What is the Swoon Theory? Did Jesus survive the crucifixion?

Another theory of later years has been put forth, that our Lord did not die, but only swooned, that in the quiet and cool of the sepulchre He had revived, and that what had happened was not the resurrection of a dead Christ, but the resuscitation of a living man.

But this theory will not hold together. There were too many witnesses to His death to render it possible. The centurion, who had charge of the crucifixion; the Roman guard, who carried it out; especially the soldier who pierced His side; Joseph of Arimathæa and Nicodemus, who brought the body down from the cross, and who would surely have found signs of life, if there had been any—all were witnesses of our Lord’s death. There were also the women, who were present at the interment, including those who loved Him tenderly, and knew Him intimately, among them His own mother according to the flesh.

Moreover, speaking after the manner of a man, was it possible that One, who had gone through the awful experience of crucifixion, and in addition to this had been in the tomb for three days and three nights without food or drink, would be able to release Himself from the swathing of the linen clothes which bound Him, and then roll back the stone, and disappear in the morning light, spite of a guard set to watch the tomb? Impossible!

These four writers either witnessed the death of Christ or testified to it as common knowledge. In the case of John he witnessed the plunge of the spear into the side of the dead Christ, and saw the blood and the water flow therefrom, and bears special and solemn witness to the truth of his testimony.

All four evangelists testify that Joseph of Arimathæa buried the body of Jesus, John adding the information that Nicodemus assisted Joseph in this last act of loving service and devotion to his Lord, whilst Mark supplements the story by telling how Pilate sought and obtained the testimony of the centurion, who was in charge of the crucifixion, to Christ’s death before acceding to Joseph’s request.

The death of Christ is an attested fact and cannot admit of successful denial. The numerous miraculous events attending it, the large number of witnesses brought forward would have led infallibly to the discovery of any deceit or fraud, whilst on the contrary they form the greatest safeguard to the truthfulness of the sacred narrative.

The Burial. — But ere burying, the certainty that He was dead must be ascertained. The Jews desired, therefore, that the legs of the three should be broken to accelerate their decease, so as to permit of burial before sunset. So the soldiers were commissioned to break their legs. Carrying this out as regarded the two thieves, they perceived, when they approached the Lord, that He was dead already. For, crucified between the thieves, the soldiers would naturally give the finishing stroke to those two, ere they approached the Lord, hanging between them. Dead already, His legs were not broken, but a soldier pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. One scripture was thus fulfilled, and provision was being made for that of another in a yet coming day.

Two Scriptures. — All that concerned the Lord after His death was to be carried out, as foreshadowed in the Old Testament. He was the true Paschal Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). The ordinance, then, about it had reference to Him. So "neither shall ye break a bone thereof" (Ex. 12:46) was specially enjoined on the children of Israel when preparing their Paschal lamb. Why that injunction was given to the people in Egypt was not at the time apparent. Many and many a Passover had subsequently been kept, and that ordinance attended to. Yet the reason for it remained a mystery. Now it was discovered. And John marks it, in that the soldiers brake not the Lord's legs. God, it was now manifested, had been looking forward in that command to the death of His Son, who would give up His life, no man taking it from Him. Perfectly natural was it to refrain from breaking His legs, seeing that the real reason for that finishing stroke to the crucified ones was not needed in His case. Yet in wantonness the soldiers might have done it. But God, we must say, withheld them from it. For those Roman soldiers, in what they did not do, knew not that they were carrying out the Divine mind.

But one of them pierced His side, though they knew that He was dead. Was it a thoughtless act on the part of the individual who did it? Was it out of contempt for the King of the Jews? Who can now say what moved the man to use the spear? But we know that in that act provision was being made for the fulfilment in a coming day of the prophetic words of Zechariah (12:10). And John calls attention to this. The mark, too, of that spear-thrust remained after His resurrection (John 20:20, 27). Will it not be a mark for the remnant by which to recognise Him when He returns? Thus Scripture in the past was fulfilled, as Scripture regarding the future will receive its accomplishment.

We read, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record it true: and he knows that he says true, that ye might believe” (John 19:34-35). The solemn and full asseveration of what the Apostle John saw is very striking. The blood and water flowing from the side of a dead Christ was the proof of His death.

Previously the Jews, in view of the morrow being “the day after the Sabbath,” and that Sabbath being a high day; had gone to Pilate to ask that the bodies of those who had been crucified, should not remain on their crosses, beseeching him that their legs should be broken, thus expediting their death, and their removal from the crosses. To this end the legs of the two thieves were broken, but when they came to our Lord they found Him dead already. This was the fulfilment of a prophesy:

But, as if to make assurance doubly sure, a Roman soldier took his spear, and pierced the side of the dead Christ, and forthwith there came out blood and water.

The signs too that followed our Lord’s death were not consistent with a mere swoon. Why should there be a great earthquake; why should the graves wherein the bodies of saints lay be opened; why, above all, should the great veil of the Temple be rent in twain from the top to the bottom, evidently by the hand of God Himself, if Christ did not die? But all these signs harmonize with the triumph of the Son of God when He rose from the dead, the Victor over sin and death and hell.

The Lord had so frequently foretold His resurrection, that, although His disciples ha .d forgotten it, yet His enemies could not. Hence all their plans to prevent it. That He was dead before being taken down from the Cross, is proved by Pilate's refusal to allow the Body to be removed until assured by his own centurion that the Lord was already dead (Mark). The priests also testified to the fact when they demanded the watch — "He said, while he was yet alive." Now they knew He was dead. Again, they themselves, or by their servants, sealed His body in the tomb; and further, they drew a cordon of sixty soldiers round the sepulchre. Yet, notwithstanding all the precautions taken by the Jews to prevent it, early on the morning of the third day the stone was rolled away and the tomb was seen by all to be empty. The frightened soldiers announce it. The priests confess it. Fifty days afterwards the disciples proclaim it throughout the city, and the priests never once challenge their veracity.

Joseph of Arimathea, like Nicodemus, identified himself with Him, who had died on a cross and confessed Him boldly by this action. In Pilate's astonishment that He had died so soon we have additional evidence that the Servant "gave His life." Death by crucifixion, perhaps so often witnessed by the centurion, is a lingering death. They would have given Him the grave of the wicked, but God had predicted it otherwise (Isaiah 53:9 read, "they appointed His grave with the wicked, but with the rich He was when He had died"). The tomb was one in which no other dead had ever been. "The one born of a Virgin-womb could only be fittingly honored in a virgin tomb. He who could not see corruption, could not lie in a tomb which corruption had defiled."

The Son of God died on the tree, where the wicked hand of man had nailed Him, and the eternal purpose and grace of God had appointed Him. There He died, and died because He was there. The Lamb was slain. Who would think of gainsaying such a thought? Wicked hands murdered Him, and God provided Him as His own Lamb for the altar. Who would touch for a moment so needed and precious a mystery? And yet the Lamb gave up His own life. No exhaustion under suffering, no pressure of the cross, led Him to the death; but His life He yielded of Himself. In token of being in full possession of that which He was rendering up, "He cried with a loud voice," and then "gave up the ghost." The history of the moment admits of no other thought; and, I will add, neither should the worshipping affections of the saints. Pilate marvelled that He was dead already; he would not believe it; he had to satisfy himself of it. No time had been passed on the cross sufficient to extort the life, so that the legs of the others had to be broken. But He was dead already, and Pilate must make inquiry, and call for the witness, ere he would believe it.