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 sepulcher 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 Arimathea 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!
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.