Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead stands at the center of the Christian proclamation. The New Testament does not present it merely as a symbol of continuing hope, but as an event that followed Jesus' death and burial and was proclaimed by those who said that they saw Him alive afterward.

Paul summarized the message he had received and passed on to the Corinthians: Christ died for sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and appeared to witnesses. He then named Cephas, the Twelve, more than five hundred believers, James, the apostles, and finally himself. ( 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 )

Why Does the Resurrection Matter?

The earliest Christian preaching treated the resurrection as inseparable from the identity and saving work of Jesus. Paul argued that if Christ had not been raised, Christian preaching and faith would be empty. Conversely, because Christ was raised, Christians possess a hope that reaches beyond death. ( 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 )

The Gospel accounts approach Easter morning from different viewpoints and preserve different details. Together they describe Jesus' burial, the discovery of the empty tomb, the announcement that He had risen, and a series of appearances to His followers. The book of Acts continues the story through the period before the Ascension.

Key Scripture Accounts

Matthew 28 | Mark 16

Luke 24 | John 20 | John 21

Acts 1:1-11 | 1 Corinthians 15

A Subject Worth Examining Carefully

A comprehensive consideration of the resurrection involves several related questions. What do the individual Gospel accounts report? Can their sequence of events be placed into a reasonable chronology? To whom was Jesus said to have appeared? What historical evidence supports the earliest Christian proclamation? What alternative explanations have been proposed, and how well do they account for the evidence? Finally, what did the resurrection mean to the earliest Christians, and what does it mean within Christian theology?

The pages in this presentation examine those questions separately so that each subject can receive proper treatment.

Explore the links at the right (or below on a smaller screen) to move through the Resurrection presentation.