Summary

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central theme and foundation of Christianity. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” In other words, if there is no resurrection and Christ was not raised, we should be pitied. Logically, for one to come back from the dead, he must first die. Therefore, if Jesus did not die on the cross, there was no resurrection, and we, as Christians, should be pitied.

Moreover, while most academics accept that Jesus died on the cross, some still doubt the authenticity of the accounts that claim his death.[1] Skeptics argue that Jesus "fainted" (Swooned) from exhaustion rather than dying on the cross. They contend that the disciples ignorantly buried Jesus alive, where Jesus would subsequentially recover from his unconsciousness from the tomb and walk out. Consequentially, the disciples mistook the now-conscious again Jesus for a resurrected Jesus.

In the same way, other skeptics, such as Hugh J. Schonfield, contend that Jesus intentionally fulfilled the Old-Testament prophecies and planned his swoon on the cross with the aid of Lazarus of Bethany and Joseph of Arimathea.[2] He contends that Jesus was given some drugs during his crucifixion, which resulted in him fainting on the cross and faking his resurrection.[3]

`However, Jesus’ death by crucifixion is a historical fact warranted by medical evidence, Roman crucifixion procedures, and the nature of the disciple’s testimony regarding the post-mortem appearances of Jesus.

Scourging and Crucifixion From A Medical Standpoint

How Terrible Was Scourging?

To understand whether one can survive scourging, we must grasp the process and how much damage it inflicts upon its victims. Thankfully, we have a more robust understanding of scourging due to recent research undertaken by three researchers examining the consequences of scourging and crucifixion under the Journal of the American Medical Association. The article describes the operation as follows:

The usual instrument was a short whip... with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals... the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post… The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged…The scourging... was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death… As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles."[4]

In addition to scourging, The Romans mocked Jesus by placing a crown of thorns on his head along with a robe and wooden staff while they spat and beat Jesus, striking him on the head with the wooden staff.[5] Each strike would have driven the thorns deeper into Jesus’ scalp.[6] Furthermore, the soldiers would have reopened scourging wounds when they tore the robe from Jesus before nailing him on the cross.[7] Jesus was most likely in a pre-shock condition due to the harsh flogging, with its excruciating agony and considerable blood loss.[8]

Additionally, Luke mentions that Jesus sweats blood as he prays in anguish before being taken away by the Romans (Luke 22:44). The researchers speculate that Hematidrosis most likely caused this condition, sometimes known as bloody sweat, which is a recognized but very uncommon occurrence.[9] When we're under much emotional stress, the tiny capillaries in our sweat glands might burst, causing blood to mingle with our perspiration.[10] Because of this process, the body may become noticeably feeble and even shocked.[11] This condition would have resulted in Jesus’ skin becoming very sensitive.[12]

Moreover, the physical and emotional violence Jesus endured at the hands of the Jews and Romans and the lack of water, food, and sleep all added to his overall weakness.[13] Before the crucifixion, Jesus' physical state was, at a minimum, acute and potentially fatal.[14] Therefore, it is improbable that Jesus would have been physically capable of surviving crucifixion after such a horrible practice.

The Medical Side of Crucifixion

The Romans didn't develop crucifixions but refined them as a torture and death penalty method meant to cause a prolonged death with extreme misery and anguish.[15] Slaves, outsiders, rebels, and the worst offenders were often the only ones put to death by crucifixion, which was one of the most degrading and brutal ways of execution.[16] The victims usually carried their cross, which weighed around 300lb, from the scourging site to the crucifixion spot.[17] However, since the cross is so heavy, only the crossbar would be carried, which weighed around 75-125lb.[18] Afterward, the Romans would fix their victims to the cross by piercing their wrists and feet with 5-7 inch nails.[19]

Furthermore, from knowledge of crucifixion practices and anatomy, the researchers found numerous causes of death from crucifixion. First, the victim’s wounds from scourging would open again once they were thrown on the ground to his back for preparation to be tied to the cross.[20] The victim would also be contaminated with dirt in this case.[21] Second, when attempting to breathe, the rough wood of the stipes would scrape against the scourging injuries with every breath.[22] Therefore, the victim's back would bleed heavily during the crucifixion process. Lastly, while not necessarily fracturing bones, the nails hammered through the wrists “would crush or sever the rather large sensorimotor median nerve. The stimulated nerve would produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms.”[23]

In the same way, the body’s weight, pressing down on the extended arms and shoulders, would tend to fix the intercostal muscles in an inhalation condition, preventing passive exhalation in crucifixion victims.[24] Thus, crucified victims would need to lift their bodies to breathe correctly; however, this process placed tremendous strain on the victim since they would tear flesh by rotating the wrists around the nails and scraping their wounded back against the cross while also tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.[25] Therefore, the researchers concluded that crucified victims likely died from hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia due to insufficient respiratory process and fatigue.[26] Hypovolemic shock is “an emergency condition in which severe blood or other fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body.”[27] Thus, It’s highly probable that Jesus was already dead when he was removed from the cross.

Roman Crucifixion

Is it Possible to Cheat Death During Roman Crucifixion?

 

If there was something the Romans could do well, it was to make sure that their crucified victims ended up dead. Josh McDowell, an evangelical Christian apologist, and co-author of over 150 books, states in his book the Resurrection Factor that the Romans were “good” at what they did.[28] It was simple for soldiers to determine whether a victim was still alive, given that the crucifixion victim often died of exhaustion asphyxia.[29] A person would be unable to breathe in the “down” posture on the cross.[30] After a while in this posture, it would be evident that the person was dead. Thus, a person in a coma or a weak condition would be unable to maintain this posture for many minutes on the cross.

Moreover, breaking the victim's legs was the standard Roman military method for hastening death, as it had been with the criminals crucified near Jesus because of the Sabbath.[31] This would prevent them from being able to raise themselves, leading to their rapid suffocation.[32] This explains why the soldiers did not need to break Jesus’ legs since he would have been in the “down” position.

However, the soldiers made care to double-check that Jesus was indeed dead. A spear was thrust into his side, and water and blood began to pour out (John 19:34-35). This is what is described in detail by the Journal of American Medical Association:

The water probably represented serous pleural and pericardial fluid and would have preceded the blood flow and been smaller in volume than the blood. Perhaps in the setting of hypovolemia and impending acute heart failure, pleural and pericardial effusions may have developed and would have added to the volume of apparent water.  The blood, in contrast, may have originated from the right atrium or the right ventricle or perhaps from a hemopericardium.[33]

The researchers concluded that it's unclear whether Jesus died from a heart attack or respiratory failure.[34] However, what may be more crucial than how he died is that he died.[35] Jesus was already dead by the time the spear was thrust into his side since all medical and historical data points towards this conclusion.[36] This evidence also supports the conventional belief that the spear driven between Jesus' right ribs likely pierced his right lung, pericardium, and heart, guaranteeing his death.[37] Therefore, it seems that explanations predicated on the premise that Jesus survived crucifixion conflict with current medical knowledge.

Jesus has Risen

Is It Possible for Jesus to Physically Escape the Tomb?

It would take a remarkable act for Jesus to escape the tomb without a divine intervention such as the resurrection. First, Jesus would have had to unwrap himself from the rigid wrappings, which were made of myrrh and aloes and weighed about 75 pounds (John 19:39). Second, He would need to roll the large stone that was placed at the tomb entrance (Matthew 27:60). From a medical perspective, Jesus would not have been able to accomplish such a task because the median nerve had been cut when the nails were driven into Jesus' wrists.[38] His hands would have been intensely paralyzed.[39] In addition, the strain of hanging on the cross would have dislocated Jesus' elbows and shoulders.[40] Thirdly, Jesus would have to get past the Roman guards risking their lives to protect the tomb. (Mt. 27:62-66, 28:11-15). Lastly, granting that Jesus achieved all of this, he would still need to walk to his disciples with his scourged body and pierced feet. Given Jesus’ wounds, it would be challenging for him to walk on his feet since “the deep peroneal nerve and branches of the medial and lateral plantar nerves would be severely injured by the nails,” according to medical specialists.[41] Therefore, it’s highly improbable that Jesus could have escaped the tomb even if he had survived the crucifixion.

Jesus Conquered Death

            One major flaw with the swoon hypothesis is that it overlooks the disciple’s attitudes and testimony towards the resurrected Christ. Jesus' resurrection is presented and interpreted in the Gospels and Acts as the realization of God’s promised triumph over death, ushering in the prospect of physical resurrection for those who believe.[42] The disciples were persecuted, and some were even killed for their faith following Jesus' crucifixion.[43] They put themselves in peril to announce the resurrected Christ to the world.[44] Their unwavering faith and transition from men who abandoned Jesus at his arrest to a group of men willing to suffer and die for their faith indicate that they were not trying to make up stories about Jesus' postmortem appearances since they were convinced this was the case.[45]

Moreover, the disciple’s believed that God would clothe them with “new” bodies just as Christ was resurrected with a new body (2 Corinthians 5:2). This hope in a future resurrection motivated the apostles[46]. Thus, If Jesus survived the scourging and crucifixion process, unintentionally or intentionally, as suggested by Schonfield, and succeeded in escaping the tomb, would this have convinced the disciples that Jesus had conquered death? New Testament scholar Gary Habermas answers this question by pointing out the critique offered by the skeptic scholar David Friedrich Strauss:

“The German scholar D. F. Strauss wrote that it is not plausible that, having been scourged and crucified, Jesus pushed the stone away from the tomb with pierced hands and walked blocks on pierced and wounded feet. Even if such a ridiculous scenario were possible, when he appeared to his disciples in his pathetic and mutilated state, would this convince them that he was the risen Prince of life? … The disciples would have called for a doctor, not fallen down and worshipped him as risen and glorified.”[47]

            Additionally, the swoon hypothesis does not account for the conversion of Paul and James. Paul was an early persecutor of the Christian Church and saw no fault in his actions; quite the opposite, Paul considered his action zealous (Philippians 3:4-6). However, Paul states that Jesus had appeared to him alive (Acts 9:1–19), which caused him to convert to Christianity and preach the same message as the rest of the apostles. Paul endured persecution, hunger, and imprisonment and was eventually killed for proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord.[48] Paul also calls Jesus the “Lord” and connects him with the God of the Old Testament YHWH. In Isaiah 45:21-25 the God of Israel YHWH states, “Before me, every knee will bow; by me, every tongue will swear.” Paul applies the language of Isaiah to Jesus in Philippians 2:9-1: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The best answer that explains Paul’s behavior and testimony is that he genuinely had an experience of the risen Jesus. Arguing otherwise requires severe abuse of the present evidence and data.

In the same way, the skeptic James was also converted because the risen Christ had appeared to him. James was a non-believer in Jesus’ ministry during his time on Earth (John 7:5). However, James also converted, endured persecution, and was killed for proclaiming the Christian faith.[49] Thus, it’s highly implausible that both these men would become Christians because they witnessed a starving, beaten, wounded, and limping Jesus! It would be more probable for James to have run for a medical doctor to assist Jesus than bow down and worship him as Lord.

 

Conclusion

I have demonstrated that medical evidence, Roman crucifixion standards, and the disciple’s testimony goes against the theory that Jesus swooned on the cross. It’s improbable that Jesus would have managed to survive crucifixion. Yet, even if he did survive, this still does not account for the disciples’ testimonies or the conversion of Paul and James. The Swoon theory severely lacks explanatory power since it is insufficient for explaining the present evidence for the case. As Habermas put it:” Alive? Barely. Risen? No. … Upon seeing a swooned Jesus limping, bleeding, pale, and stooping over in pain, Peter would not have responded, "Wow, I can’t wait to have a resurrection body just like that!"[50] Rather the disciples would have said, "Let's get you a doctor. You need help!”[51] On the other hand, if Jesus rose from the dead, then it makes sense why Paul, James, and the rest of the disciples were convinced that Jesus conquered death and were willing to lay down their lives for this message. For “he is not here; he has risen” (Matthew 28:6).

 

 

End Notes 

 

[1] Mike Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach (Nottingham: Apollos, 2018), 311-312.

[2] Hugh J. Schonfield, The Passover Plot (Tuningen: Texianer Verlag, 2021), 166.

[3] Schonfield, The Passover Plot, 160-166

[4] William D. Edwards, Wesley J. Gabel, and Floyd E. Hosmer, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” JAMA 255, no. 11 (1986): p. 1455, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1986.03370110077025.

[5] Matthew 26:17-27:61, Mark 14:12-15:47, Luke 22:7-23:56, John 13:1-19:42, in The Holy Bible (New International Version). Grand Rapids, Mich, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1978.

[6] C. Truman Davis. “The Crucifixion of Jesus. The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View.” Arizona Medicine 22 (March 1965): 183–87. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.biola.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=14267674&site=eds-live&scope=site.

[7] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 185.

[8] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” p. 1458.

[9]  Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1456.

[10] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 184.

[11] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 184.

[12] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1458.

[13] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1458.

[14] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1458.

[15] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 183.

[16] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1458.

[17] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1458.

[18] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1459.

[19] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1458.

[20] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460.

[21] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460

[22] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 187.

[23] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460.

[24] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 187.

[25] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 187.

[26] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1461.

[27] “Hypovolemic Shock: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia,” MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), accessed October 28, 2022, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000167.htm#:~:text=Hypovolemic%20shock%20is%20an%20emergency,many%20organs%20to%20stop%20working.

[28] Josh McDowell, The Resurrection Factor (Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, 2005).

[29] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1461.

[30] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 187.

[31] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 187

[32] Davis, “The Crucifixion of Jesus,” 187

[33] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1463.

[34] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1463.

[35] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1463.

[36] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1463.

[37] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460.

[38] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460.

[39] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460.

[40] Cahleen Shrier, “The Science of the Crucifixion,” Azusa Pacific University (APU Life), accessed November 6, 2022, https://www.apu.edu/articles/the-science-of-the-crucifixion/#f3.

[41] Edwards, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” 1460-1461.

[42] John 5:24–29, 6:39, 40, 44, 54; Acts 4:1–2, 23:7–10, 24:14–15, 26:6–8, 26:22–23; cf. Matt 27:52–53

[43] Mike Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach (Nottingham: Apollos, 2018), 365.

[44] Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus, 365.

[45] Sean McDowell, The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus (London: Routledge, 2018), 53-54.

[46] 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:24; 1 Peter 4:1; 1 Peter 5:10; James 1:12.

[47] Gary R. Habermas and Mike Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2004), 102-103.

[48] McDowell, The Fate of the Apostles, 136-137.

[49] McDowell, The Fate of the Apostles, 187-188.

[50] Habermas, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 102-103.

[51] Habermas, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 102-103.

 

References

Davis, C Truman. “‘The Crucifixion of Jesus. The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View.’ .” Arizona Medicine 22 (March 22, 1965): 183–87. https://doi.org/20211214.

Edwards, William D., Wesley J. Gabel, and Floyd E. Hosmer. “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ.” JAMA 255, no. 11 (1986): 1455. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1986.03370110077025.

Habermas, Gary R., and Mike Licona. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2004.

“Hypovolemic Shock: Medlineplus Medical Encyclopedia.” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000167.htm#:~:text=Hypovolemic%20shock%20is%20an%20emergency,many%20organs%20to%20stop%20working.

Licona, Mike. The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. Nottingham: Apollos, 2018.

Marks, Jay W, ed. “Medical Definition of Hematohidrosis, a Rare Condition.” RxList. RxList, June 3, 2021. https://www.rxlist.com/hematohidrosis/definition.htm.

McDowell, Josh. The Resurrection Factor. Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, 2005.

McDowell, Sean. The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus. London: Routledge, 2018.

Schonfield, Hugh J. The Passover Plot. Tuningen: Texianer Verlag, 2021.

Shrier, Cahleen. “The Science of the Crucifixion.” Azusa Pacific University. APU Life. Accessed November 6, 2022. https://www.apu.edu/articles/the-science-of-the-crucifixion/#f3.

Strobel, Lee, and Jane Vogel. The Case for Christ a Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.