Reflection on The Resurrection of Jesus

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Reflection on Chapter 20: The Resurrection of Jesus
One of the most significant and phenomenal occurrences in Christianity was the resurrection of Jesus. According to the author, Apostle Paul termed it the turning point in the history of mankind (612). Precisely, the resurrection marked a transition from the age of promise to the age of fulfillment. The historic event served many purposes, but most importantly, it vindicated Christianity. Had it not happened, then many would have regarded the faith as counterfeit and never to be believed. As such, the event remains one of the most decisive moments in Christian history. However, critics and scholars from various quarters have undertaken to rationally discount that it happened.
Rational Explanations of the Resurrection
Detractors of the gospel ministries, of which the resurrection is one, hold that the resurrection was a fabrication that should be regarded with the contempt it deserves. To reinforce their contentions, they have invented four theories.
The first one is known as the swoon theory, which holds that Jesus never died on the cross, he only fainted, and the soldiers guarding him assumed he was dead (612). The framers of the theory hypothesize that when Jesus was placed in the tomb, he was in a coma. They claim that the cool air in the tomb must have revived him. Further, they opine that Jesus escaped from the tomb after regaining consciousness. He then appeared to his disciples and died from injuries he sustained on the cross. As the author puts it, the theory defies rational thinking and has been roundly rejected by almost all critical scholars. In all honesty, Jesus would not have possibly recovered from his extensive injuries had he been alive. Moreover, even if he had survived by some stroke of luck, he would not have had the sheer strength required to roll back the stone at the tomb's entrance (614).
The second is known as the wrong tomb theory, which suggests that the women who proclaimed the resurrection must have been confused. Critics claim the women must have come to an empty tomb, which they wrongly assumed to be the one where Jesus had been laid. According to the author, this explanation is farfetched because the tomb where Jesus was a private one belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. By some extraordinary coincidence, even if everyone forgot where the tomb was, Joseph would certainly never forget where his own tomb was.
The third theory, which is the oldest rationalistic theory, suggests that the disciples of Jesus stole his body from the tomb. The author disputes this approach by pointing out that the disciples were tremendously devastated and discouraged by the crucifixion (615). In any case, they did not expect a resurrection an...