Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: The Prosecution’s Case for Christ
Date: December 25, 2025
Podcast by iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

Episode Overview

In this Christmas episode, Nancy Grace takes on her most deeply personal and provocative case yet: the prosecution’s case for the historical existence of Jesus Christ. Framing her approach as that of a former prosecutor searching for credible, evidence-based truth, Grace invites an expert panel—historians, theologians, and religious leaders—to scrutinize the historical, archaeological, and testimonial evidence for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Avoiding sentimentality and faith alone, the episode is a rigorous quest for corroborative facts, evaluating everything from ancient manuscripts and bone boxes to controversial relics like the Shroud of Turin.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Corroboration vs. Skepticism

• Nancy Grace (02:52): Frames the investigation by comparing trust in ancient non-biblical sources (like Homer’s Iliad)—often accepted as factual—with skepticism received by contemporaneous writings about Jesus.
• Billy Hallowell (05:43): Cites Jewish historian Josephus: “What you just showed there, James, the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ, that is a line that is not disputed.”
• Discussion: The panel contrasts the acceptance of texts like the Iliad, written centuries after the events they describe, with the reluctance to accept much-closer-in-time accounts of Jesus’ life and death—especially Jewish and Roman sources.

2. Ancient Non-Christian Evidence

• Josephus and Tacitus (05:00–15:55): Several non-Christian sources (Josephus, Tacitus) explicitly reference Jesus, his crucifixion, and his following.
  • Quote from Josephus (read by narrator) (11:44): “About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man, for he was one who performed surprising deeds...”
  • Tacitus references Christians following Christus, “put to death by Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.” (15:05)
• Dr. Robert Van Vorst (12:58, 13:21): Discusses how even hostile or secular sources corroborate Jesus’ existence, his miracles (explained as “magic” or diabolism by critics at the time), and his execution.

3. The Human Drive to Doubt and Seek

• Bishop Dr. Ladonna Osborne (07:33): “There is something in humanity that is searching...why there would be such resistance [to Jesus]? Unless there is a spiritual dynamic.”
• Dr. Danny Hayes (10:12): Reflects on “doubting Thomas” as an emblem of human nature, emphasizing that skepticism was not punished but gently addressed, strengthening faith.

4. Physical and Archaeological Evidence

• James Ossuary (16:08): Detailed coverage of a first-century bone box inscribed in Aramaic with “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” Authenticity of the box confirmed by paleographers after a seven-year forgery trial.
  • Billy Hallowell (17:09): Scriptural analysis suggests Jesus likely had siblings—linguistic evidence points to actual brothers, not just cousins.
• Discussion on Jesus’ family origins (18:29–21:42): The panel reflects on Jesus’ humble background and the implications of him being born to an “unwed mother”, emphasizing the inclusivity of Jesus’ ministry and followers.

5. Controversy of Siblings and The Da Vinci Code Argument

• Nancy Grace (21:42): “It sounds like a real-life Da Vinci Code scenario.” Dialogue explores whether blood relatives of Jesus could exist today, but the panel dismisses this as less significant than the spiritual kinship all Christians are called to.

6. The Shroud of Turin Debate

• Guy Powell, Shroud Expert (27:43–35:34):
  • Pros: Shroud aligns with Gospel narratives; recent dating indicates it's 2,000 years old; “...it has a face, it has a body, it has the whip marks, the wounds in the hands...” (28:09)
  • Cons: Past carbon-14 dating placed it in the Middle Ages, but panel claims contamination likely skewed results. Skeptical findings such as “paint particles” explained as secondary relic contamination.
  • Guy Powell (34:50): “There has not been one attack that has been proven to 100%...that the Shroud is false.”
• Nancy Grace clarifies (31:26): She presses for “evidence, not just what I want to believe.”

7. Archaeological Mockery as Unwitting Evidence

• Alexamenos Graffito (37:55–41:21): Ancient Roman graffiti depicts a man worshipping a crucified, donkey-headed man—intended to mock, yet powerful external evidence of early Christian worship and the public knowledge of Jesus’ execution.
  • Dr. Van Vorst (40:30): “The earliest evidence we have in the archaeological record for Christians is someone making fun of Jesus being crucified...this was at the time of Christ.”

8. Documented Eyewitness and Martyr Testimony

• Multiple Testimony (43:32–46:19):
  • “What about 500 witnesses?”—Nancy Grace
  • Bishop Osborne (43:50): “That documentation giving evidence to the resurrection is undeniable....The fact that the Bible has even come to us in spite of all human intervention, that's a miracle by itself.”
  • Billy Hallowell (45:11): “Would any sane person go to a brutal death…unless they absolutely believed what they saw?” Highlights Paul’s invocation in 1 Corinthians of 500 living witnesses.
• Suffering as Testimony (46:51–48:26)
  • Dr. Van Vorst: References Tertullian’s “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”; mass martyrdom as compelling, self-sacrificial evidence for the sincerity of early Christians.

9. Faith, Free Will, and the Limits of Proof

• Nancy Grace (46:19): Considers why faith is necessary: “If we had proof, then we wouldn’t have free will...Christ asks for the faithful, not the robots who simply regurgitate what they've been fed.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nancy Grace:

  • “In my world, that doesn’t work. So I have been on a lifetime search for evidence to support the case for Christ.” (12:12)
  • “If Christ would pick an unwed mother and a group of uneducated men off the waterfront, then maybe there's hope for the rest of us...” (19:08)
  • “For me, I’m not talking about what I want to believe...I’m talking about evidence. Evidence supports what we believe as Christians.” (31:48)

• Bishop Dr. Ladonna Osborne:

  • “I’ve given my whole life bringing what we call the good news of what Jesus Christ did for humanity to people who are hopeless...I think there is a spiritual resistance to what is really the truth.” (07:33)
  • “That documentation giving evidence to the resurrection is undeniable...it still has survived. The fact that the Bible has even come to us in spite of all the human intervention, that’s a miracle by itself.” (43:50)

• Billy Hallowell:

  • “The Bible is actually the most backed up literature...ancient literature that we have. People act as though that evidence isn’t there when it very clearly is.” (05:43)
  • [on 500 eyewitnesses] “It’s a pretty bold thing to do if you’re making up a lie. I find that one of the most compelling pieces of scripture.” (46:02)

• Guy Powell:

  • “[The Shroud of Turin] is to me the only witness to the resurrection, the singular event that proves Christianity, that Christ was both man and God.” (29:53)
  • “I think there has not been one attack that has been proven to 100% that...the shroud is false.” (34:50)

• Dr. Robert Van Vorst:

  • “We get a lot of good evidence that Jesus is real...he started a movement, worked things that are wonderful. Yes.” (13:18)
  • “Jesus was known to be crucified. That this crucified figure is worshipped by Alexamenos…and his crucifixion called forth worship from his followers.” (40:30)
  • “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, that the more they were killed...the more faith was elicited in other people.” (47:01)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction: The “Case for Christ” as a legal investigation (02:07)
• Ancient Jewish and Roman sources on Jesus (05:00–15:55)
• James Ossuary and Jesus' family (16:08–22:13)
• Discussion of siblings, Da Vinci Code theory (21:42–26:06)
• Shroud of Turin pros and cons with Guy Powell (27:43–35:34)
• Alexamenos Graffito: Archaeological evidence of mockery and worship (37:55–41:21)
• Eyewitness testimony and early martyrdom (43:32–48:26)
• Faith vs. proof: why uncertainty remains (46:19–48:26)
• Closing: The enduring question and call to consider (48:26)

Conclusion

Nancy Grace, supported by a panel of diverse experts, methodically builds a prosecution’s case for the historicity of Jesus Christ. Using a mix of textual criticism, archaeology, and logic rooted in her legal background, she demonstrates that disbelief commonly stems from cultural or spiritual barriers rather than a lack of evidence. Miracles, relics, harsh skepticism, and martyrdom are examined critically but empathetically, culminating in the reminder that absolute proof remains elusive in order to leave space for genuine faith and free will. As Nancy says, “As you gather around your Christmas tree, certainly something to not only question, to consider, but hopefully to believe.” (48:26)