Program / Course 9: Christology and Pneumatology / Lesson 5.5
What you will learn
- State what the church confesses about the resurrection of Christ and cite the earliest New Testament evidence.
- Describe the main positions on what kind of event the resurrection was.
- Explain what the ascension adds and the New Testament texts that describe it.
- Separate what the churches hold in common from what is debated.
The big idea
Christian faith holds that Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead on the third day, in a body that was real and transformed, and that he later ascended and sits at the right hand of the Father. The earliest written evidence is a creed-like summary that Paul received and passed on (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The churches agree on the core. They differ in how they speak of the nature of the risen body and of heaven, and historians and philosophers disagree about how the event can be assessed. The ascension is the exaltation of the risen Christ and the beginning of his rule and intercession.
Key terms
- Resurrection
- In the Christian creeds, the rising of Jesus from death on the third day to new, transformed bodily life. It is distinct from the return of a dead person to ordinary life, as with Lazarus.
- Ascension
- The departure of the risen Jesus into heaven, described in Luke 24 and Acts 1, and confessed in the creed.
- Session
- From the Latin for sitting. The teaching that Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, as a sign of his rule and honor.
- Firstfruits
- The first part of a harvest. Paul calls Christ the firstfruits of those who have died (1 Corinthians 15:20), meaning the pledge of the general resurrection.
- Empty tomb
- The Gospel tradition that the tomb of Jesus was found empty on the first day of the week.
- Intercession
- Prayer on behalf of others. Hebrews 7:25 says Christ lives always to make intercession for those who draw near to God.
- Spiritual body
- Paul’s phrase in 1 Corinthians 15:44 for the form of the risen body. It does not mean immaterial, but a body animated and transformed by the Spirit.
Background
The resurrection is the center of Christian preaching in the New Testament. Paul writes that if Christ has not been raised, the faith is vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). The Gospels end with it, and Acts begins with its proclamation. For this reason the resurrection is addressed here under the work of Christ, not as an appendix.
The topic is also the subject of intense historical, philosophical and theological debate. This lesson sets out what the churches teach and describes the main ways in which scholars and traditions read the evidence, without trying to settle the historical question for the student.
Step-by-step explanation
Step 1: The earliest evidence
The earliest written statement is in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, written about the middle of the first century. Paul says he passed on what he had received: that Christ died for sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, then to more than five hundred, then to James, then to all the apostles, and last to Paul himself. Most scholars think this tradition dates from within a few years of the crucifixion.
The four Gospels, written later, add narratives of the empty tomb and appearances. They differ in details, such as who went to the tomb and where Jesus appeared, which has long been discussed. Harmonizing the accounts is an old task, and many scholars point to the agreement on the core: the tomb found empty, women as first witnesses, and appearances to the disciples.
Step 2: What kind of event?
The traditional teaching is that Jesus was raised bodily, in a body that was the same body and also transformed. The Gospels show him eating (Luke 24:42-43) and inviting Thomas to touch his wounds (John 20:27), and also passing through locked doors and not being recognized at first. Paul calls it a spiritual body, not a ghost.
Other views exist. Rudolf Bultmann held that the resurrection is the rise of faith in the disciples, not an event that historians can verify. Some scholars hold that the appearances were visions. N. T. Wright and Wolfhart Pannenberg, among others, argue that the best historical explanation of the origin of Christianity is that Jesus was raised bodily. Skeptical historians offer other explanations. The debate continues.
Step 3: What the resurrection means
The New Testament links the resurrection to several meanings. It vindicates Jesus and shows his claims to be true (Romans 1:4). It is the start of the new creation, since Christ is the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20). It is bound to justification: he “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). It is the ground of hope for the resurrection of the dead.
Different atonement models give it different roles. In the victory model the resurrection completes the defeat of death. In the satisfaction model it shows that the sacrifice is accepted. In the Eastern view, the cross and resurrection are one saving act. Most traditions insist that the resurrection is not an afterthought to the cross.
Step 4: The ascension
Luke tells of the ascension twice: at the end of his Gospel (Luke 24:50-51) and at the beginning of Acts, where Jesus is taken up while the disciples watch and two men say he will return in the same way (Acts 1:9-11). Other texts speak of his exaltation: he is at God’s right hand (Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3), and he has passed through the heavens as a high priest (Hebrews 4:14).
The ascension marks the end of the appearances and the start of his reign and intercession. John 16:7 has Jesus saying that it is to the disciples’ advantage that he goes, so that the Spirit may come. The feast of the Ascension is kept forty days after Easter, following Acts 1:3. The creed confesses that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.
Step 5: Questions that remain
Where is the body of the risen Christ? Catholic and Orthodox teaching holds that he is in heaven and sacramentally present in the Eucharist. Lutherans hold that his human nature shares in divine presence and is truly present in the Supper. Reformed Christians hold that his body is in heaven and that he is present by the Spirit. This relates to the discussion of the communication of properties.
What is heaven? Interpreters differ on whether the ascension describes a spatial movement or a symbolic image of exaltation. Many say that heaven is God’s dimension of reality, not a place in the sky, and that the ascension language uses the cosmology of the time. Others insist that the bodily departure is the main point. The churches agree that Christ is now glorified and reigns.
- Why do many scholars give weight to the date of the tradition in 1 Corinthians 15?
- What differences in the Gospel accounts of the resurrection do you notice on reading them side by side?
- What does it mean to call a body spiritual and yet still a body?
- How does the resurrection relate to forgiveness, according to Romans 4:25?
- What does the ascension add to the resurrection?
- How would you describe the difference between a resuscitation and a resurrection?
Examples
The Easter greeting
In Orthodox churches the greeting at Easter is Christ is risen, and the reply is Indeed he is risen. The exchange continues for forty days, up to the Ascension. It expresses the confession in a few words.
Thomas’s touch
John 20 tells of Thomas who will not believe unless he sees and touches the wounds. Jesus invites him to do so, and Thomas confesses faith. The story is used to teach that the risen body is the body that was crucified.
A constructed seminar
A student is asked to explain why the resurrection is not the same as the revival of Lazarus. She says that Lazarus died again, while Jesus rose to a life beyond death. The teacher notes that the New Testament’s distinction is exactly this. (A constructed example.)
Different perspectives
Catholic
Catholic teaching holds that the resurrection is a real, bodily and transcendent event, the foundation of faith. The Catechism teaches that Christ’s body is glorified and that he ascended in his humanity to the Father. It treats both as historical and beyond history.
Orthodox
The Orthodox Church places the resurrection at the center of its worship, and holds that Christ’s resurrection destroys death and opens the way to the resurrection of all. The ascension is celebrated as the elevation of human nature to the right hand of God.
Protestant
The Protestant churches affirm the bodily resurrection and ascension in their confessions. Lutherans and Reformed differ on the presence of his body, and some modern Protestant theologians, such as Bultmann, reinterpret the resurrection as an event of faith, a view evangelicals largely reject.
Jewish and Muslim perspectives
Jewish tradition holds that the resurrection of the dead belongs to the end of time, and does not accept that Jesus rose. Islam teaches that Jesus was raised to God but does not accept that he was crucified and died in the Christian sense; Muslim interpreters read the relevant Qur’anic verses in different ways.
Historians and philosophers
Historians differ over whether a historical method can assess a claim about a miracle. Some argue that the evidence supports the resurrection as the best explanation, and others that it can only establish that the disciples believed it. The question remains open to debate.
Why it matters
The resurrection is the event on which Paul says the whole faith stands. Learning what the churches affirm and what is debated lets the student read the evidence and objections with care, and see how the resurrection and ascension complete the account of the work of Christ.
Common misunderstandings
Misunderstanding: The resurrection means that the spirit of Jesus lived on.
Correction: Christian teaching has always affirmed that he rose bodily. The idea of immortality of the soul is a different claim, which Christians also hold in some form, but it is not what the resurrection means.
Misunderstanding: The Gospel accounts agree in every detail, or else they are worthless.
Correction: They differ on details while agreeing on core points. Historians commonly expect such variation in independent accounts. The question is what the pattern shows.
Misunderstanding: The ascension means Jesus is far away.
Correction: In the New Testament it means his exaltation and rule, and in John he promises to be with his followers by the Spirit. The churches differ on how he is present, but all deny that he is simply absent.
Knowledge check
What is the earliest written evidence for the resurrection?
It is 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, in which Paul passes on what he received: Christ died for sins, was buried, was raised on the third day and appeared to Cephas, the Twelve, more than five hundred, James, all the apostles and finally Paul. Scholars think the tradition goes back to within a few years of the crucifixion.
What are the main views of the nature of the resurrection?
The traditional view is that Jesus was raised bodily in a transformed body. Bultmann and others hold that it is the rise of faith, not a verifiable event. Some hold the appearances were visions. Wright and Pannenberg argue for a bodily resurrection on historical grounds. Skeptics offer alternative explanations.
What does the ascension teach?
It teaches that the risen Jesus was exalted to the right hand of the Father, where he reigns and intercedes. Luke 24 and Acts 1 describe the departure, and Ephesians and Hebrews describe the exaltation. It marks the end of the appearances and the coming of the Spirit.
How do traditions differ on the presence of Christ’s body?
Catholic and Orthodox churches hold that he is in heaven and sacramentally present in the Eucharist. Lutherans teach that his human nature is truly present in the Supper through its sharing in divine presence. Reformed Christians hold that his body is in heaven and that he is present by the Spirit.
Think it through
- What would count as evidence for or against the resurrection for you, and why?
- How does the resurrection change your understanding of the cross?
- What do you make of the differences between the Gospel accounts?
- Why might the church have kept a feast of the Ascension separate from Easter?
Independent assignment
Reading the evidence
In your own notebook, write 500 to 700 words. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-20 and the resurrection chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. List what they agree on and where they differ. Then write a paragraph on the strongest argument for a bodily resurrection and one on the strongest alternative. Do not send this to anyone.
Further study
- N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God Read the introduction and conclusion first, then selected chapters.
- Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church Read the paragraphs on the resurrection and the ascension.
- Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation of the Word Read the chapters on the resurrection as the defeat of death.
- Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses Read selectively on eyewitness testimony in the Gospels.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 Christ died for sins and was raised.
- Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet.
- Acts 1:9 He was taken up.
- Hebrews 7:25 He ever liveth to make intercession.