Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

by Timothy Paul Jones

A Concise Look at the Evidence for Christ’s Resurrection 

The entire Christian faith depends on the belief that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. If there was no empty tomb, Christians have an empty faith. But how can we be confident the resurrection really happened? 

In this concise booklet, author Timothy Paul Jones addresses the doubts and questions that arise from Jesus’s resurrection as recorded in the New Testament. Jones argues this story is not a mere repetition of old pagan tales or a fabrication to fulfill Jewish expectations. Instead, it was a historical event, and that is supported by compelling evidence, including accounts of men and women who were willing to die for what they believed they had seen. 

Skeptics are correct to assume that such claims should not be taken lightly. But what happens if Jesus really did rise from the dead? What would it mean for me and you? 

Written for  A respectful appeal to those who doubt Jesus’s story that provides convincing evidence for his resurrection Short, Accessible  A concise exploration of the resurrection of Jesus and why it matters for believers today Part of the TGC Hard Questions  Equips readers with answers to difficult questions facing today’s church 

Genres: Theology, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Audiobook

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2025

About the author

Timothy Paul Jones is an American evangelical scholar known for his work in apologetics and family ministry. He serves as the C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jones has authored influential texts defending the historical reliability of the New Testament and has promoted a model of “family-equipping ministry,” which balances family discipleship with age-specific church programs. His apologetics have evolved from evidential to presuppositional approaches, emphasizing the role of the church’s moral witness and care for the marginalized. He has been recognized for books such as Misquoting Truth, How We Got the Bible, and In Church as It Is in Heaven, the latter promoting multiethnic church communities. Jones is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and has been praised as a leading voice in engaging both secular critics and intra-faith debates. He and his wife Rayann have four adopted children.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The resurrection story does not come without difficulties, but it also does not come without credible evidence. It is a story no one in the first century expected to be true. Yet a band of witnesses became convinced they saw Jesus alive in the flesh in the days that followed his death, and their reports can be traced to the places Jesus lived and died.”

Great booklet. FWIW, here are some of my reflections on the resurrection: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/...

[Jacob Fulkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great primer on the resurrection. A helpful resource for the skeptic, and an edifying reminder to the scholar.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful primer on the resurrection.

[Jonathan Suggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little introduction! It hits all the main talking points in a way that’s engaging for both unbelievers and believers. And all under 100 pages!

[Abdul Alhazred · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short apologia for easter. The "skepticism" is a bit performative, created to assuage the reasonable doubter questioning resurrection is natural, so as to set up and knock down the pins of his choice. There's no skepticism to a crucified body being allowed to buried in a tomb, because there's no good rebuttal, so we skip that issue. An empty tomb must mean He is risen, even though the response in the first centuries was simply that the body was stolen. It's possible the point about the tomb being guarded (no historical precedent at all, and makes no sense on the face of it) was invented to combat this retort. Not explored here.
So then to the usual hyping up witnesses and asserting people won't die for a lie but this time modified to say "people have died for lies but not lies they knew were false" since apparently it's sunk in people do die for lies all the time. Most notably in the Christian conception every other religion with martyrs. Mormons have more documented witnesses as well as people willing to die for their faith but suddenly that argument is not good enough. Neither are the attested supernatural feats of Mohammed given credence by the same criteria that are supposed to be good enough to be evidence for the resurrection. Probably the biggest problem of apologia is creating some set of criteria that can justify belief in one religion without including other faiths. Selectively applied arguments that suddenly get a thousand by-clauses to avoid applying to other situations aren't well argued.

Unfair to make demands on such a short text clearly designed to convert or re-commit the already faithful? Sure it is. The premise is simply beyond the scope of a booklet.

[Elliott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. He gives the standard logical arguments for the resurrection plus his testimony of how he came to believe it. His aim is modest: show that the evidence can fit the resurrection. He urges the non-believer to view the evidence an open mind, so he will see that Jesus’ resurrection is plausible. He defines faith as a disposition of confidence based on evidence, which would adjust its view in light of new evidence.

There are problems with this. First, someone who doesn’t believe the resurrection can’t view it with an unbiased, open mind. They are biased against it (as believer are biased for it). Part of our problem is we trust ourselves to be neutral judges of truth over trusting God. Second, the resurrection is not just plausible (or the most plausible); it did happen. Third, there is no true evidence that can be raised against the resurrection (because it is the truth); there are only sinful person’s interpretations of evidence. True faith will not adjust its belief in the resurrection in light of this because we have a higher authority (the Bible) that has told us it is true.

[Maxine McEwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. While I don't believe this book will change anyone's minds, I do believe that it is well researched and well presented. It does still force the reader to have to come to terms with the reliability of the Gospels which ultimately brings the book down. It takes the position held by conservative scholars that the names attributed to the gospels are the people who wrote them and it takes the earlier dating for the books. The recommended readings all lean away from major scholars, other than Richard Buckram in which his most dogmatic book is recommended. I would be interested to read the other books in the series but I don't think I would pick them up at full price.

[Rachel Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could Jesus really have died and come back to life? The evidence certainly indicates that He did! In this book, Timothy Paul Jones examines the eyewitness evidence for the resurrection, and it is quite compelling. If you are skeptical about the resurrection of Jesus, I highly recommend reading this book. It is accessible and thought-provoking. If you are already convinced that the resurrection is not a myth, I still recommend that you read "Did the Resurrection Really Happen?" And then I recommend that you share it with a friend!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise, compelling, helpful resource. Great for recommending or giving away because of it’s accessible length and language. Easy to read yet written in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way. One strength that stood out is that it never overstates any one argument or piece of evidence, but rather demonstrates the gentle tone of deeply rooted conviction of the truth of the resurrection.

[CollinB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only took me a couple days to read but packed a lunch of evidence to why the Resurrection of Jesus is true and we can have faith in it. This is a great book to giveaway or to read and know how to explain why you believe in the resurrection!

[Ryanne Molinari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful booklet!

[nate]

A short and excellent primer on the central claim of Christianity.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to cover this topic in such a short book. For someone who isn’t looking for a lot of depth but an overview of several common dismissals of the resurrection this is a good brief overview.

[Megan Revis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, fun read for Holy Saturday. Praise God the tomb was actually empty and Jesus is alive!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short synopsis: YES IT DID

[Dillon Reinkensmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise book that is a wonderful tool to a Christian, and a thought provoking read for the unbeliever

[Ryan Fultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and concise defense of the resurrection.

[Gary Storment · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read with college students that are interested in the Christian faith! I love the evangelistic appeal at the end of the book.

[Wendy Tuell · Rating 4 out of 5]

FBC Book Club