Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?

The person of Christ is not only important to Christians, but is also significant to Muslims and Jews. For Christians, Easter is the most important and holiest festival of the year when Jesus^(as) rose from the dead, three days after the crucifixion. They believe him to be the literal son of God, who will return at the end of times. The majority of Muslims believe that Jesus^(as) was a noble Prophet of God who was neither crucified nor killed, but was raised bodily to heaven, and someone who appeared like him was crucified instead. They await Jesus’^(as) descent as the Second Coming of the Messiah. Jews, on the other hand, believe that Jesus Christ^(as) was a false Messiah. He was crucified on the cross, and according to Deuteronomy, one who is hanged on the cross dies an ‘accursed death,’ hence Jesus^(as) could not have been the awaited Messiah. Thus, Muslims and Christians eagerly await the Second Advent of Christ, whilst Jews are still in anticipation of the first appearance of the Messiah.

Two thousand years have passed, yet adherents of Islam, Christianity and Judaism differ regarding even the basic aspects of Jesus’^(as) life. Author of Christianity: A Journey From Facts to Fiction, Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad^(rh) (1928-2003), Fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Community, explained that, ‘If these powerful religions were to unite in one common understanding about the nature of the person of Christ, his first and promised advent, then such an understanding would lead to the resolution of many problems confronting mankind today.’ While the passage of two millennia has seen the divide in opinions increase and fierce rivalry in beliefs of these aspects, we now have the benefit of modern scientific, medical, archaeological and historical evidence, which may help us resolve these issues. Modern research strongly indicates that Jesus^(as) did not die on the cross; rather he survived, and travelled East in search of the Lost tribes of Israel, to fulfil his mission. An increasing number of esteemed commentators, historians, scholars, doctors and archaeologists have started to provide evidence that supports this theory. We have seen documentaries on the BBC and other international TV channels, as well books published by respected authors on this topic. The first, however, to provide complete evidence of Jesus’^(as) survival from the cross and travels eastwards was Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) of Qadian in his ground breaking treatise, Jesus in India, after which others started seriously considering and researching these theories. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) has provided a compendium of compelling evidence that completely shatter the mainstream Christian belief in the resurrection. St Paul had declared the resurrection as the most fundamental part of the faith of a Christian. However, in this Edition, taking inspiration from Jesus in India, based on Biblical, historical, medical and genetic evidence and research, we aim to prove that the resurrection did not occur according to the commonly held Christian belief. We do not intend to offend or insult anyone, but merely to present real facts and credible evidence, which we urge our readers to reflect on in an unbiased manner.

Some may start to question their faith in the resurrection after reading through our articles, which is why Jesus in India extracts conclude our Edition, as it provides hope for those seeking Truth.