There are three occurrences that need to be explained.
1.1 Reported in the earliest sources. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Mark’s gospel)
1.2 The story is simple and lacks legendary development.
1.3 Christianity was birthed where the tomb was.
1.4 The earliest Jewish reactions presuppose the empty tomb.
2.1 Reported in the earliest sources (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Luke’s Gospel)
2.2 James, the brother of Jesus, moves from skeptic to Christian leader (Acts 1, 21)
2.3 Saul turned from persecutor to Christian evangelist (Acts 9)
3.1 The apostles understanding of “Messiah” was changed after the resurrection
3.2 The Christian church was launched.
All the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus agree on these three facts.
Sean McDowell, The Fate of the Apostles Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus, (NewYork:Routledge, 2015).
Michael R. Licona, The Resurrection Of Jesus A New Historiographical Approach, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2010).
