not that a 

thought should ascend into his heart, but that his heart should itself ascend upwards, where the Apostle 

would have believers place their hearts, to whom he said, If you be risen with Christ, mind those things 

which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Seek those things which are above, not 

the things which are upon the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ 

your life shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory. In what glory? The glory of the resurrection. 

In what glory? Hear the Apostle saying of this body, It is sown in dishonour, it shall rise in glory. 

This glory the Apostles were unwilling to assign to their Master, their Christ, their Lord: they did not 

believe that His Body could rise from the sepulchre: they thought Him to be a Spirit, though they saw 

His flesh, and they believed not their very eyes. Yet we believe them who preach but do not show Him. 

Lo, they believed not Christ who showed Himself to them. Malignant wound! Let the remedies for these 

scars come forth. Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts ascend into your hearts? See My hands 

and My feet, where I was fixed with the nails. Handle and see. But ye see, and yet do not see. Handle and 

see. What? That a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have. When He had thus spoken, so it is 

written, He showed them His hands and His feet. 

3. And while they were yet in hesitation, and wondered for joy. Now there was joy already, and yet hesitation 

continued. For a thing incredible had taken place, yet taken place it had. Is it at this day a thing 

incredible, that the Body of the Lord rose again from the sepulchre? The whole cleansed world has believed 

it; whoever has not believed it, has remained in his uncleanness. Yet at that time it was incredible: 



143

and persuasion was addressed not to the eyes only, but to the hands also, that by the bodily senses 

faith might descend into their heart, and that faith so descending into their heart might be preached 

throughout the world to them who neither saw nor touched, and yet without doubting believed. Have 

ye, says He, anything to eat? How much does the good Builder still to build up the edifice of faith? He did 

not hunger, yet He asked to eat. And He ate by an act of His power, not through necessity. So then let 

the disciples acknowledge the verity of His body, which the world has acknowledged at their preaching. 

1 According to St. Augustine, why did Christ keep His scars after the Resurrection? 

2 Based on what you read in the homily above, what do you think is the heresy of the Manicheans 

referenced by St. Augustine? 

3 According to St. Augustine, what was the reason Christ asked His Apostles for food? 

4 What struck you the most about this homily? Why? 


© Magis Center

CFS-WB-CH07

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