The resurrection of Christ, between history, religion and science

*Note – the article is entirely written by Bing AI

The greatest event in human history

The resurrection of Jesus took place on the third day after His crucifixion.

According to the writings of the New Testament, Jesus was the first reborn from the dead, inaugurating the Kingdom of God.

He appeared to his disciples to send them to all corners of the world to preach his message and ascended to heaven.

For the Christian tradition, the bodily resurrection involved the restoration to life of a transformed body, nourished by the Holy Spirit, as described by Paul and the evangelical authors, which led to the establishment of Christianity.

In Christian theology, the resurrection of Jesus is “the central foundation of the Christian faith”.

For Christians, his resurrection is the guarantee that all dead Christians will be resurrected to parousia (second coming) of Christ.

What do the gospels say?

• Gospel according to Matthew 28:2-4 – And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, coming down from heaven, came and rolled the stone and sat on it. His face was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. From his fear, those who were guarding trembled and remained as dead.
• Gospel according to Mark 16:4-6 – But raising their eyes, they saw that the stone had been broken; for it was very large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white garment; and they were afraid. He said to them: Do not be afraid! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one. He is risen, he is not here; here is the place where they put it.
• Gospel according to Luke 24:2-6 – They found the fallen stone from the tomb. Entering it, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they did not know what to think of this, behold, two men stood before them, in shining clothes. The women were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground. But they said to them: Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.
• Gospel according to John 20:1-2 – On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark. He saw the stone taken from the tomb. So he ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them: They have taken the Lord from the tomb and we do not know where they have put him.

What do Jews and Muslims say?

Jews do not believe that Jesus is God, the Son of God, or a person of the Trinity, because these concepts are incompatible with Jewish theology.

The Jews believe that Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies that establish the criteria for the coming of the messiah.

Judaism does not accept Jesus as a divine being, a mediator between people and God, a messiah or a saint.

Muslims recognize Jesus as a prophet sent by God, but not as a son of God or as part of a Trinity. Muslims believe that Jesus was raised to heaven by God before he was crucified and that he will return at the end of time as a sign of the Last Judgment.

Muslims reject the idea that Jesus died for the sins of mankind and rose from the dead.

What do science and pseudoscience say?

Paleo-astronauts like those in the Ancient Aliens series argue that the resurrection of Jesus could be explained as an encounter with our extraterrestrial ancestors, who would have lifted Jesus into the sky in a spaceship and brought him back to life with their advanced technology .

They rely on some biblical texts that describe the appearance of shining angels or clouds that hide the presence of Jesus after the resurrection.

They also state that some artistic depictions of the resurrection show symbols that could be interpreted as technological devices or alien life forms.

However, there is no scientific or historical evidence to support this hypothesis.

Paleastronautic theory it is rejected by the majority of researchers and theologians, who consider that the resurrection of Jesus is a miraculous and unique event, which cannot be reduced to an extraterrestrial intervention.

She also ignores the spiritual and religious significance of the resurrection of Jesus for Christianitywhich is not based on physical evidence, but on faith in God’s power to overcome death and sin.

What do historians and archaeologists think?

Historians and archaeologists cannot directly demonstrate the resurrection of Jesus, because it is a miraculous and unique event that goes beyond the domain of natural science. However, they can provide circumstantial and circumstantial evidence that supports the credibility of the biblical accounts of the resurrection. Some of these evidences are:

• The empty tomb. There are several arguments that show that the tomb in which Jesus was placed after the crucifixion was found empty by a group of women on the first day of the week.
• The apparitions of Jesus. There are several arguments that show that the disciples have the resurrected Jesus. The fact that these experiences were multiple, varied and collective, involving different people, places and circumstances; the fact that these experiences produced a radical change in the life and faith of the disciples, who went from fear and doubt to courage and conviction; the fact that these experiences cannot be explained as hallucinations, legends or mystifications; and the fact that some of these experiences are attested by very old and independent sources, such as the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
• The rise and expansion of the Christian church. There are several arguments that show that the preaching of the disciples, which had the resurrection as the foundation of faith, was the main cause of the establishment and expansion of the Christian church. The fact that the apostles of Jesus proclaimed the resurrection as a historical event and not as a metaphor or a hope; the fact that they preached the resurrection despite opposition and persecution from the Jewish and Roman authorities; the fact that the disciples introduced radical changes in their religious practices and beliefs, such as the celebration of Sunday as the day of resurrection or the recognition of Jesus as Lord and Messiah; and the fact that the disciples won many converts from among the Jews and pagans, who were convinced of the truthfulness of their message.
• This evidence cannot prove with certainty that Jesus rose from the dead, but it can show that it is the best explanation.

What do forensic doctors, psychologists and investigators think?

Medical examiners examined medical and historical evidence about Jesus’ death and resurrection. They concluded that Jesus really died on the cross and that he did not faint or go into a coma, as some theories claim.

Some of their arguments are:

• crucifixion it was a very effective and cruel method of execution, causing certain death by hypovolemic shock, heart failure or asphyxiation.
• Roman soldiers were experts in crucifixion and they checked if the victims were dead before taking them down from the cross.
• The spear blow Jesus received in the rib caused massive hemorrhage and released water and blood from the pericardium and pleura, indicating a cardiac death.
• The tomb of Jesus was sealed with a heavy stone and guarded by soldierswhich makes it unlikely that he would have been removed from the tomb or come out on his own if he were still alive.
• The appearances of Jesus after the resurrection were not hallucinations or visionsbut real encounters with a transformed and glorified body that could be touched, recognized and could eat fish roasted with honey.
• The theory of the wrong tomb. This theory claims that the women who went to the tomb of Jesus had the wrong place and therefore found it empty.
• Theory of body movement. This theory claims that the body of Jesus was moved from the tomb by authorities or other people, without the disciples knowing.

There are several medical theories that try to explain or dispute the death and resurrection of Jesus. Some of these theories are:

• The fainting or coma theory. This theory holds that Jesus did not actually die on the cross, but fainted or went into a coma from blood loss and shock. Then he returned to his grave and came out of it
• The theory of hallucinations. This theory claims that the disciples of Jesus did not really see the resurrected Jesus, but had hallucinations caused by their strong desire to see him alive.
• Theft theory. This theory holds that Jesus’ body was stolen from the tomb by his disciples or other people, who then spread the rumor that he had risen.
• The twin theory. This theory holds that Jesus had an unknown twin brother who impersonated him after his death and claimed to have resurrected.

These theories cannot satisfactorily explain the medical and historical data about the death and resurrection of Jesus. They have several problems and objections, such as:

• The fainting or coma theory does not take into account the fact that crucifixion was a very effective and cruel method of executionwhich caused certain death by hypovolaemic shock, heart failure or asphyxiation. It also does not explain how Jesus could have survive in the tomb without food, water or medical care, remove the heavy stone that sealed the tomb and escape the soldiers guarding it.
• The theory of hallucinations does not take into account the fact that the appearances of Jesus were multiple, varied and collective, involving different people, places and circumstances. It also doesn’t explain how it could have hallucinations to produce a radical change in the life and faith of the disciples, who went from fear and doubt to courage and conviction.
• The theft theory does not take into account the fact that the disciples of Jesus were prescared and demoralized to risk stealing the body of Jesus from the tomb. It also doesn’t explain why would they later die for a lie which they themselves invented.
• The twin theory does not take into account the fact that there is no historical or biblical evidence that Jesus had an unknown twin brother. It also does not explain how the twin brother could have to imitate the wounds of Jesus on the cross or to present himself as a transformed and glorified body.
• The theory of the wrong grave does not take into account the fact that the women followed the place where the body of Jesus was laid by Joseph of Arimathea. It also does not explain how the authorities could not show the correct tomb to contradict the rumor of the resurrection.
• The theory of moving the body does not take into account the fact that the authorities had no reason to move the body of Jesus from the tomb, but on the contrary, they wanted to keep it there to prevent any speculation about the resurrection. It also does not explain how anyone could have moved the body without being noticed by the soldiers guarding the tomb.

Bing AI contradicts the theories and hypotheses that oppose the Gospel accounts and claims that they are only speculations without evidence.