Resurrection of Jesus

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Within the body of Christian beliefs, the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend. According to The New Testament, Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, was crucified, died, buried within a tomb, and resurrected three days later (John 19:30–31, Mark 16:1, Mark 16:6). The New Testament also mentions several resurrection appearances of Jesus on different occasions to his twelve apostles and disciples, including "more than five hundred brethren at once" (1 Cor. 15:6), before Jesus' Ascension. These two events are essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and are commemorated by Christians during Good Friday and Easter, particularly during the liturgical time of Holy Week.

Other groups, such as Jews, Muslims, Bahá'ís and other non-Christians, as well as some liberal Christians, dispute whether Jesus actually rose from the dead. Arguments over death and resurrection claims occur at many religious debates and interfaith dialogues.^[1]

Contents 1 Significance 2 Records 2.1 Early Creeds 2.2 Gospel narratives 2.3 Apostolic fathers 2.4 Non-Christian 3 Critical analysis 3.1 Prior events 3.2 Entombment 3.3 Resurrection of Jesus 3.4 Tomb discovery 3.4.1 Women 3.4.2 Men 3.5 Resurrection appearances of Jesus 3.6 Authorship of the story 3.7 Non-Christian 4 See also 5 Footnotes and references 6 Further reading 6.1 Pro-Resurrection 6.2 Sceptical 6.3 Dialogues

[edit] Significance

As Paul the Apostle, an early front runner of Christianity, contended, "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless" (1 Cor. 15:14)^[2] The death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in Christian Theology, as they form the point in scripture where Jesus gives his ultimate demonstration that he has power over life and death, thus he has the ability to give people eternal life.^[3] According to the Bible, "God raised him from the dead,"^[4] he ascended to heaven, to the "right hand of God,"^[5] and will return again^[6] to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and establishment of the Kingdom of God, see also Messianism and Messianic Age.^[7]

The following passage is Paul the Apostle's apologetic (defense) of the resurrection of Christ:

If it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep

– 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (NRSV)

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Most Christians accept the New Testament story as a historical account of some kind of resurrection, which is central to their faith. Some modern scholars use the belief of Jesus' followers in the resurrection as a point of departure for establishing the continuity of the historical Jesus and the proclamation of the early church.^[8] Some liberal Christians do not accept a literal bodily resurrection,^[9] seeing the story as richly symbolic and spiritually nourishing myth. Also, a group known as the Gnostics argued against its singular importance, as they had differing views as to how the passages should be interpreted, many believing Jesus was never a human and so could not have died (see: Docetism).

Most non-Christians do not accept the bodily resurrection of Jesus, considering it a myth without historical precedent.^{[citation needed]}. Carl Jung suggests that the crucifixion-resurrection story was the forceful spiritual symbol of, literally, God-as-Yahweh becoming God-as-Job.^[10]

[edit] Records

[edit] Early Creeds

The earliest written records of the death and resurrection of Jesus are the letters of Paul, which were written at least two decades after the death of Jesus. ^[11][12][13] Some scholars suppose that these contain early Christian creeds and creedal hymns, which were included in several of the New Testament texts and that some of these creeds date to within a few years of Jesus' death and were developed within the Christian community in Jerusalem.^[14] Though embedded within the texts of the New Testament, these creeds are a distinct source for early Christianity.

• 1 Cor. 15:3-4 reads: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." This contains a Christian creed of pre-Pauline origin.^[15] The antiquity of the creed has been located by many biblical scholars to less than a decade after Jesus' death, originating from the Jerusalem apostolic community.^[16] Concerning this creed, Campenhausen wrote, "This account meets all the demands of historical reliability that could possibly be made of such a text,"^[17] whilst A. M. Hunter said, "The passage therefore preserves uniquely early and verifiable testimony. It meets every reasonable demand of historical reliability."^[18]
• Romans 1:3–4: "...concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord;"^[19]
• 2 Tim. 2:8: "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, this is my Gospel."^[20]

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[edit] Gospel narratives

According to the Gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.^[21] The Gospel of Matthew states that an angel appeared near the tomb of Jesus and announced his resurrection to Mary Magdelene and "another Mary" who had arrived to anoint the body (Matthew 28:1-10). According to Luke there were two angels (Luke 24:4), and according to Mark there was a youth dressed in white (Mark 16:5). In the last section of Mark(Mark 16:9-20), which is considered a later addition by most biblical scholars(see Mark 16), it states that on the morning of his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). John states that when Mary looked into the tomb, two angels asked her why she was crying; and as she turned round she initially failed to recognize Jesus until he spoke her name (John 20:11-18).

The Acts of the Apostles state that Jesus appeared to various people in various places over the next forty days. Hours after his resurrection, he appeared to two travelers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). To his assembled disciples he showed himself on the evening after his resurrection (John 20:19). Although his own ministry had been specifically to Jews, Jesus is said to have sent his apostles to the Gentiles with the Great Commission and ascended to heaven while a cloud concealed him from their sight. According to Acts, Paul of Tarsus also saw Jesus during his Road to Damascus experience. Jesus promised to come again to fulfill the remainder of Messianic prophecy.^[22]

[edit] Apostolic fathers

The Apostolic Fathers, likewise, discussed the death and resurrection of Jesus, including Ignatius (50−115),^[23] Polycarp (69−155), and Justin Martyr (100−165).

[edit] Non-Christian

Flavius Josephus (c. 37–c. 100), a Jew and Roman citizen who worked under the patronage of the Flavians, wrote the Antiquities of the Jews c. 93, which contains a passage known as the Testimonium Flavianum that mentions the death and resurrection of Jesus: "When Pilate, upon the accusation of the first men amongst us, condemned [Jesus] to be crucified, those who had formerly loved him did not cease [to follow him], for he appeared to them on the third day, living again, as the divine prophets foretold, along with a myriad of other marvelous things concerning him."^[24] It is widely held by scholars that at least part of the Testimonium Flavianum is an interpolation, since Josephus was not a Christian and characterized his patron Emperor Vespasian as the foretold Messiah. However, a few scholars have argued for the authenticity of the entire passage.^[25] (See also Josephus on Jesus.)

[edit] Critical analysis

Historians use the historical method to study ancient history. In this process, the accounts of the witnesses are analyzed for their reliability, plausibility, and motive. Defending the historicity of the Biblical narrative, including that of the resurrection, is within the field of study known as Christian apologetics, and applying the historical method to the Bible (which may or may not conflict with defending historicity) is a field of study known as Biblical criticism.^[26]

[edit] Prior events

Hundreds of years before the time of Jesus, Jewish prophets promised that a messiah would come. Apologists claim that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, which they claim are nearly impossible to fulfill by chance.^[27] Judaism claims that Jesus did not fulfill these prophecies (see Jewish Messiah). Other skeptics usually claim that the prophecies are either vague or unfulfilled.^[28] Most Christians anticipate the Second Coming of Jesus, when he will fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy, such as the Last Judgement, the general resurrection, establishment of the Kingdom of God, and the Messianic Age. See the article on Preterism for contrasting views.

[edit] Entombment

All four Gospels state that, on the evening of the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus, and that, after Pilate granted his request, he wrapped Jesus' body in a linen cloth and laid it in a tomb.^[29] This was in accordance with Mosaic Law, which stated that a person hanged on a tree must not be allowed to remain there at night, but should be buried before sundown.^[30] In Matthew, Joseph was identified as "also a disciple of Jesus;" in Mark he was identified as "a respected member of the council (Sanhedrin) who was also himself looking for the Kingdom of God;" in Luke he was identified as "a member of the council, good and righteous, who did not consent to their purpose or deed, and who was looking for the Kingdom of God'" and in John he was identified as "a disciple of Jesus." Mark stated that, when Joseph asked for Jesus' body, Pilate was shocked that Jesus was already dead, and he summoned a centurion to confirm this before dispatching the body to Joseph. John recorded that Joseph was assisted in the burial process by Nicodemus, who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes and included these spices in the burial cloth as per Jewish customs.

The synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) described the burial as occurring on the "Day of Preparation," with Mark providing the explanation of this as the day before the Sabbath. The synoptics described the tomb as "hewn out of the rock," i.e., a sepulture, with Matthew, Luke, and John stating that it was new (i.e., no one else had been buried there before), and with Matthew stating that the tomb belonged to Joseph. John stated that the tomb was located in a garden near the site of the crucifixion.

The synoptics stated that women saw where Jesus was buried; Matthew named "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary," Mark named "Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses," and Luke simply gave "the women who had come with him from Galilee." Matthew gave an account of the chief priests and Pharisees requesting that Pilate secure the tomb, lest Jesus' disciples should steal the body and proclaim Jesus to be risen from the dead, whereupon Pilate said, "you have a guard of soldiers, go, make it as secure as you can"—after which they secured the sepulture by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

W. L. Craig argued that the guard placed at the tomb was a Jewish guard, and that Pilate's words to the chief priests and Pharisees recorded in Matthew, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you can," were all rebuff. In support, he observed that Roman guards would have been subject to execution if they slept during watch, and that the Jewish authorities probably could not have provided protection for Roman guards from Pilate, like they could have if the guard was Jewish; thus, he wrote, "if one were to give the story the benefit of the doubt, one would assume the guards were Jewish."^[31]

[edit] Resurrection of Jesus

For more details on this topic, see Empty Tomb.

The resurrection of Jesus is foundational to New Testament faith. The act of Jesus rising to life from a state of death is not narrated at all in scripture. Rather, the first sign of the resurrection of Jesus is simply the tomb being found empty by the women – which has been called the most significant affirmation of women in the New Testament.^[32]

Some skeptics claim that the corpse of Jesus was either reburied or stolen. However, no non-Christian sources written at the time specifically mention the death or resurrection of Jesus.

The Gospel accounts of the resurrection have been the subject of contemporary scholarship using tools of historical and literary analysis. Issues of those accounts include:

• comparisons with other New Testament accounts of restored life
• differences in the resurrection narratives
• the antiquity and continuity of memories on which the accounts rely
• the reality of the resurrection.^[33]

[edit] Tomb discovery

Although no single Gospel gives an inclusive or definitive account of the resurrection of Jesus or his appearances, there are four points at which all four Gospels converge:^[34] (1) the linking of the empty tomb tradition and the visit of the women on "the first day of the week;" (2) that the risen Jesus chose first to appear to women (or a woman) and to commission them (her) to proclaim this most important fact to the disciples, including Peter and the other apostles; (3) prominence of Mary Magdalene; (4) attention to the stone that had closed the tomb ^[32][35] Variants have to do with the precise time the women visited the tomb, the number and identity of the women; the purpose of their visit; the appearance of the messenger(s) – angelic or human; their message to the women; and the response of the women.^[32]

Although these four accounts are difficult to reconcile into a single sequence of events, the differences should neither be under- nor over-emphasized. Well-researched findings in both psychology and law demonstrate that even honest eyewitnesses asked retrospectively to describe an event can give differing accounts of some details.^[36]

[edit] Women

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All four Gospels report that women were the ones to find the tomb of Jesus empty. According to Mark and Luke, the announcement of Jesus' resurrection was first made to women. According to Matthew and John, Jesus actually appeared first to women (in John to Mary Magdalene alone).^[32]

In the Gospels, especially the synoptics, women play a central role as eyewitness at Jesus' death, entombment, and in the discovery of the empty tomb. All three synoptics repeatedly make women the subject of verbs of seeing,^[37] clearly presenting them as eyewitnesses.^[38]

The presence of women as the key witnesses who discover the empty tomb has been seen as increasing the credibility of the testimony, since, in the contemporary culture (Jewish and Greco-Roman), one would expect a fabrication to place men, and especially numerous and important men, at this critical place, rather than just "some grieving women."^[39] C. H. Dodd considered the narrative in John to be "self-authenticating" since no one would make up the notion that Jesus had appeared to the "little known woman" Mary Magdalene.^[40] However, some passages in the Mishnah (Yebamoth 16:7; Ketubot 2:5; Eduyot 3:6) indicate that women could give testimony if there was no male witness available. In addition, Josephus^[41] and Pliny the Younger^[42] have used women as witnesses to their claims.

All three synoptics name two or three women on each occasion in the passion-resurrection narratives where they are cited as eyewitnesses: the Torah's required two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15) in a statute that had exerted influence beyond legal courts and into situations in everyday life where accurate evidence was needed.^[43] Among the named women (and some are left anonymous), Mary Magdalene is present in all four Gospel accounts, and Mary the mother of James is present in all three synoptics; however, variations exist in the lists of each Gospel concerning the women present at the death, entombment, and discovery. For example, Mark names three women at the cross and the same three who go to the tomb, but only two are observed to be witnesses at the burial. Based on this, and similar examples in Matthew and Luke, Richard Bauckham argued that the evangelists showed "scrupulous care" and "were careful to name precisely the women who were known to them as witnesses to these crucial events" since there would be no other reason, besides interest in historical accuracy, not to simply use the same set of characters from one scene to another.^[44]

Despite the unanimity of the Gospels that Jesus appeared first to women after his resurrection, Paul does not mention the women being the first witnesses to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–7). It can only be surmised that the most likely reason was that Paul, along with the rest of the church, stressed only the appearances to men as the "official" witness of the early church. The witness of a woman was not recognized in Jewish courts of the time. "Whereas others found woman not qualified or authorized to teach, the four Gospels have it that the risen Christ commissioned women to teach men, including Peter and the other apostles, the resurrection, foundation of Christianity.^[32]

Mark's account (which in the earliest extant manuscripts) ends abruptly and claims that the women told no one. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark do not present any further involvement at the tomb. Luke describes Peter as running to the tomb to check for himself, and John adds that the Beloved Disciple did so too, the beloved disciple outrunning Peter.^[45]

There is some scriptural variation as to whom the women told and in what order.^[46] Curiously, Mary also addresses Jesus as “Lord.”^[47]

[edit] Men

Luke merely states that after seeing the vacancy of the tomb, Peter was wondering what had happened, John gives a detailed account. (20:2–10)

John describes the beloved disciple only as making a cursory glance at the linen, Peter is described as carefully examining the scene. After making their examination, the Beloved Disciple apparently draws a conclusion. (John 20:8–9)

Once Peter has entered, John describes the Beloved Disciple as entering the tomb whereupon he believed as they knew not about the scripture. What exactly the Beloved Disciple believed, and who exactly they are, and what scripture exactly is being referenced, is not explained. The word used to mean scripture is singular and most of the time this form is used to refer to single quotations. Several passages from the Old Testament have been proposed as likely candidates for this source such as Psalm 16, Hosea 6:2, and Jonah 1:17. Since most of the New Testament was written before the Gospel of John, candidates have also been suggested from these texts. John only indicates that Peter and the Beloved Disciple were present, but it is possible that one or both of the people named Mary may also have been there.

Scholars of textual criticism, however, have in modern times argued that the passage does actually refer to belief in a resurrection, but that the reason it seems odd in light of the surrounding narrative, especially that it isn't mentioned again, is because the reference to him believing is a later addition to the text, a view expounded for example by Schnackenberg. The version of John in the ancient Codex Bezae has the passage reading that he saw and did not believe, which seems a more logically in keeping with the rest of the chapter, and may indicate that most modern texts are derived from an ancient scribal error, much like the typographic error in the Wicked Bible. Bultmann has called John 20:9 a gloss of the ecclesiastical redaction, also arguing that the verse is a later addition, particularly since it references scripture as indicating that Jesus must rise from the dead, which is out of character in John, since John almost always prefers instead to use the wording ascend from the dead.

Luke and John both have the disciple(s) return home, which probably refers to Jerusalem, but possibly also Galilee.^[48]

[edit] Resurrection appearances of Jesus

Main article: Resurrection appearances of Jesus

After the discovery of the empty tomb, the Gospels indicate that Jesus made a series of appearances to the disciples, with the most notable being to the disciples in the upper room, where Thomas did not believe until he was invited to put his finger into the holes in Jesus' hands and side (20:24–29); along the road to Emmaus, where people talked about their failed hopes that Jesus would be the messiah before recognising Jesus (24:13–32); and beside the Sea of Galilee to encourage Peter to serve his followers (21:1–23). His final appearance is reported as being forty days after the resurrection when he ascended into heaven,^[49] where he remains.

Next, there are a few resurrection appearances of Jesus. One of the most widely recalled pre-ascenscion visions of Jesus is the doubting Thomas conversation (John 20:24-29) between Jesus and Thomas the Apostle. After Jesus' death, the apostle stated that he would not believe that Jesus was resurrected until he stuck his fingers in the nail holes in Jesus' hands and spear-hole in his side. Thomas was ordered to do so when he met Jesus, but the Gospel of John does not specify if physical contact actually took place.^[50]

Six months later, on the road to Damascus, a one time rabbi and persecutor of the early church named Paul of Tarsus converted to Christianity. A few years later, Paul became Christianity's foremost missionary, converting hundreds of people, planting dozens of churches throughout Southeastern Europe, and writing letters that would become part of Christian scripture. On one missionary journey, Paul travels to Athens and speaks at the Areopagus, where he claims that over 500 people were witnesses of the resurrected Jesus, many still alive at the time.^[51]

[edit] Authorship of the story

The poor educational level that would be expected of the early disciples of Jesus, according to their descriptions in the New Testament, and the comparatively early timeframe in which they recorded the events, is argued by apologists to reduce their likelihood of being able to devise an elaborate account.^[52] E.P. Sanders, however, contends that the resurrection accounts need not be devised deliberately claiming: "A plot to foster belief in the Resurrection would probably have resulted in a more consistent story. Instead, there seems to have been a competition: 'I saw him,' 'so did I,' 'the women saw him first,' 'no, I did; they didn't see him at all,' and so on. Moreover, some of the witnesses of the Resurrection would give their lives for their belief."^[53]

In Mark's account, the earliest manuscripts of Mark 16 break off abruptly at 16:8, where the men at the empty tomb announce Jesus' resurrection, lacking post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. The modern text of Mark 16:9–20 does not appear in the earliest manuscripts.^[54] Many modern translations of Mark 16 end at Mark 16:8 with for they were afraid, sometimes adding 16:8–20 in italics, or in a foot note; the New Revised Standard Version gives both the "long ending," i.e., 16:8–20, and another variant "short ending" after Mark 16:8.

Those who think Paul was a Gnostic Christian hold the belief that Paul talks of the resurrection as an allegory or that Paul thought that Jesus was never a human.^[55]

[edit] Non-Christian

The Jewish perspective is that the body of Jesus was removed in the same night, see also Stolen body hypothesis.^[56] Apologists see this an acknowledgment that the tomb was empty, with an attempt to explain it away.^[57] The Toledoth Yeshu, however, dates from mediaeval times, and is not an early source. It was a conflation of the Talmud accounts of multiple people named Yeshu.

The Islamic perspective is that Jesus was not crucified, but someone who looked like Jesus died in his place.^[58] This view is also given in the uncanonical Gospel of Barnabas which identifies Judas as the one crucified. The fate of Judas Iscariot recorded in the Bible can be considered contradictory on some details^{[citation needed]}, although both writers state he died an untimely death.(Matthew 27:5, Acts 1:18).

The Ahmadiyya Movement (an Islamic sect that originated during the 19th Century, with a small number of followers but now numbers around 80 million^{[citation needed]}) believes that Jesus survived the crucifixion and traveled to Kashmir, where he died as a prophet under the name of Yuz Asaf (whose grave they identify in Srinagar, India).^[59]

[edit] See also

• Christianity
• Jesus
• Tomb of Jesus:
  • The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ground on which the church stands is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary, where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified
  • The Garden Tomb, discovered in the 19th century, considered the actual site of Jesus' grave by some Christians.
  • Talpiot Tomb, discovered in 1980, subject of the controversial documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus
• Islamic view of Jesus' death
• Faith and rationality
• Responsibility for the death of Jesus

[edit] Footnotes and references

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Pro-Resurrection

Articles:

• Bruce, FF, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, 1985, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press
• Catholic Encyclopedia, The resurrection of Jesus Christ
• David Marshall (Ph.D.). "The Risen Jesus" an essay in Essential Jesus, edited by Bryan Ball and William Johnsson, and published by Pacific Press in 2002.
• Craig, William Lane, Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1985, Truth 1 89–95
• Yamauchi, Edwin, Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History?, 1974, Christianity Today

Books:

• Habermas, Gary, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (College Press: Joplin, MI 1996).
• Habermas, Gary and Licona, Michael, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Kregel Publications, 2004.
• McDowell, Josh, New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Thomas Nelson, Inc, Publishers, 1999
• Strobel, Lee, The Case for Easter, Zondervan Publishing Company, 2004.
• Wenham, John. Easter Enigma: Do the Resurrection Stories Contradict One Another? Cambridge University Press, 1993.
• Wright, N.T., The Resurrection of the Son of God. Fortress Press. 2003 Online excerpt

[edit] Sceptical

Articles:

• Carrier, Richard, Why I Don't Buy the Resurrection Story, 2006 (6th ed.)
• Lowder, Jeffery Jay, The Historicity of Jesus' Resurrection, 1995
• Lowder, Jeffery Jay, Historical Evidence and the Empty Tomb Story: A Reply to William Lane Craig, 2001
• Tobin, Paul, The Pagan Origins of the Resurrection Myth, 2000
• Price, Robert M., By This Time He Stinketh: The Attempts of William Lane Craig to Exhume Jesus. 1997.
• Rethinking the resurrection.(of Jesus Christ)(Cover Story) Newsweek, April 8th 1996, Woodward, Kenneth L.

Books:

• Robert M. Price and Jeffery Jay Lowder, The Empty Tomb: Jesus Beyond the Grave (ISBN 1–59102–286-X), 2005
• Paine, Thomas, The Age of Reason, 1795
• Spong, John Shelby, Resurrection: Myth or Reality? , 1995

[edit] Dialogues

• Craig, William Lane, Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment?: A Debate Between William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludemann
• Stewart, Robert B. The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan And N.T. Wright in Dialogue, 2006
• Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?: A Debate between William Lane Craig and Bart D. Ehrman (transript)

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