Can we believe the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion

#GospelOnline, #GospelsAreTrue
The fundamental events of Christianity are the death and resurrection of Jesus. Here we think about the reliability of the accounts we have of these in the Gospels. This presentation looks especially at the arrest, interrogation, trials and crucifixion of Jesus.

There are accounts of the death of Jesus in all four of the Gospels. Looking at these we can see that they do not copy from one another; while they often describe the same events, they do so in different words. This shows the independence of the four Gospel in their descriptions of the trials, crucifixion and burial of Jesus. However, the accounts fit together very closely and produce a coherent picture of the events of that day. In addition, the accounts of the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus are peppered with the names of witnesses, people like Simon of Cyrene or Mary Magdalene, who could be asked about what they had seen. The anatomical details of crucifixion are correct as are the details of Jerusalem.

This match between the accounts in the Gospels and the reality of the time indicates that we have a reliable set of witnesses to the crucifixion of Jesus and that we can therefore trust the accounts in the Gospels.

Passages to look at: Matthew 26 and 27, Mark 15; Luke 20; John 18,19.

[nuttysquirrel]

Great video, I have a couple questions please.

According to Matthew 27, after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, _"many who were dead"_ came back to life. The Bible say these people came out of their graves and interacted with the general population. *Are there any sources outside the Bible, from that time period that verify this mass resurrection?*

*Was either Tacitus or Josephus actual eye witnesses to Jesus' ministry?*

Thanks.

[ricklannoye]

What really happened between the evening Jesus of Nazareth was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and, just a few days later, is said to have risen from the dead?
In just a few weeks, Christians all over the world will be celebrating a holy week, marking the suffering and death of Jesus, and then celebrating his triumphant resurrection.
For most Christians, though the exact theology about his death/resurrection is somewhat murky, the idea that Jesus conquered death is a sign they, too, will one day live again after they die, either by surviving as a conscious soul that goes to a pleasant spirit realm called Heaven, or that they, themselves, will also one day physically rise from the dead just as Jesus did...or for a significant number of those Christians often called Evangelicals, who say it will be both, beginning with a Rapture!
How, though, can we be sure, as so many Christians seem to be, that Jesus really did come back from the dead? There are, after all, more than a few historical researchers who doubt he even existed!
There have been numerous attempts to make the case for Jesus' resurrection purely from the narratives found in the Canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. One that had been very popular among Neo Evangelicals just a few decades ago, argued Jesus had to have risen again, because it could not have been his disciples who moved away the stone from his tomb for, if they had, and they subsequently secreted away his dead body, there is no way they would have gone on to spread the news of his resurrection, at great personal risk, knowing all the while it was all a big lie!
On the other hand, might there be some other explanation why his disciples, in just a matter of days after his public execution, became completely convinced he was alive again...and not only that, but it had been God's plan all along?
After decades of intensive research, pouring over the biblical narratives and using the very best methods of textual and contextual scholarly criticism, I believe we can know, with as much certainty as is historically possible, what really happened to Jesus and his followers that fateful, final week of Jesus' life, and what really happened in the following days, weeks, years, decades and centuries ever since, leading to well over a 2 billion people in the world today professing faith in him and his message...even though, many of them may have it completely wrong!

[jenna]

The four gospel accounts do not match up. Was it one woman, a handful or a bunch who came? Did the tomb open upon their arrival or was it open already? Was there a being inside and if so, how many? Or were there beings only outside, possibly to include Jesus himself, but maybe not? And why did the women go there when John clearly says that Nicodemus purchased 100 pounds of burial spices when they put Jesus in the tomb? And why did they violate the strict Torah instructions on who can enter a graveyard -- MUCH LESS an actual grave of a dead person???? And they does Luke go on to say in Ch 24 that Jesus ascends from Bethany, but in Acts 1 says he ascends from Jerusalem? Why is there no Arimathea for Joseph of Arimathea to come from? No archaeology or historian has been able to find an Arimathea anywhere. And why does Paul who was a contemporary of Jesus--not coming later as the placement of the NT ordering implies...why does he NEVER mention being in Jerusalem when Jesus would have been there??? The feasts weren't suggestions; they were required. We see Paul hurrying to Jerusalem later. But he NEVER talks about having seen Jesus in the flesh. Never discusses the crucifixion EVEN THOUGH he was a religious insider in Jerusalem. He never talks bout the ghosts in Jerusalem walking the streets? Are we to believe that Paul was never curious enough about this guy that the Sanhedrin was plotting against to where he NEVER went out to hear him preach? The disciples going to Emmaus claimed that everybody in Jerusalem was talking about the things that had transpired--but Paul somehow doesn't bother to mention hearing these things first-hand?

[interestingreligion]

This is the worst defence of the resurrection and crucifixion. I really need hours to go over all the bad arguments. This guy has been fed this rubbish and he has lapped it up like a dog.