Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

The resurrection is at the centre of Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus truly died and that God raised him to life.

Jesus spoke about resurrection not only as a future hope, but as something connected with himself:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

John 11:25

The earliest Christian writings say that Jesus was crucified, buried and then seen alive by his followers. The four Gospels describe an empty tomb and appearances to individuals and groups.

Historians can examine how early these accounts are, how the sources relate to one another and what Jesus’s followers believed they had experienced.

They can also ask how a frightened group of disciples became a movement publicly proclaiming that Jesus had risen, despite opposition and persecution.

Different people interpret this evidence differently. Some accept the resurrection as the best explanation. Others suggest visions, mistaken conclusions, later development or explanations that do not involve a miracle.

Historical investigation can help you compare those explanations, but it cannot force a religious conclusion. The question is whether the available evidence makes belief in the resurrection reasonable to you.