Q&A with BBH

Is there any secular evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

The resurrection, more than any other claim of any religion, is investigatable and verifiable, because it is an historical—not a philosophical—claim. And if it is true, it has earth-shattering implications because it means Jesus’ claim to be God and the only Savior of the world must also be true.

In addition to many other historical evidences for the resurrection of Christ, here are just a few secular sources to consider:

Tacitus

Tacitus was a first-century Roman historian who wrote in 109 AD of a Christ who “suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus”.

He also gives us an account of the great fire in Rome and that Nero blamed it on the Christians and “punished Christians, who were hated for their enormities. CHRISTUS, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.”

What could this pernicious superstition be, that had the power to propel a movement from utter devastation to uncontainable motivation in a matter of days? What kind of event could generate enough horsepower to take the disciples of Jesus from zero to breakneck speed in moments?

Suetonius

Suetonius, chief secretary of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD), refers to it in his writings, as well: “after the great fire at Rome [during Nero’s reign] … Punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief.”

What belief could be so mischievous as to take over the Roman empire in a few years?

Josephus

We find the answer in another secular, non-Christian, first-century account: that of Flavius Josephus (37-97 AD), a Jew who defected and became court historian for Emperor Vespasian. Josephus is quoted in AD 324 by Eusebius, giving us this objective account:

“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as had a veneration for truth. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles: he was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had spoken of these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him: thus the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

More resources on the resurrection of Christ: Why Just One Way?; Who Is Jesus?; He Is Risen, As He Said

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