by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

April 16, 2025

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Story Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Wednesday, April 16, 2025, and this is episode #3 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Can History Prove the Resurrection?”

To my knowledge, nothing has caused more controversy throughout human history than the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Satan has made every attempt to discredit this historical fact and continues to do so today.

In this podcast, I would like to share seven historical facts that support and prove the Resurrection:

1) All four Gospels recount the events of Christ’s death and resurrection. The Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—all followers of Christ. Three of them—Matthew, Mark, and John—were eyewitnesses to these major historic events and testify to them. The fourth, Luke, learned about the resurrection from earlier eyewitnesses of the events.

2) Many of the eyewitnesses to Christ’s death and resurrection gave their lives rather than denounce what they had seen with their own eyes. They died for more than just a cause they believed in. They died for the very facts they saw with their own eyes. They refused to deny the facts, although doing so would have likely spared them from death. But they chose to side with the truth of what they had seen, not to lie in order to save their own skin.

3) History shows that Christ’s grave was in fact empty. The stone had been rolled away. His body was never found. Although Roman soldiers guarded his tomb, he still disappeared from it.

Here is how the Holy Scriptures describe the event in Matthew chapter 28:
“And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.”

So the guards themselves saw this angel who made them tremble. They knew that something supernatural had happened. Yet, they allowed themselves to be bribed for fear of their own death.

You see, in those days, if a Roman soldier failed in his assignment to guard a prisoner and the prisoner escaped, the soldier himself was killed. In Matthew 28: 11-15 ESV, we read what really happened after the guards saw the angel and discovered that Jesus was missing:

“While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”

Did you catch that last sentence? “And they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” Rather than tell the truth about what they saw, the guards accepted the bribe to save their lives and told the Jews that Christ’s body had been stolen. And TO THIS DAY, the lie continues to be spread!

4) After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to numerous people. About 500 in fact! He talked with them, ate with them, touched them. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he writes this:

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.”

Those who saw Jesus after His death had known Him before His death, so they recognized Him and asserted that it was indeed Jesus Himself standing before them after the Resurrection.

5) When the crowds saw Christ after the Resurrection, the news of the empty tomb spread like wildfire. Despite severe opposition from the Romans and the religious leaders of the Jews, thousands came to Christ after the Resurrection. Why? Because they saw for themselves that He had risen from the dead.

6) Christ’s death and resurrection were prophesied thousands of years before they happened. Consider these verses from Psalm 22 NASB, which were written 1000 years before Jesus died:

__v. 16 NASB: “a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet . . . .”
__v. 18 NASB: “They divide my garments among them, And they cast lots for my clothing . . . .”
__V. 17 NASB: “I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me;”

7) Christ’s bones were not broken, although it was customary to break the bones of a crucified person to hasten his death.

Isaiah 53, often called “the forbidden chapter” by the Jews, says this:
__v. 5: 5 NASB: “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.”

Many more Old Testament passages predict the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We only need to have “eyes to see and ears to hear.”

But sadly, so few people do. Why? Because they simply don’t want to. They want to do their own thing, without thought for what will happen to them after they die. In short, they want to be their own god.

But no human being will ever be able to save himself. Every attempt to do so will result in failure and destruction. Only Jesus Christ can save us. He is the one and only Savior God has provided for us. We can do good deeds until we are blue in the face, but they will never be sufficient to save us.

One of the biggest lies of our age is that man is inherently good. If you believe this about yourself—if you believe that you are a good person—I would ask you this question: By whose standards? By your own or by God’s? You see, my friend, God’s standards are the only standards that matter. And by God’s standards, we are all sinful and deserving of death.

But as God tells us in His Holy Bible, He loved you and me so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save us. Anyone who believes in Jesus will not perish but will receive everlasting life.

Are you ready to receive everlasting life? If so, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life. Make of me all that You created me to be. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at drmaryannn@maryanndiorio.com, and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

In case you are not aware, I write heart-mending fiction that deals with the deepest issues of life. In my stories you will find characters just like you who struggle with what look like impossible problems and situations. Check out my books at my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com. That’s shop.maryanndiorio.com. 

Winning with the Word is available on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast venues as well as on YouTube. Check out my YouTube channel at youtube.com/drmaryanndiorio.

Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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For more information, check out: “Ten Concise Pieces of Evidence for the Resurrection” by George Sinclair
https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/10-concise-pieces-of-evidence-for-the-resurrection/

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Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn DIorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.