Some people deny resurrection from the dead because they do not see it today. What evidence is there that people in the past were raised? Especially, is there proof for Jesus' resurrection? Will the dead be raised when Jesus returns? Is resurrection a fact?
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Job 14:14 – “If a man die, shall he live again?” Many people doubt or deny that resurrection has or could occur because they do not see it occurring today.
First-century Sadducees claimed man was wholly material, having no spirit, so at death he simply ceases to exist. Modern materialists and Humanists likewise say we evolved by natural forces from animals; so, like the animals, we simply cease to exist at death.
Consider the Bible evidence that resurrection is a fact: it has happened and will happen again.
Resurrection Events
Scriptures record several events in which people were raised from the dead.
The widow’s son in Zarephath – 1 Kings 17:17–22
A widow provided Elijah a place to stay. Her son became so severely sick that there was no breath left in him: he died. Elijah stretched himself out on the child three times and prayed for the Lord to let the child’s soul come back to him. His soul came back and he revived.
The fact the child’s soul came back demonstrates that the child had died then lived again.
In Luke 4:25-27, Jesus confirmed the historic accuracy of this event.
The Shunammite’s son – 2 Kings 4:32–37
A Shunammite woman’s son was dead (verses 20,32). Elisha prayed to God, then he lay upon the child. The child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
The man in Elisha’s grave – 2 Kings 13:20,21
As a group of Israelites were burying a man, they saw a marauding band of Moabites, so they threw the man into the sepulcher of Elisha. When the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived and stood up.
Jairus’ daughter – Luke 8:49-55
A synagogue ruler named Jairus asked Jesus to come heal his sick daughter (verses 41,42). A message arrived that the daughter was dead (verse 49). The people at the house were mourning, but Jesus said the girl was only sleeping. The people laughed because they knew she was dead (verse 53). He took the child by the hand and told her to arise, which she did.
Jesus’ statement that she was not dead is a “not … but” statement. It was not intended to deny she was dead; rather, it emphasized that He knew she could still awaken as though she just slept. Compare John 11:11-14. (Death is compared to sleep in Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:14.)
The widow’s son at Nain – Luke 7:11-17
At the city of Nain, a dead man was being carried out of the city accompanied by a large crowd (verse 12). His mother was a widow, and he was her only son. Jesus told the young man to arise. He sat up and began speaking, so Jesus presented him to his mother.
Lazarus – John 11:23–44
Jesus said Lazarus was asleep, meaning he was dead (verse 14). Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise again. Martha believed he would arise at the final resurrection (verses 23,24). Jesus said He is the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Him may die, yet they will live (verses 25,26).
At the tomb, Martha questioned removing the stone because Lazarus had been dead four days. Many witnesses were present, all of them convinced he was dead. Jesus prayed and cried, “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus came forth, still bound in the grave clothes. (Note Matthew 11:5.)
Jesus’ opponents met and acknowledged that He did many signs (verses 46-48).
People at Jesus’ crucifixion – Matthew 27:52,53
When Jesus died, graves were opened and many dead holy ones (saints) were raised and appeared to many people. So, there can be no doubt that the miracle happened.
Dorcas – Acts 9:36-43
Dorcas was a godly woman who died (verse 37). Many mourners had gathered. Peter prayed, then told Tabitha to arise. She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. Peter called the people and showed them she was alive.
Dorcas was unquestionably dead. Many people witnessed the body before Peter arrived. Considerable time passed before she was raised. That she truly came back to life is equally clear, for many people saw her alive again immediately after Peter raised her.
This event helps us recognize false “miracle-workers” today. I attended a debate in which a man named John Wilson claimed he was an apostle and could do miracles like the apostles did. When challenged to raise the dead, he responded, “Where is any case in the Bible that an apostle raised the dead?” He not only did not have power like apostles did, but he did not even know what kind of miracles the apostles did!
Eutychus – Acts 20:9-12
A young man named Eutychus fell asleep as Paul preached, fell out the window, and died (verse 9). Paul embraced him and said he was alive. Verse 12 says he was definitely alive. He had been dead, but was restored to life.
The Limited Commission – Matthew 10:8
Jesus told the apostles to raise the dead among other signs they did.
Observations
Many people deny the possibility of resurrection, because they see no resurrection occurring today. We have listed ten specific cases in which Scripture says people were raised from the dead.
Why should we believe these events actually occurred? Two reasons:
1) The Bible is the inspired word of God. We know it is inspired because of fulfilled prophecy, eyewitness testimony of miracles, etc.
2) Besides being inspired, the Bible is a book of history and has been proven repeatedly to be historically accurate. Luke, in particular, has been repeatedly confirmed as a first-rate historian.
Jesus’ Resurrection
The most significant example of resurrection is that of Jesus. What evidence is there that Jesus really arose from the dead?
Predictions of Jesus’ Resurrection
Old Testament predictions of the resurrection
Luke 24:46 – Jesus and His apostles repeatedly claimed that Old Testament prophets had predicted His resurrection (see also Luke 18:31-34; Acts 17:3; 26:22,23; 1 Corinthians 15:4).
Isaiah 53:7-10 – Christ would be cut off from the living (verse 8), die and be buried (verse 9). But He would prolong His days and see His seed (verse 10).
Psalm 16:9,10 (Acts 13:29-37; 2:23-32) – Christ would not see corruption nor His soul remain in Hades (the realm of spirits of dead men). So He would die but not decay; His soul would go where the spirits of men go at death but would not remain there.
Jesus’ predictions of His resurrection
Matthew 16:21 – Jesus told His disciples that He must be killed and be raised the third day.
Matthew 20:18,19 – He would be betrayed to the Jewish leaders but would be killed by the Gentiles (Romans). They would scourge and crucify Him (a uniquely Roman execution), but He would rise again the third day.
For other examples see John 2:18-22; Matthew 12:39,40; 17:9,22,23; 26:31,32; Mark 9:9,10.
The empty tomb
Mark 16:5-7 – On the morning of the first day of the week, the women entered the tomb and saw where the body had been laid. (Luke 24:3; John 20:11-13)
John 20:1-9 – Peter and John went into the tomb and saw it was empty (Luke 24:12). They saw the grave clothes and the head cloth, which had been folded.
Matthew 28:11-15 – The enemies tried to explain the disappearance of the body by saying the disciples stole it while the guards slept.
Note: The enemies never denied the empty tomb and never produced the body. Their effort to explain the disappearance of the body confirms the disciples’ claim that the tomb was empty.
Eyewitness testimony to Jesus’ resurrection
Acts 1:3 – Jesus presented Himself alive by many infallible proofs for a period of forty days.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 – Jesus was raised according to Scripture and appeared to many.
Here is a list of the appearances:
Angels – Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7 – Three Bible writers describe angels who announced the resurrection. The angels said: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, for He is risen.”
Mary Magdalene – John 20:11-18; Mark 16:9-11 – She saw Jesus and spoke to Him.
Other women – Matthew 28:9,10; Mark 16:1ff – They saw, touched, and heard Him.
Two disciples on the road to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-35; Mark 16:12,13 – They saw Jesus, talked with him, and listened to Him for a prolonged period.
Peter – Luke 24:34 (1 Corinthians 15:5) – The other apostles, including Paul, claimed that Jesus had appeared to Simon.
All the apostles – Jesus appeared to the apostles on several occasions – Mark 16:14-16; Matthew 28:16,17; Luke 24:44-51; John 20:19-23; 21:1-25; Acts 1:3-8 (note Jesus’ prophecy); 10:39,41; 13:31; 1 Corinthians 15:5,7.
Especially note Luke 24:36-43 – The apostles saw, heard, touched, and spoke with Him. He ate in their presence. Such appearances continued for a period of forty days. they were skeptical and demanded proof. Jesus willingly proved He was not a spirit.
Thomas with the apostles – John 20:24-31 – Thomas was skeptical till He saw, heard, and touched Jesus, including His wounds. Note that the wounds made it impossible to be mistaken in identifying the living man to be Jesus.
James – 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 – Paul’s summary of Jesus’ appearances includes James and
Over 500 brethren at once – 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 – Most of them were still alive, so other people could speak to them and validate that they really did testify to have seen Jesus alive.
Jesus’ ascension – Acts 1:9-11 (Luke 24:50-53; Mark 16:19,20) – As the apostles watched, Jesus ascended to heaven. Note that, after the ascension, the appearances suddenly stopped.
Joseph Barsabas and Matthias – Acts 1:21-23 – When Judas was being replaced, two men were considered, both of whom were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.
Saul of Tarsus – Acts 9:1-9; 22:4-15; 26:9-18; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8,9 – Saul (later known as the apostle Paul) claimed that Jesus personally appeared to him as he was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians. Note the following facts:
* Saul was an enemy of the gospel and a persecutor of the church. He had no possible motive to claim to have seen Jesus unless it was true.
* At noon on an open highway in the presence of other men, a light brighter than the noon sun appeared (9:3; 22:6; 26:13).
* Jesus spoke and identified Himself to be Jesus (9:3-6; 22:7,8).
* Saul saw and heard Jesus – 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:3-9 – The purpose was to qualify Paul to be a witness of Jesus’ resurrection, like the other apostles.
* Saul was struck blind till Ananias came and restored his sight (9:8,9,18; 22:11-13).
The preaching of the apostles and early Christians
The apostles immediately and repeatedly proclaimed their eyewitness testimony.
See Acts 1:22; 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:33; 10:39-41; 13:30-35; 22:14,15; 26:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8,15; 1 John 1:1-3
Contrary to the skeptics, the claims of Jesus’ resurrection are not legends handed down for generations then finally recorded by people who were not eyewitnesses. The apostles began proclaiming the resurrection within fifty days of the event. They preached their testimony to the very people responsible for His death in the same city where He was killed.
The events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection were widely known.
Note Acts 26:23,26 – Paul preached the resurrection to King Agrippa, then said the king knew about these things, because they were not done in a corner. If the apostles’ testimony could be disproved, it would have been disproved in the first century among the people who were best able to investigate the facts.
The apostles maintained their testimony despite powerful opposition.
All of the apostles were persecuted, and almost all of them gave their lives for their testimony. But none ever withdrew it, denied it, or retracted it. Why did they remain so steadfast if there was any doubt whatever that they had really seen Jesus alive again after His death?
The testimony of the Bible
The Bible repeatedly affirms the resurrection of Jesus – Romans 1:4; 10:9,10; 6:4-13; 8:11; 14:9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:1-26; Luke 24:44-46; John 20:24-31; Acts 2:23-36; 17:30,31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Peter 1:3,4; 3:21; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Ephesians 1:19,20; Colossians 2:12,13; Philippians 3:10.
The Bible claims to be the inspired word of God and offers much evidence to confirm its claim. It includes the testimony of eyewitnesses and many other statements affirming the resurrection.
Besides its claim to inspiration, the Bible is known to be historically accurate. The New Testament authors were all eyewitnesses or personally knew eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. Despite the claims of skeptics, the Bible has been repeatedly proved to be accurate. We can trust it as reliable testimony for the resurrection.
Final Resurrection
In addition to examples of resurrection, the Bible plainly teaches the resurrection of all people.
Luke 20:27-39
Sadducees denied the resurrection because they denied angels and spirits (Acts 23:8). To disprove the resurrection, they told of a woman who successively married seven men. Which will be her husband in the resurrection? Jesus said there is no marriage in the resurrection.
But God’s statement, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” proves that “all live to God.” Though men may die physically, like the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), their spirits continue in a conscious state.
This disproves the materialists’ claim that man has no spirit that exists after death. Observe that Jesus plainly affirmed the truth of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15
Verses 15-19 – If there is no resurrection, our faith is vain, we are still in sin, the dead in Christ have perished, and we are of all men most pitiable.
Verses 20-26 – Jesus is the firstfruits from the dead. His resurrection is the proof that we will be raised when He returns. Death is the last enemy to be overcome.
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17
As surely as Jesus arose, He will come again and raise the dead so they, along with those still living, can forever be with the Lord. (Compare Luke 14:14.)
General statements
1 Corinthians 6:14 – God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
2 Corinthians 4:14 – He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus.
John 5:28-29 – The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
John 6:40,44,45 – Jesus will raise up at the last day those who hear His gospel and believe in Him. (verses 39,54)
Acts 24:15 – Paul preached that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust.
Conclusion
Bible teaching about heaven sometimes is symbolic and leaves me wondering what heaven will be like. Some things about resurrection may be unclear, but the fact there will be a resurrection is straightforward and definite. If we die, we will definitely be raised when Jesus returns. We can be certain there is life after death, and we need to prepare. Are you ready?
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2026; gospelway.com
