For almost two millennia, the story of Jesus has shaped the lives of countless people. Yet today, even though the majority of us grew up in a culture suffused by the mythos of Jesus, many of us feel disconnected from the essence of his teachings. With Resurrecting Jesus, Adyashanti invites us to rediscover the life and words of Jesus as a direct path to the most radical of transformations: spiritual awakening. Paul's views of a bodily resurrection went against the thoughts of the Greek philosophers to whom a bodily resurrection meant a new imprisonment in a corporeal body, which was what they wanted to avoid – given that, for them, the corporeal and the material fettered the spirit. [137] Jesus is described as the " firstborn from the dead", prōtotokos, the first to be raised from the dead, thereby acquiring the "special status of the firstborn as the preeminent son and heir". [1] [web 2] His resurrection is also the guarantee that all the Christian dead will be resurrected at Christ's parousia. [4] Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go, tell my brothers that they should go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” The Guards’ Report See also: Gospel harmony, Passion of Jesus, Burial of Jesus, Empty tomb, and Myrrhbearers Germain Pilon (French, d. 1590), Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Marble, before 1572

Although the Resurrection was an historical event that could be verified by the sign of the empty tomb and by the reality of the apostles' encounters with the risen Christ, still it remains at the very heart of the mystery of faith as something that transcends and surpasses history. [152] [153] The belief that Jesus did not really die on the cross but only appeared to do so is found in a wide variety of early texts, and probably has its historical roots in the earliest stages of Christianity. [117] According to Israeli religion scholar Gedaliahu Stroumsa, this idea came first, and later, docetism broadened to include Jesus was a spirit without flesh. [118] It is probable these were present in the first century, as it is against such doctrines that the author of 1 and 2 John seems to argue. [118] Two disciples walk with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, unaware who he is. Illustration by William Hole 1846-1917. Culture Club / Getty Images Jesus told his disciples and tells us today: I am the resurrection and the life. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.The Apostle Paul taught that the resurrection is the glorious centerpiece to all the banqueting table of redemptive history. The resurrection is of necessity the gravitational force of divine Truth that holds eternity-past and eternity-future together as one single plan of God. How important is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah? Furthermore, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). He claimed to be the resurrection Himself; He has absolute authority over life and death (Revelation 1:18). Jesus is God. He could say He would raise up His body on the third day because He, being God, has power over death. Early on, the stories about the empty tomb were met with skepticism. The Gospel of Matthew already mentions stories that the body was stolen from the grave. [114] Other suggestions, not supported in mainstream scholarship, are that Jesus had not really died on the cross, was lost due to natural causes, [115] or was replaced by an impostor. [116]

The New Testament writings contend that the resurrection was "the beginning of His exalted life" [171] [note 19] as Christ and Lord. [173] [web 2] Jesus is the " firstborn of the dead", prōtotokos, the first to be raised from the dead, thereby acquiring the "special status of the firstborn as the preeminent son and heir". [1] [web 2] According to Beale For orthodox Christians, including some scholars, the resurrection is taken to have been a concrete, material resurrection of a transformed body. [154] [web 3] [note 13] Craig L. Blomberg argues there are sufficient arguments for the historicity of the resurrection. [156] People around the world need to hear and know that the message of Easter is all about the resurrection hope that anyone can experience in Jesus. Easter is not about cute bunnies. Easter is not about chocolate. Easter is about experiencing resurrection hope. Easter is prophecy fulfilled. Easter is the power of God’s love revealed. In Matthew, Luke and John, the resurrection announcement is followed by appearances of Jesus first to Mary Magdalene and then to other followers. The Gospel of Matthew describes a single appearance in Galilee, Luke describes several appearances in Jerusalem, and John mentions appearances in both Jerusalem and Galilee. At some point, these appearances ceased in the early Christian community, as reflected in the Gospel narratives: the "Acts of the Apostles" says that "for forty days he had continued to appear to them". [56] The Gospel of Luke describes Jesus ascending to heaven at a location near Bethany. [57]

Terms of Use

Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. [my emphasis]” ( Acts 2:30-32 ESV). The Word of God guarantees the believer’s resurrection at the coming of Jesus Christ for His church at the rapture. Such assurance results in a great song of triumph as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (cf. Hosea 13:14). But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” ( 1 Corinthians 15:13-17 ESV). See also: Overview of resurrection appearances in the Gospels and Paul (table) Resurrection of Christ, Noël Coypel, 1700, using a hovering depiction of Jesus Scholars differ on the historicity of the empty tomb story and the relation between the burial stories and the postmortem appearances. Scholars also differ on whether Jesus received a decent burial. Points of contention are (1) whether Jesus's body was taken off the cross before sunset or left on the cross to decay, (2) whether his body was taken off the cross and buried specifically by Joseph of Arimathea, or by the Sanhedrin or a group of Jews in general, and (3) whether he was entombed (and if so, what kind of tomb) or buried in a common grave.

According to Dunn, the appearances to the disciples have "a sense of obligation to make the vision known." [218] Helmut Koester states that the stories of the resurrection were originally epiphanies in which the disciples were called to a ministry by the risen Jesus, and were later used as evidence of the event. He contends that the more detailed accounts of the resurrection are also later and do not come from historically trustworthy sources, but instead belong to the genre of the narrative types. [6] The dream of spiritual restoration and spiritual healing is possible. The dream of physical, relational, emotional healing is possible. All things are possible. Eternal life with Christ in glory is possible. No longer does a person need to be burdened down with guilt and sin. No longer hopeless regarding the curse of sin and death. The hope of forgiveness of sin is possible in Jesus’ name.It is early in the morning. It has been three days from the time Jesus was crucified, died, and laid in a tomb. Mary heads to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. There wasn’t time to anoint the body when Jesus was first placed in the tomb. When Mary arrived, she found the tomb empty and open. The stone had been rolled away. Mary feared that someone had taken Jesus’ body. Fear must have gripped her heart. In Judaism, the idea of resurrection first emerges in the 2nd century BC Book of Daniel as a belief in the resurrection of the soul alone, which was then developed by the Pharisees as a belief in bodily resurrection, an idea completely alien to the Greeks. [68] Josephus tells of the three main Jewish sects of the 1st century AD, that the Sadducees held that both soul and body perished at death; the Essenes that the soul was immortal but the flesh was not; and the Pharisees that the soul was immortal and that the body would be resurrected to house it. [69] Of these three positions, Jesus and the early Christians appear to have been closest to that of the Pharisees. [70] Steve Mason notes that for the Pharisees, "the new body is a special, holy body", which is different from the old body, "a view shared to some extent by the ex-Pharisee Paul (1. Cor. 15:35ff)". [71] In Acts 2:24, Peter says that “God raised [Jesus] from the dead.” So that’s the basic answer. God resurrected Jesus. As we read more Scripture, that basic answer becomes more nuanced. remains a helpful generalization for introducing students to twentieth-century NT study... This is a well-written and enterprising volume... this is a book that warrants attention and is a worthy companion to N.T. Wright's Resurrection of the Son of God."- Michael F. Bird, June 2006/ Vol. 49 no.2