Jesus (Resurrection)

Gospel Accounts

All four canonical Gospels present the resurrection of Jesus as a historical and transformative event. While each account emphasizes different details, there is consensus on the key elements: Jesus’ tomb is found empty early on Sunday morning, women discover the absence of the body, and Jesus appears to his disciples. The Gospels depict Jesus’ resurrected body as physical yet transformed—able to be touched and to eat, yet not entirely bound by ordinary physical limitations. For example, John’s Gospel uses literary techniques such as chiasm to structure the narrative for dramatic effect, but it also highlights the physical reality of the soma pneumatikon (“spiritual body”) in Jesus’ appearances to Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and the disciples.

Pauline Evidence

The letters of Paul provide early and critical evidence for the resurrection’s historicity and centrality to Christian faith. Paul asserts that Jesus was declared Son of God “by a mighty act” through his resurrection (Romans 1:4). In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul stresses the public nature of the resurrection, noting that Jesus appeared to over 500 people, including James, his brother, and Paul himself (through the Damascus Road encounter in Acts 9). Paul explicitly links the resurrection to the foundation of Christian faith: if Jesus had not been raised, faith is futile and sins remain unforgiven (1 Corinthians 15:17). He also presents the transformation of the disciples—from disheartened followers into bold witnesses—as evidence supporting the reality of the event.

Theological Significance

The resurrection validates Jesus’ messianic identity. As Peter declares in Acts 2:36, “God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” N. T. Wright emphasizes that early Christians’ conviction in the resurrection’s historical reality was transformative, inaugurating a New Age and centralizing belief in resurrection within Christianity, which had previously been marginal in Second Temple Jewish thought. Wright also argues that the resurrection was the primary explanation for Jesus’ recognition as the Son of God, linking the event directly to salvation history.

Alternative Scholarly Views

Not all scholars accept the resurrection as a literal, historical event. Rudolf Bultmann, for instance, regards the resurrection as mythological, interpreting the Gospel accounts as theological narratives meant to sustain faith. For Bultmann, the significance lies not in the physical event itself but in the kerygma, the proclamation of Christ’s victory over death and the transformative power of belief in Jesus.

Conclusion

The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian theology, functioning as both a historical claim and a foundation for faith. It confirms Jesus’ identity as Messiah and inaugurates the hope of new creation, while also serving as the cornerstone of the early Church’s teaching and proclamation. Debates among scholars about its literal versus symbolic nature highlight the tension between historical-critical analysis and faith-based interpretation.