It has been quite common on various atheist websites that seek to refute Christianity to use the argument that when Jesus was resurrected from the dead it was no different than what we see in modern zombie movies. The zombies come back to life and start attacking people and eating them, and hearing phrases such as ‘the undead’ where the person is not dead but is not really alive. This is the type of analogy atheist and skeptics tend to make when they try and refute the Resurrection. You may hear atheist when they refer to Christianity as:

“The belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity.”

But is this analogy an accurate representation of Christianity? First, we must define what the term ‘zombie’ means and the characteristics which constitute a zombie. According to the Etymology Dictionary(1) the origin of of the word Zombie and its meaning is defined as:

“1871, of West African origin (cf. Kikongo zumbi “fetish;” Kimbundu nzambi “god”), originally the name of a snake god, later with meaning “reanimated corpse” in voodoo cult. But perhaps also from Louisiana creole word meaning “phantom, ghost,” from Spanishsombra “shade, ghost.” Sense “slow-witted person” is recorded from 1936.”

The modern view of zombies, however, is quite different. Take for example the zombies that are depicted in modern movies such as George Romero’s “Night Of The Living Dead” or the comedy “Shaun Of The Dead.” Zombies in these types of films have the following characteristics:

1. Zombies are reanimated corpses that have come back to life.

2. Zombies have no natural instincts or emotions but only basic motor skills.

3. Zombies cannot speak. They communicate through moaning and groaning.

4. Their instinct is to eat and consume human flesh.

5. They are dangerous.

6. They are physical beings with no ability to perform supernatural miracles.

7. Zombies bodies tend to start to decay and their flesh rotting off their body.

8. Zombies do not have the ability to reason or think.


Now let’s examine each of these points one by one to see if Jesus fits the criteria of what one would consider a zombie:

1. Zombies are reanimated corpses that have come back to life.

Yes Jesus did rise from the dead but under the power of God and the Holy Spirit. Here are a few examples from scripture that demonstrate this:

“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it”. Acts 2:32

“He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus”. Acts 13:33

“But God raised him from the dead”. Acts 13:30


2. Zombies have no natural instincts or emotions but only basic motor skills.

Jesus was able to cook and build a fire. (See John 21)

3.. Zombies cannot speak but rather they communicate through moaning and groaning

Jesus was able to communicate with people after he rose from the dead, for example, he appeared to his disciples in John 20 and to the 500 as Paul states in 1st Corinthians 15:1-11.

4. Their instinct is to eat and consume human flesh

Jesus never consumed human flesh or ate a living person, but we do find him eating fish and honey in Luke 24:42-43

5.They are dangerous

Jesus was never seen as a threat after he rose from the dead. In fact he appeared to Mary Magdalene at the tomb in John 20:10-18, and he traveled with 2 of his disciples in Luke 24:29 without them even realizing it was him, and they asked him to stay with them.

6. They are physical beings with no ability to perform supernatural miracles.

Yes, it is true Jesus is a physical being ,but that is because he is God in the Flesh who came down to take the form of a servant to dwell among his people. (Philippians 2:7) Jesus performed numerous miracles after his resurrection. (Luke 24:31, John 20:19.)

7. Zombies bodies tend to start to decay and their flesh rotting off their body

Jesus did indeed appear in the same body he was crucified, and he bore the markings in his body. But his body never saw decay which God promised would never happen. (Acts 2:27-31, Acts 13:35.)

So as we can see according to the scriptures, in no way does the resurrection of Jesus come even close to comparison that atheists try to make. He is the living Son of God who has risen and saved us from our sins. (Romans 10:9.)

Sources:

Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=zombie&searchmode=none