Did Jesus Really Die?

Message / Question

did Jesus really die? how do you know it wasn’t someone else who died on cross who looked like Jesus?

Response

There can be little doubt that the person on the cross (i.e. Jesus) actually died. The Romans were very experienced and very good at their job and when they came to break the legs of those being crucified in order to hurry their death, they came to Jesus and found him to be dead already, but just to make sure, they thrust a spear into his side and this caused blood and “water” to flow from the wound – the separation of the blood was evidence of death. So there’s no doubt that He died.

So, was it someone else taking his place – a “look alike”? There is no evidence that anyone looked anything like Jesus or that anyone was able to confuse Jesus with anyone else – and remember, the Romans were very good at their job, so they wouldn’t have allowed Jesus to be swapped whilst in their custody and there was no other opportunity open to any would be swap. Also, the substituted person would have had to be VERY like Jesus in order to fool the Romans AND the Jews and there’s no evidence that such a person existed.

Certainly, if there had been a “swap” that the Jews had known about, as soon as stories of the resurrection of Jesus started floating around, they would have told the story of the “swap” in order to kill the notion of Jesus’ resurrection.

Jesus fulfilled over 100 prophesies about the Messiah, some of which He had no control over, including how He was to suffer and die (Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12) and how people would cast lots for His clothes (Psalms 22:18, John 19:23-24).

The suggestion that it was not Jesus who died on the cross, doesn’t account for the empty tomb, nor does it explain the wounds that Jesus showed to His disciples – especially to Thomas when he refused to believe that Jesus had risen.

To suggest that there was any doubt that Jesus died on the cross, would nullify the whole of the New Testament and would fly in the face of history that shows us that thousands of His contemporaries were so convinced of His resurrection that they became Christians and willingly laid down their lives as martyrs – something that few would do if there was doubt about the reality of His death and resurrection.

Finally, if He did NOT die, then He would be shown to be a liar when, in the book of Revelation, He claims to be the One “...who lives and was dead and now lives forever.” If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then not only did He lie, but neither did He defeat death – and that is the basis of the hope that Christians have. Paul was certainly convinced of His death and resurrection when he wrote the great apologetic passage of 1 Cor 15 in which he shows very clearly the fact and the importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.