A central belief of Christianity is that Jesus died by crucifixion and then rose three days later. But is it possible this is all wrong? Jesus didn’t resurrect instead, he survived and lived a long life after. Some did see Jesus alive after the crucifixion, and they interpreted it as if he rose from the dead. But the reality, they claim, is that he actually survived.

Although there are some religious movements that hold to this hypothesis, it is riddled with problems, which is why the overwhelming consensus of scholars reject this idea. When we look at the data, there is absolutely no way Jesus could have survived the torture of the cross.

Despite what mainstream Islamic beliefs suggest, there is no doubt that Jesus was crucified. All of our early sources that speak on what happened to Jesus attest to the crucifixion, including some non-Christian sources as well.

Christian Sources

1. 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (ESV)
   “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
   
2. Mark 15:37–38 (ESV)
   “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”
   
3. Hebrews 2:14 (ESV)
   “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”
   
4. John 19:33 (ESV)
   “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.”
   

Non-Christian Sources

1. Lucian, The Death of Peregrine, §§11–13
   “The Christians … worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.”
   
2. Celsus, quoted in Origen’s Against Celsus 8.41
   “You mock and revile the statues of our gods; but if you had reviled Bacchus or Hercules in person, you would not perhaps have done so with impunity. But those who crucified your God when present among men…”
   
3. Tacitus, Annals 15.44
   “Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus…”

It isn’t until the second century that we see some of the Gnostic groups doubting the crucifixion and they did so because of theological motives.

“If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death — whom some deny.” – Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians 9

Since they didn’t believe Jesus was human, they could not believe that he would suffer like we do. So they denied that he was crucified and instead argued that a substitute was offered in his place.

Given that the crucifixion was such a central aspect of the story of Jesus, it appears the Gnostics still had to account for it by coming up with substitution theories. This shows us the crucifixion was so widely accepted that even those who came to deny it still had to account for it with speculative theories about a substitute being made to appear like Jesus. But there is no early evidence for this belief. All of the first-century evidence says it was Jesus who was crucified.

However, there are some who think Jesus survived the crucifixion. This is called the Swoon Theory, which is the belief that on the cross Jesus went into a coma-like state and was revived in the tomb.

The Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, which is considered heretical by most Muslims, holds to the Swoon Theory and teaches that Jesus went to India afterward and lived a long life.

Barbara Thiering is one of the few scholars who has advocated that Jesus survived the crucifixion and then revived in the tomb. She speculates that he even continued to preach in the region and later converted the Apostle Paul directly.

But the Swoon Theory suffers from innumerable problems.

First, even non-Christian sources attest that Jesus died:

• A Letter of Mara ben Serapion
  “…the Jews by the murder of their Wise King, seeing that from that very time their kingdom was driven away from them? For with justice did God grant a recompense to the wisdom of all three of them.”
• Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a, 281
  “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald… cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.’”
• Josephus, Antiquities 18.63–64, Arabic Version
  “At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. His conduct was good and (he) was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.”

All of our Christian sources from the first century that speak of what happened to Jesus report that he died.

Bart Ehrman says:

“That Jesus died by crucifixion is almost universally attested in our sources, early and late. We have traditions of Jesus’s bloody execution in independent Gospel sources (Mark, M, L, John, Gospel of Peter), throughout our various epistles and other writings (Hebrews, 1 Peter, Revelation), and certainly in Paul—everywhere in Paul.” –Bart D. Ehrman, Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth, page 162

The Creed In First 1 Corinthians 15

It is widely recognized by scholars that in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul cites an early creed which reports that Jesus died. 

• “3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.” – 1 Cor 15:3-7 (NKJV)

MORE ON THIS HERE (The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Does the OT predict that the Messiah Would be resurrected on the third day? Pt. 1)

“Marxsen remains silent about the date of the formula’s composition which many scholars assign to the thirties, and none, I think, after the late Gerald O’Collins, What Are They Saying About the Resurrection?, page 112

The reasons are that Paul says he

The Creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3–7

• Paul says, “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.” This is a rabbinic way to speak of a teacher passing on teachings to students.
  
• Paul likely would have received this from James and Peter (Galatians 1:18–19).
  
• It is formed in a mnemonic structure with parallelism, which suggests it was an official creed of the church.
  
• It is also less than 50 words, and this shows it was a creed for catechizing new Christians.
  
• It calls Peter “Cephas,” his Aramaic name, which suggests the creed was early.
  
• It has independent traditions not contingent on the Gospels (e.g., the appearance to James, the independent appearance to Peter).

“There is likewise widespread agreement that it was composed very early and may very well be the oldest extant tradition pertaining to the resurrection of Jesus.” – Michael R. Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach, page 234

So within a few years, the early church was reporting that Jesus died and rose from the dead. This data alone is enough to convince the overwhelming majority of scholars that Jesus died on the cross.

“Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.” – Gerd Lüdemann, The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry, page 50

“Jesus’ death by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate is as sure as anything historical can ever be.” – John Dominic Crossan, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, page 145

“The single most solid fact about Jesus’ life is his death: he was executed by the Roman prefect Pilate, on or around Passover, in the manner Rome reserved particularly for political insurrectionists, namely, crucifixion.” – Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, page 8

The Meaning of The Prophecy of Jonah

Despite this, some are still not convinced. Ahmadis argue that in the Gospels we have evidence that Jesus survived the crucifixion. They claim Jesus said he would not die when he spoke of the sign of Jonah (Mt. 12:39-40). Jesus said he would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights just like Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights. The common belief is Jonah was alive for that time, so according to them, Jesus should have been alive as well.

They also argue that John reported blood and water came out of Jesus’s side. If he had actually died, his heart should have stopped, the blood would have congealed, and water and blood should not have come out of him. So they claim this is evidence Jesus was alive when everyone thought he was dead.

Additionally, they argue that crucifixion was a long, grueling process that sometimes lasted for days. But the Gospels report Jesus died within a few hours. Even Pilate was shocked by this, which suggests it was unusual.

Therefore, their argument is that Jesus could not have died so fast.

However, they are overlooking important details. The first argument is quote mining. If we’re going to include the words of Jesus, we must note that he said time and time again that he was going to die. 

• “‘The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.’ And they were greatly distressed.” – Matthew 17:22–23 (ESV)
• “‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.'” – Mark 9:31 (ESV)
• “For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” -Luke 18:32–33 (ESV)
• “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11 (ESV)

After the resurrection, he said he rose from the dead, and we have verses that report Jesus died on the cross.

• “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.’” – Luke 24:45–46 (ESV)
• “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” – Mark 15:37–38 (ESV)
• “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.” – John 19:33 (ESV)

When he spoke of the sign of Jonah, he never explicitly said he would survive the crucifixion. Ahmadis have read that into the passage. But we have numerous places where Jesus explicitly says he will die. If anything, the sign of Jonah should be read in context with these very clear verses.

Also, the sign of Jonah is not that Jesus would be alive like Jonah but that he would be gone for three days. If the sign of Jonah meant he would remain alive, it would have been stated like: 

• “For just as Jonah was alive in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be alive in the heart of the earth.” – Jonah 1:7 (ESV)

But he didn’t say that.

His comparison to Jonah is not that he will share all the same ontological aspects of Jonah’s experience, but that he’ll be gone for the same length of time. There is no way to read the sign of Jonah as suggesting Jesus would survive the crucifixion.

Was Jesus Really in the Tomb for Three Days?

Some push back and say if Jesus died on Friday and rose on Sunday, that would not be three full days. But this objection is a case of applying our own cultural understanding of time to ancient Jewish culture. Saying “three days and three nights” could refer to a period less than 72 hours, such as Friday to Sunday.

Rabbinic Understanding of Time

“A day and a night are an Onah [‘a portion of time’] and the portion of an Onah is as the whole of it.”
— Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, Jerusalem Talmud Shabbath ix.3; Babylonian Talmud Pesahim 4a

In other words, you can speak of a portion of a day as the whole. Esther said she would fast for three days and three nights before going to the king, but then we read she went to the king on the third day not the fourth.

“‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.’ Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace.” – Esther 4:16–5:1a (ESV)

“The different phrasing of the three-day period compared with the ‘third day’ of Matt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64 and the ‘after three days’ of Matt 27:63 is due to the LXX wording, but in a Semitic inclusive time-reckoning these do not denote different periods as a pedantic Western reading would suggest.” – R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (NICNT), page 491

So, the sign of Jonah does not entail that Jesus had to remain in the tomb for exactly 72 hours. Additionally, it is not even clear that Jonah was actually alive during his ordeal.

Brant Pitre, The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ, pages 187–188

• Brant Pitre draws attention to Jonah chapter 2.
  
• Jonah cries out from “the belly of Sheol” and “the Pit,” which are terms for the realm of the dead (Psalm 139:7–8; Job 17:13–16; 33:22–30).
  
• Jonah also says his “soul” (nephesh) fainted within him, which is another way of saying that he died.

Scott Noegel has pointed out it is unlikely the book of Jonah is trying to claim Jonah was swallowed by a literal fish. Instead, the imagery points to personified watery chaos. Which in the Bible is referred to as Leviathan or the great fish. So the book of Jonah is saying the ocean swallowed him up, he died, and then God resuscitated him.

Therefore, even if the sign of Jonah referred to Jesus sharing the same status as Jonah which it doesn’t necessarily one could still argue Jonah died and came back to life, paralleling the account of Jesus’s death and resurrection.

The Torture of Jesus Endured

Next, when we study the narratives in the Gospels regarding the torture that Jesus endured, there is no way he could have survived.

Medical doctors Joseph Bergeron and Frederick Zugibe have written books (The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ by Joseph W. Bergeron, M.D. & The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry by Frederick T. Zugibe, M.D., Ph.D.) on this topic and point out that the facts laid out in the Gospels confirm Jesus died on the cross. His torture didn’t begin at Golgotha. He was arrested the night before, beaten by the soldiers of the Sanhedrin (Lk. 22:63-64), scourged (Jn. 19:1-2), then beaten again by Roman soldiers (Mt. 27:28-30), had a crown of thorns placed on his head, and then had to carry his cross to Golgotha all without food or water.

Remember, Jesus was so severely tortured that he could not even carry his cross all the way. It was expected of condemned criminals to carry their own crosses, but Jesus couldn’t. This tells us he was already badly beaten, which contributed to a quicker death. It is true that sometimes crucifixion could last for days, but if the victim suffered intense physical abuse beforehand, they could die much more quickly.

Seneca the Younger remarked that crucified victims would have many excuses for dying even before mounting the cross. Depending on the torture endured beforehand, death within a few hours was possible.

“Can any man be found willing to be fastened to the accursed tree, long sickly, already deformed, swelling with ugly weals on shoulders and chest, and drawing the breath of life amid long drawn-out agony? He would have many excuses for dying even before mounting the cross.” — Seneca, Moral Epistles, “On the Futility of Planning Ahead,” 14

The Jewish soldiers would have inflicted a severe beating on Jesus, since he was accused of blasphemy for claiming to be God. Then Jesus was scourged. Roman soldiers, known for being anti-Semitic, would not have gone easy on him. They would have scourged him severely.

Seneca the Elder said that scourging caused deep wounds and lacerated the flesh. Eusebius reported that scourging resulted in “the innermost veins, arteries, and inward parts of the body being exposed.”

Seneca the Elder, Controversiae 2.5.4–6:

“Her limbs are cut by whips, her body broken by lashings, the blood forced out of her very vitals: she is silent. . . . He left out no variety of torture; all her limbs were mutilated, all her joints wrenched. Her body was torn with whips, burnt with fire, twisted by rack.”

Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 4, chap. 15:

“For they say that the bystanders were struck with amazement when they saw them lacerated with scourges even to the innermost veins and arteries, so that the hidden inward parts of the body, both their bowels and their members, were exposed to view.”

“Scourging was not normally a form of execution, but it certainly was brutal enough to be fatal in many cases. A person certainly could be beaten to death by the scourge if that was desired. Its purpose was not only to cause great pain, but to humiliate as well.” – David McClister, “The Scourging of Jesus,” Truth Magazine Vol. XLIV: 1, pp. 11–12, January 2000:

The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ by Joseph W. Bergeron, M.D.

Bullet Points (Pages 135–138):

• Scourging and blunt trauma to the chest area can cause injury to the lungs.
  
• This can lead to blood and fluid collecting within the lung tissue.
  
• A lung can also collapse, which is called pneumothorax.
  

“Jesus was in a weakened condition from the effects of multiple beatings, fluid deprivation and blood loss. More likely than not, he was in early stages of shock prior to being lifted onto the cross.” — Joseph W. Bergeron, The Crucifixion of Jesus, p. 138

Bergeron goes on to say 

The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ
Pages 153–165

• “Traumatic Hemorrhagic Shock is caused by decreased circulating blood volume as a result of injury or bleeding.”
  
• “Extreme thirst can occur during shock (John 19:28).”
  
• “Shock can occur when blood loss passes 10%.”

The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ, Pages 153–165

“At 45 percent blood volume loss, reduction in blood return to the heart and decreased resistance in the body’s blood vessels will cause the blood pressure to drop to zero.”

In 2003, researchers noted that shock and blood loss can also cause the body to lose its ability to clot blood, a condition called trauma-induced coagulopathy.

Bergeron explains:

“Patients with more extensive injuries have greater risk of developing coagulopathy because the extent and degree of tissue injury is a major trigger. Injured endothelial cells (i.e. cells that line blood vessels) initiate the clotting mechanisms. With diffuse injury and widespread activation the blood clotting mechanisms, necessary blood cells and chemical factors can be depleted and cause an imbalance between the blood’s ability to clot and dissolve unnecessary clots” — Bergeron, Joseph W. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Foreword by Gary Habermas, Burke Publishing, 2019, pp. 157–158.

Putting all this together, Jesus was severely beaten by Jewish soldiers, handed over to the Romans and scourged across his entire body, causing massive blood loss. Even after this, the Gospels report he was again beaten by Roman soldiers and had a crown of thorns placed on his head, leading to additional blood loss.

“The pain would have lancinated across the sides of His face or deep into His ears. Bleeding would have resulted from penetrating small blood vessels. The pain may have stopped almost abruptly, only to recur the slightest movement of the jaws or even from a wisp of wind. The traumatic shock from the brutal scourging would have been further enhanced by the paroxysmal pains across the face” — Zugibe, Frederick T. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry. Second edition, completely revised and expanded, M.D., Ph.D., Paragon House, 2005, pp. 157–158.

The traumatic shock from scourging would have been intensified by these facial wounds. Jesus was already in early stages of shock he couldn’t carry his own cross. The injuries would have prevented his blood from clotting, and the damage to his lungs likely caused a collapsed lung.

Thus, the logical conclusion is that Jesus went into shock on the cross and died.

Furthermore, even if by miraculous chance he was not dead at this point but merely unconscious, a Roman soldier shoved a spear into his side. Their job was to ensure the victims were dead before removing the bodies, and we can reasonably infer they aimed for the heart.

If you saw someone beaten severely, scourged, nailed to a cross, and then pierced with a spear, no one in their right mind would think he survived especially not without modern medical care.

Josephus reported that after the destruction of Jerusalem, he saw three of his friends on crosses and begged Titus to take them down. Titus allowed it and gave them the best medical treatment available. Even with that, only one of the three survived.

“. . . as I came back I saw many captives crucified: and remembered three of them, as my former acquaintance. I was very sorry at this in my mind; and went with tears in my eyes to Titus, and told him of them. So he immediately commanded them to be taken down, and to have the greatest care taken of them in order to their recovery. Yet two of them died under the physicians hands while the third recovered.”— Josephus, Life 75

Jesus did not receive such care. After suffering insurmountable torture, he was stabbed with a spear. Roman soldiers were trained killers. If they failed to carry out their duty, they risked execution themselves. They would have ensured Jesus was dead.

“To suggest that Jesus did not die when crucified is untenable. Moreover, to assure that Jesus was dead a Roman soldier delivered the coup de grâce of plunging a spear into Jesus’ chest, collapsing his lung and rupturing his heart (John 19:34)” — Bergeron, Joseph W. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Foreword by Gary Habermas, Burke Publishing, 2019, p. 178.

An article from the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded:

“…interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical research” — Gabel, William D., and Frederick A. Hosmer. “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ.” JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 255, no. 11, 1986, pp. 1455–1463.

When John saw blood and water come from Jesus’s side, this would be expected if Jesus had died from shock. The blood could not clot, and the spear would have released fluid from his lungs along with blood.

“I have investigated over 25,000 deaths and have performed over 10,000 autopsies over 34 years during my tenure as Chief Medical Examiner of Rockland County, NY, and I have seen that blood commonly flows out of the wounds of dead bodies, particularly in victims of violent death. . . blood remains unclotted in most victims of violent death because of the increase in certain chemical factors in the blood called thrombolysins, which have the ability to dissolve clots” — Zugibe, Frederick T. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry. Second edition, completely revised and expanded, M.D., Ph.D., Paragon House, 2005, p. 150.

Even the early Church Father Origen considered the blood and water from Jesus’s side to be supernatural, because he, like some skeptics today, thought blood should have congealed. John even interrupts the narrative to insist he saw this happen likely because he knew it would be questioned.

Origen, Against Celsus 2.36

But modern medical research shows it is a perfectly natural result from severe trauma and shock.

So it is unlikely John made this up; it’s something he probably witnessed.

“If I were to certify the cause of Jesus’ death in my official capacity as Medical Examiner, the death certificate would read as follows: Cause of Death: Cardiac and respiratory arrest, due to hypovolemic and traumatic shock, due to crucifixion” — Zugibe, Frederick T. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry. Second edition, completely revised and expanded, M.D., Ph.D., Paragon House, 2005, p. 125.

Even if Jesus somehow survived the deadly beatings, blood loss, and the spear wound to his side, he was then placed in a tomb for three days with no medical attention, no food, and no water. There is no way the body could have begun healing after such brutal torture.

There is also no indication in the Gospels that Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea were attempting to revive Jesus. They came to prepare his body according to traditional Jewish burial customs. The mixture of myrrh and aloes was used to diminish the stench of a rotting corpse not to preserve or revive a dying man.

“After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.” — John 19:38–39

“Aloes and myrrh have some minor antiseptic and analgesic effects but wouldn’t begin to be of any value when one considers the extent of Jesus’ injuries” — Zugibe, Frederick T. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry. Second edition, completely revised and expanded, M.D., Ph.D., Paragon House, 2005, p. 152.

“When spices were used (19:40), they were important, not to preserve the corpse but to diminish the stench and, in practice, to pay final respects to the deceased” — Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volume Two. Baker Academic, 2012, p. 1163.

Unless by a miracle, we would not expect Jesus to emerge alive from the tomb. And if we are forced to posit a miracle, then we should go with the one Jesus himself claimed that he died and was resurrected.

Additionally, the Gospels report that Jesus was walking around after the resurrection. If he had merely revived in the tomb and not died, this would have been physically impossible.

“…the penetration of His feet with large 12-cm-long spikes would have caused massive swelling and exquisite pain and tenderness beginning in the first hour or so on the cross and continuing in progressive severity. Over the next 2 days, the feet would have been massively swollen and badly infected beyond the immediate healing capability of any therapy. Jesus wouldn’t have been able to stand or walk on His feet for at least a month, if not longer” — Zugibe, Frederick T. The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry. Second edition, completely revised and expanded, M.D., Ph.D., Paragon House, 2005, p. 156.

In other words, Jesus would not have been seen as a resurrected man, but as a half-dead, mutilated body crawling out of a tomb and begging for water. No one would have looked at that man and thought, “He conquered death!”

But that is exactly what the disciples believed—that he rose, glorious and alive, from the dead.

This belief is what we find in the Gospels—not that Jesus merely survived, but that he triumphed over death itself. No early source suggests Jesus simply survived crucifixion. The Swoon Theory was not proposed until many centuries later.

The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that Jesus died on the cross. All early sources agree. Jesus himself confirmed it. And the sheer physical trauma he endured leaves no room for natural survival.

Attempts to quote-mine the Gospels to suggest Jesus survived fail for multiple reasons. On the cross, Jesus died. And if it is true that the disciples saw him alive on Easter morning, then the only logical conclusion one can draw is the one the early church boldly proclaimed:

He was raised from the dead.