You may have heard of the ‘swoon theory’. Essentially, it’s a way of explaining Jesus’ resurrection – appearing alive to a number of people after his crucifiction – by saying that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. He survived the ordeal, fainting while he was on the cross, and was then presumed dead and taken away to be buried in a tomb. A couple of days later he wakes up and gets back to business, his followers thinking he has risen from the dead.
Probably the best I can point you for a comprehensive treatment of this is Lee Strobel’s The Case for Easter: A Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection
– from a medical perspective, the effects of the torture and punishment Jesus was subjected to by his Roman executioners, and how the cross would have killed its victims;
– that Jesus was stabbed with a spear by his Roman guards to make certain his death – guards who would themselves have suffered if they had failed to execute him;
– that, even if he had somehow survived, he would have been in such a woeful condition that he could never have rolled back the stone to his own tomb. Appearing to his disciples in that state, his claim to be the lord of life would have been laughable – it’s doubtful any of them would have gone on believing in him. On the contrary, history shows this was a pivotal moment in the lives of the disciples, all of whom went on boldly proclaiming Jesus as both lord and saviour, and many of whom went to their deaths refusing to deny Jesus or take back their claims.
I will aim to look at the empty tomb and the resurrection in the next strip, let me know if you have found any useful resources on any of these topics that might be of help to others.
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