Did Jesus Predict His Own Death and Resurrection?
By Dr. Michael R. Licona
Originally published in the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, Volume 8 (2010), pp. 1–20.
Did Jesus know that he was going to die? More importantly, did he predict that God would raise him from the dead?
The Gospels record several occasions when Jesus foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection. But historians have long debated whether these predictions originated with Jesus himself or were attributed to him by his followers after Easter.
In this scholarly article, Dr. Michael Licona examines the historical evidence behind these predictions and considers the strongest arguments both for and against their authenticity.
Six Arguments Supporting Jesus' Predictions
Licona identifies six lines of historical evidence that, taken together, support the conclusion that Jesus predicted his violent death and subsequent vindication or resurrection.
These include the early origins of certain traditions, multiple attestations across sources, potentially embarrassing details in the Gospel narratives, differences between Jesus' language and later Christian terminology, historical plausibility, and the relative absence of later theological elaboration in many of the predictions.
Particularly significant are passages describing Peter rebuking Jesus, Jesus' words at the Last Supper, and his anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Why Didn't the Disciples Understand?
One of the strongest objections concerns the disciples themselves.
If Jesus clearly predicted his death and resurrection, why did his followers appear so surprised and unprepared when these events occurred?
Licona explores several possible explanations, including the disciples' expectations about the Messiah, their difficulty accepting Jesus' impending death, and the possibility that some predictions were originally less explicit than their later Gospel presentations.
Were the Predictions Written After the Events?
Another objection suggests that early Christians created these predictions after Jesus' death, placing them retrospectively on his lips.
Licona considers this possibility but argues that it does not adequately explain the cumulative historical evidence supporting at least some of the predictions.
What Does the Historical Evidence Suggest?
Licona concludes that there is a strong cumulative case that Jesus anticipated his violent death and subsequent vindication or resurrection.
The study illustrates how historical methods can be used to investigate even the most debated claims within the Gospel accounts.
Read the complete academic paper to explore the six supporting arguments, the major objections, and Licona's assessment of the historical evidence.
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