Since it's Easter week, I'd like to take a short break from my series on undesigned coincidences even though I just started on it, and instead focus on the resurrection of Jesus. There's plenty of evidence for that Jesus was raised from the dead, but in this article, I would like to key in on one specific argument. It's called the minimal facts argument, and it has popularized by Professor Gary Habermas and Professor Michael Licona, two of the most renowned scholars in resurrection studies in the entire world.
Instead of arguing directly from the Gospels, this argument is based on key historical facts that are accepted by the vast majority of historians, regardless of their worldview.
The first fact is Jesus' death by crucifixion, which there is very strong agreement on among historians. There are scholars in the field who are not even Christians, hold the crucifixion of Jesus to be the most well established historical fact of the ancient world.
The second fact is that the disciples of Jesus believed that they saw Jesus resurrected. Of course, scholars who are not Christians do not think that Jesus actually was resurrected, but the majority of them still agree that the disciples thought they saw Jesus alive after the crucifixion.
The third fact is that conversions of Paul and James happened after the death of Jesus. Paul was an enemy of Christianity at its inception, and persecuted Christians until he became one himself. James was Jesus' brother, and was skeptical during Jesus' lifetime, but became a believer after Jesus died. Those of you who have siblings, imagine that your brother or sister would claim to be Almighty God come in the flesh. You would probably be skeptical of such claims too. But what would change your mind, after your sibling had died and been burried, into becoming a believer?
The fourth fact is that the belief in the resurrection of Jesus happened early after the crucifixion, and began in Jerusalem, the very place where Jesus died.
These facts on their own don't prove the resurrection, but when you combine them, you'll find that it's a completely different story. There's no solid theory that accounts for all four facts, other than that Jesus actually did rise from the dead. You might find that to be a bold claim, that these facts don't sound like a big deal, but if you try to explain them in a way that makes sense is actually hard.
This argument is not quite conclusive proof, but it does make a case based on generally accepted facts, that is best explained by just that - That Jesus indeed is risen. If it doesn't persuade you that this is what happened, then you should at the very least engage with the possibility seriously. You should investigate it further. Because if Jesus rose from the dead, then that's the most important thing that has happened in the history of the universe. If Jesus rose from the dead, then the Gospel, the good news, is true. If it is true, then we can have harmony with God in peace and love through Jesus.
