THE HISTORICITY OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION Jesus was crucified as an insurrectionist by Roman authorities at the instigation of the Jewish religious leaders. Few, if any, would deny this today. But in Paul’s words, he “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:4). This quotation highlights what may well be taken as the major theme of both the New Testament and church proclamation. Christians should admit, given the first-century Jewish milieu in which Christ’s resurrection