Reference: Resurrection of Christ
Easton
one of the cardinal facts and doctrines of the gospel. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain (1Co 15:14). The whole of the New Testament revelation rests on this as an historical fact. On the day of Pentecost Peter argued the necessity of Christ's resurrection from the prediction in Ps 16 (Ac 2:24-28). In his own discourses, also, our Lord clearly intimates his resurrection (Mt 20:19; Mr 9:9; 14:28; Lu 18:33; Joh 2:19-22).
The evangelists give circumstantial accounts of the facts connected with that event, and the apostles, also, in their public teaching largely insist upon it. Ten different appearances of our risen Lord are recorded in the New Testament. They may be arranged as follows:
(1.) To Mary Magdalene at the sepulchre alone. This is recorded at length only by John (Joh 20:11-18), and alluded to by Mark (Mr 16:9-11).
(2.) To certain women, "the other Mary," Salome, Joanna, and others, as they returned from the sepulchre. Matthew (Mt 28:1-10) alone gives an account of this. (Comp. Mr 16:1-8; Lu 24:1-11.)
(3.) To Simon Peter alone on the day of the resurrection. (See Lu 24:34; 1Co 15:5.)
(4.) To the two disciples on the way to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection, recorded fully only by Luke (Lu 24:13-35. Comp. Mr 16:12-13).
(5.) To the ten disciples (Thomas being absent) and others "with them," at Jerusalem on the evening of the resurrection day. One of the evangelists gives an account of this appearance, John (Joh 20:19-24).
(6.) To the disciples again (Thomas being present) at Jerusalem (Mr 16:14-18; Lu 24:33-40; Joh 20:26-28. See also 1Co 15:5).
(7.) To the disciples when fishing at the Sea of Galilee. Of this appearance also John (Joh 21:1-23) alone gives an account.
(8.) To the eleven, and above 500 brethren at once, at an appointed place in Galilee (1Co 15:6; comp. Mt 28:16-20).
(9.) To James, but under what circumstances we are not informed (1Co 15:7).
(10.) To the apostles immediately before the ascension. They accompanied him from Jerusalem to Mount Olivet, and there they saw him ascend "till a cloud received him out of their sight" (Mr 16:19; Lu 24:50-52; Ac 1:4-10).
It is worthy of note that it is distinctly related that on most of these occasions our Lord afforded his disciples the amplest opportunity of testing the fact of his resurrection. He conversed with them face to face. They touched him (Mt 28:9; Lu 24:39; Joh 20:27), and he ate bread with them (Lu 24:42-43; Joh 21:12-13).
(11.) In addition to the above, mention might be made of Christ's manifestation of himself to Paul at Damascus, who speaks of it as an appearance of the risen Saviour (Ac 9:3-9,17; 1Co 15:8; 9:1).
It is implied in the words of Luke (Ac 1:3) that there may have been other appearances of which we have no record.
The resurrection is spoken of as the act (1) of God the Father (Ps 16:10; Ac 2:24; 3:15; Ro 8:11; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; Heb 13:20); (2) of Christ himself (Joh 2:19; 10:18); and (3) of the Holy Spirit (1Pe 3:18).
The resurrection is a public testimony of Christ's release from his undertaking as surety, and an evidence of the Father's acceptance of his work of redemption. It is a victory over death and the grave for all his followers.
The importance of Christ's resurrection will be seen when we consider that if he rose the gospel is true, and if he rose not it is false. His resurrection from the dead makes it manifest that his sacrifice was accepted. Our justification was secured by his obedience to the death, and therefore he was raised from the dead (Ro 4:25). His resurrection is a proof that he made a full atonement for our sins, that his sacrifice was accepted as a satisfaction to divine justice, and his blood a ransom for sinners. It is also a pledge and an earnest of the resurrection of all believers (Ro 8:11; 1Co 6:14; 15:47-49; Php 3:21; 1Jo 3:2). As he lives, they shall live also.
It proved him to be the Son of God, inasmuch as it authenticated all his claims (Joh 2:19; 10:17). "If Christ did not rise, the whole scheme of redemption is a failure, and all the predictions and anticipations of its glorious results for time and for eternity, for men and for angels of every rank and order, are proved to be chimeras. 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.' Therefore the Bible is true from Genesis to Revelation. The kingdom of darkness has been overthrown, Satan has fallen as lightning from heaven, and the triumph of truth over error, of good over evil, of happiness over misery is for ever secured." Hodge.
With reference to the report which the Roman soldiers were bribed (Mt 28:12-14) to circulate concerning Christ's resurrection, "his disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept," Matthew Henry in his "Commentary," under John 20:1-10, fittingly remarks, "The grave-clothes in which Christ had been buried were found in very good order, which serves for an evidence that his body was not 'stolen away while men slept.' Robbers of tombs have been known to take away 'the clothes' and leave the body; but none ever took away 'the body' and left the clothes, especially when they were 'fine linen' and new (Mr 15:46). Any one would rather choose to carry a dead body in its clothes than naked. Or if they that were supposed to have stolen it would have left the grave-clothes behind, yet it cannot be supposed they would find leisure to 'fold up the linen.'"
See Verses Found in Dictionary
and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified; then on the third day he will be raised."
At the close of the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. But a great earthquake took place; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and went and rolled away the boulder and sat on it. read more. His appearance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. For fear of him the sentries shook and became like dead men; but the angel addressed the women, saying, "Have no fear; I know you are looking for the crucified Jesus. He is not here, he has risen, as he told you he would. See, here is the place where he [the Lord] lay. Now be quick and go to his disciples, tell them he has risen from the dead and that 'he precedes you to Galilee; you shall see him there.' That is my message for you." Then they ran quickly from the tomb in fear and great joy, to announce the news to his disciples. And Jesus himself met them, saying, "Hail!" So they went up to him and caught hold of his feet and worshipped him;
And Jesus himself met them, saying, "Hail!" So they went up to him and caught hold of his feet and worshipped him; then Jesus said to them, "Have no fear! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee; they shall see me there."
who, after meeting and conferring with the elders, gave a considerable sum of money to the soldiers and told them to say that "his disciples came at night and stole him when we were asleep." read more. "If this comes to the ears of the governor," they added, "we will satisfy him and see that you have no trouble about the matter."
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the hill where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they worshipped him, though some were in doubt. read more. Then Jesus came forward to them and said, "Full authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth; go and make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy Spirit, and teach them to obey all the commands I have laid on you. And I will be with you all the time, to the very end of the world."
As they went down the hill, he forbade them to tell anyone what they had seen, till such time as the Son of man rose from the dead.
He, after buying a linen sheet, took him down and swathed him in the linen, laying him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock and rolling a boulder up against the opening of the tomb.
And when the sabbath had passed Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some spices in order to go and anoint him; and very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, after sunrise. read more. They said to themselves, "Who will roll away the boulder for us at the opening of the tomb?" (for it was a very large boulder). But when they looked they saw the boulder had been rolled to one side, and on entering the tomb they saw a youth sitting on the right dressed in a white robe. They were bewildered, but he said to them, "Do not be bewildered. You are looking for Jesus of Nazaret, who was crucified? He has risen, he is not here. That is the place where he was laid. Go you and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He precedes you to Galilee; you shall see him there, as he told you.'" And they fled out of the tomb, for they were seized with terror and beside themselves. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid of ??. (a) Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala out of whom he had cast seven daemons. She went and reported it to those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept; but although they heard he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking on their way to the country. They too went and reported it to the rest, but they would not believe them either. Afterwards he appeared at table to the eleven themselves and reproached them for their unbelief and dulness of mind, because they had not believed those who saw him risen from the dead. [But they excused themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness and unbelief lies under the sway of Satan, who will not allow what lies under the unclean spirits to understand the truth and power of God; therefore," they said to Christ, "reveal your righteousness now." Christ answered them, "The term of years for Satan's power has now expired, but other terrors are at hand. I was delivered to death on behalf of sinners, that they might return to the truth and sin no more, that they might inherit that glory of righteousness which is spiritual and imperishable in heaven."] And he said to them, "Go to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature: he who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who will not believe shall be condemned. And for those who believe, these miracles will follow: they will cast out daemons in my name, they will talk in foreign tongues, they will handle serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and make them well." Then after speaking to them the Lord Jesus was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God,
they will scourge him and kill him, but he will rise again on the third day."
On the sabbath they rested in obedience to God's command, but on the first day of the week at early dawn they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. The boulder they found rolled away from the tomb, read more. but when they went inside they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. They were puzzling over this, when two men flashed on them in dazzling raiment. They were terrified and bent their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look among the dead for him who is alive? He is not here, he has risen. Remember how he told you when he was still in Galilee that the Son of man had to be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and rise on the third day." Then they remembered what he had said, and turning away from the tomb they reported all this to the eleven and all the others. (It was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James who with the rest of the women told this to the apostles.) But this story of the women seemed in their opinion to be nonsense; they would not believe them.
That very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were conversing about all these events, read more. and during their conversation and discussion Jesus himself approached and walked beside them, though they were prevented from recognizing him. He said to them, "What is all this you are debating on your walk?" They stopped, looking downcast, and one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, "Are you a lone stranger in Jerusalem, not to know what has been happening there?" "What is that?" he said to them. They replied, "All about Jesus of Nazaret! To God and all the people he was a prophet strong in action and utterance, but the high priests and our rulers delivered him up to be sentenced to death and crucified him. Our own hope was that he would be the redeemer of Israel; but he is dead, and that is three days ago! Though some women of our number gave us a surprise; they were at the tomb early in the morning and could not find his body, but they came to tell us they had actually seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our company did go to the tomb and found things exactly as the women had said, but they did not see him." He said to them, "O foolish men, with hearts so slow to believe, after all the prophets have declared! Had not the Christ to suffer thus and so enter his glory?" Then he began with Moses and all the prophets and interpreted to them the passages referring to himself throughout the scriptures. Now they approached the village to which they were going. He pretended to be going further on, but they pressed him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting towards evening and the day has now declined." So he went in to stay with them. And as he lay at table with them he took the loaf, blessed it, broke it and handed it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our hearts glow within us when he was talking to us on the road, opening up the scriptures for us?" So they got up and returned that very hour to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven and their friends all gathered,
So they got up and returned that very hour to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven and their friends all gathered, who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon.
who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon.
who told them that the Lord had really risen and that he had appeared to Simon. Then they related their own experience on the road and how they had recognized him when he broke the loaf.
Then they related their own experience on the road and how they had recognized him when he broke the loaf. Just as they were speaking He stood among them [and said to them, "Peace to you!"] read more. They were scared and terrified, imagining it was a ghost they saw; but he said to them, "Why are you upset? Why do doubts invade your mind? Look at my hands and feet. It is I! Feel me and see; a ghost has not flesh and bones as you see I have."
Look at my hands and feet. It is I! Feel me and see; a ghost has not flesh and bones as you see I have." [With these words he showed them his hands and feet.]
And when they handed him a piece of broiled fish, he took and ate it in their presence.
He led them out as far as Bethany; then, lifting his hands, he blessed them. And as he blessed them he parted from them [and was carried up to heaven]. read more. They [worshipped him and] returned with great joy to Jerusalem,
Jesus replied, "Destroy this sanctuary and I will raise it up in three days."
Jesus replied, "Destroy this sanctuary and I will raise it up in three days."
Jesus replied, "Destroy this sanctuary and I will raise it up in three days." "This sanctuary took forty-six years to build," the Jews retorted, "and you are going to raise it up in three days!" read more. He meant the sanctuary of his body, however, and when the disciples recalled what he had said, after he had been raised from the dead, they believed the scripture and the word of Jesus.
This is why my Father loves me, because I lay down my life to take it up again. No one takes it from me, I lay it down of my own accord: I have power to lay it down and also power to take it up again; I have my Father's orders for this.
but Mary stood sobbing outside the tomb. As she sobbed, she glanced inside the tomb and noticed two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. read more. "Woman," they said to her, "why are you sobbing?" She said, "Because they have taken away my master, and I do not know where they have put him!" With these words she turned round and noticed Jesus standing ??though she did not know it was Jesus. "Woman," said Jesus, "why are you sobbing? Who are you looking for?" Supposing he was the gardener, she said, "Oh, sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you put him, and I will remove him." "Mary!" said Jesus. She started round and said, "Rabboni!" (a Hebrew word meaning 'teacher'). Jesus said, "Cease clinging to me. I have not ascended yet to the Father, but go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and yours, to my God and yours.'" Away went Mary of Magdala to the disciples with the news, "I have seen the Lord!" ??telling them what he had said to her. On the evening of that same day ??the first day of the week ??though the disciples had gathered within closed doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus entered and stood among them, saying, "Peace be with you!" So saying he showed them his hands and his side; and when the disciples saw the Lord, they rejoiced. Jesus then repeated, "Peace be with you! As the Father sent me forth, I am sending you forth." And with these words he breathed on them, and added, "Receive the holy Spirit! If you remit the sins of any, they are remitted: if you retain them, they are retained." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called 'the Twin,' was not with them when Jesus came;
Eight days afterwards his disciples were together again, and Thomas with them. Though the doors were closed, Jesus entered and stood among them, saying, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Look at my hands, put your finger here; and put your hand here into my side; cease your unbelief and believe."
Then he said to Thomas, "Look at my hands, put your finger here; and put your hand here into my side; cease your unbelief and believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
After that, Jesus disclosed himself once more to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. It was in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (who was called 'the Twin'), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedaeus, and two other disciples of his, were all together. read more. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going to fish." They said, "We are coming with you too." Off they went and embarked in the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Now at break of day Jesus was standing on the beach (though the disciples did not know it was Jesus). "Lads," said Jesus, "have you got anything?" "No," they answered. So he told them, "Throw your net on the right of the boat, and you will have a take." At this they threw the net, and now they could not haul it in for the mass of fish. So the disciple who was Jesus' favourite said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Hearing it was the Lord, Simon Peter threw on his blouse (he was stripped for work) and jumped into the water, while the rest of the disciples came ashore in the punt (they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards), dragging their netful of fish. When they got to land, they saw a charcoal fire burning, with fish cooking on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." So Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; but for all their number the net was not torn. Jesus said, "Come and breakfast." (Not one of the disciples dared to ask him who he was; they knew it was the Lord.)
Jesus said, "Come and breakfast." (Not one of the disciples dared to ask him who he was; they knew it was the Lord.) Jesus went and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish too.
Jesus went and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish too. This was the third time, now, that Jesus appeared to the disciples after rising from the dead. read more. Then after breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," said Jesus. Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus. For the third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Now Peter was vexed at being asked a third time, "Do you love me?" So he replied; "Lord, you know everything, you can see I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go" (he said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God); then he added, "Follow me." Peter turned round and saw that the favourite disciple of Jesus was following, the disciple who had leant on his breast at supper and put the question, "Lord, who is to betray you?" So, on catching sight of him, Peter said to Jesus, "And what about him, Lord?" Jesus replied, "If I choose that he should survive till I come back, what does that matter to you? Follow me yourself." This started the report among the brotherhood that the said disciple was not to die. Jesus, however, did not say he was not to die; what he said was, "If I choose that he should survive till I come back, what does that matter to you?"
After his sufferings he had shown them that he was alive by a number of proofs, revealing himself to them for forty days and discussing the affairs of God's Realm. Also, as he ate with them, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father promised ??"for what you have heard me speak of," said he; read more. "for John baptized with water, but not many days after this you shall be baptized with the holy Spirit." Now when they met, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time you are going to restore the Realm to Israel?" But he told them, "It is not for you to know the course and periods of time that the Father has fixed by his own authority. You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem, throughout all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." On saying this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him out of sight. As he went up, their eyes were fixed on heaven; but just then two men stood beside them dressed in white,
but God raised him by checking the pangs of death. Death could not hold him.
but God raised him by checking the pangs of death. Death could not hold him. For David says of him, I saw the Lord before me evermore; lest I be shaken, he is at my right hand. read more. My heart is glad, my tongue exults, my very flesh will rest in hope, because thou wilt not forsake my soul in the grave, nor let thy holy one suffer decay. Thou hast made known to me the paths of life, thou wilt fill me with delight in thy presence.
and you killed the pioneer of Life. But God raised him from the dead, as we can bear witness.
As he neared Damascus in the course of his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed round him; he dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" read more. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am Jesus," he said, "and you persecute me. Get up and go into the city. There you will be told what you have to do." His fellow-travellers stood speechless, for they heard the voice but they could not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were open he could see nothing; so they took his hand and led him to Damascus. For three days he remained sightless, he neither ate nor drank.
So Ananias went off and entered the house, laying his hands on him with these words, "Saul, my brother, I have been sent by the Lord, by Jesus who appeared to you on the road, to let you regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit."
Jesus who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised that we might be justified.
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells within you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies live by his indwelling Spirit in your lives.
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells within you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies live by his indwelling Spirit in your lives.
and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve; after that, he was seen by over five hundred brothers all at once, the majority of whom survive to this day, though some have died; read more. after that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles,
and if Christ did not rise, then our preaching has gone for nothing, and your faith has gone for nothing too.
which he exerted in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly sphere,
who will transform the body that belongs to our low estate till it resembles the body of his Glory, by the same power that enables him to make everything subject to himself.
when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead.
May the God of peace who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, with the blood of the eternal covenant,
Christ himself died for sins, once for all, a just man for unjust men, that he might bring us near to God; in the flesh he was put to death but he came to life in the Spirit.
Morish
This is the great central fact on the testimony of which the structure of Christianity has been reared. If Christ be not risen, there is no salvation, since sin would still be reigning by death in universal sway. But Christ, who was made sin, is risen and is at God's right hand, a manifest proof that atonement has been made, and that God's righteousness has been vindicated. The result has been the sending of the Spirit from the Father. Abundant evidence was given to the disciples that Christ was risen from the dead. He appeared again and again, ate in their presence, and gave opportunity for identification. Evidence of the fact was also borne to the Jews by the apostles in the power and by the gifts of the Spirit, Ac 4:10, confirming what they had themselves seen and heard and the testimony of the scriptures. The resurrection of Christ is the keystone of the faith of the Christian; at the same time it is the assurance on the part of God that He has appointed a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness. Hence it has a voice to all.
It has been asserted that the accounts given of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus in the gospels are discordant and irreconcilable. This is not the case: it has been overlooked that Lu 23:54-56 refers to Friday evening, before the Sabbath, and Mt 28:1 refers to Saturday evening, after the Sabbath: the women return after viewing the sepulchre and finish their preparations, according to Mr 16:1.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
At the close of the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
And when the sabbath had passed Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some spices in order to go and anoint him;
It was the day of the Preparation and the sabbath was just dawning. So the women who had accompanied him from Galilee and who had followed Joseph, noted the tomb and the position of the body; read more. then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.
you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead.