Did Jesus actually die?

Some sceptical thinkers have suggested Jesus didn’t actually die, but rather fainted following the trauma of his torture and crucifixion, and was then revived in the coolness of the garden tomb. They think this provides a satisfactory answer as to why Jesus’ followers genuinely believed he had risen from the dead.

Consultant cardiologist, Dr Mark Gilmore, helps us to see why this explanation is beyond plausibility.

The evidence that most convinces him that Jesus really died, is that everyone at the time was convinced Jesus was dead: the bystanders, the followers of Jesus, the Romans, those who buried him, and John himself (the author of this account). Death isn’t difficult to diagnose. If there is no heartbeat, and the person is not breathing, and they remain in this state for the amount of time Jesus did before he was buried, then he was definitely dead.

When people faint, they can look very unwell, but they would not stop breathing and have no heartbeat for several hours. If Jesus had merely fainted, when the Roman soldier pushed a spear through his side, this would definitely have led to some kind of reaction, which it did not. And the very act of piercing the side would probably be enough to kill somebody. 

Interestingly, the detail John adds about water and blood flowing from Jesus’ side is further evidence he had died. It could be a sign of separated plasma, where the constituent parts of blood separate following death. Or it could be a sign that the spear had pierced an area containing fluid, possibly the lungs or the pericardium (a fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart). 

When you consider everything Jesus had been through: the beating, the scourging, carrying the cross, being crucified, being stabbed with a spear; and then having his death confirmed by people around him, with no sign of life for hours; based on this textual evidence, Jesus certainly died.