Resurrection of Jesus
| Part of a series on |
| Death and Resurrection of Jesus |
|---|
| Portals: Christianity Bible |
| Events in the |
| Life of Jesus according to the canonical gospels |
|---|
| Portals: Christianity Bible |
| Part of a series on |
| Christianity |
|---|
|
The resurrection of Jesus (Biblical Greek: ἀνάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, romanized: anástasis toú Iēsoú) is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day[a] after his crucifixion, starting—or restoring[web 1][b]—his exalted life as Christ and Lord.[web 2] According to the New Testament writing, Jesus was firstborn from the dead, ushering in the Kingdom of God.[1][web 2] He appeared to his disciples, calling the apostles to the Great Commission of forgiving sin and baptizing repenters, and ascended to Heaven.
For the Christian tradition, the bodily resurrection was the restoration to life of a transformed body powered by spirit,[web 3] as described by Paul and the gospel authors, that led to the establishment of Christianity. In Christian theology, the resurrection of Jesus is "the central mystery of the Christian faith."[2] It provides the foundation for that faith, as commemorated by Easter, along with Jesus's life, death and sayings.[3] For Christians, his resurrection is the guarantee that all the Christian dead will be resurrected at Christ's parousia (second coming).[4] The resurrection is seen as a theological affirmation that intersects with history as a precondition for understanding the historical Jesus, his suffering, and vindication.[5]
Secular and liberal Christian scholarship asserts that religious experiences,[6] such as the visionary appearances of Jesus[7][8][9][c] and an inspired reading of the biblical texts,[10] gave the impetus to the belief in the exaltation of Jesus[11] as a "fulfillment of the scriptures,"[12] and a resumption of the missionary activity of Jesus's followers.[7][13] Scholars differ on the historicity of Jesus' burial and the empty tomb, while the empty tomb story is seen by many as a narrative device rather than historical evidence of resurrection.[14][15][16][17][18]
Easter is the main Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing God's redemption and rooted in Passover traditions. The resurrection is widely depicted in Christian art and connected to relics like the Shroud of Turin, which some believe bears a miraculous image of Jesus. Judaism teaches that Jesus' body was stolen and he did not rise. Gnosticism holds that only the soul is resurrected.[19] Islam generally teaches that Jesus was not crucified but directly ascended to God; however Ahmadiyya Islam believes that Jesus survived the crucifixion and carried on his mission elsewhere.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=web> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=web}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Novakovic 2014, p. 152.
- ^ Siniscalchi 2011, p. 363.
- ^ Dunn 1985, p. 53.
- ^ Novakovic 2014, pp. 153–154.
- ^ Bockmuehl, Markus (2025). The New Cambridge Companion to Jesus. Cambridge University Press. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-1009232999.
- ^ Hurtado 2005, pp. 72–73.
- ^ a b Koester 2000, pp. 64–65.
- ^ Vermes 2008b, p. 141.
- ^ Ehrman 2014, pp. 98, 101.
- ^ Hurtado 2005, p. 72, 84.
- ^ Ehrman 2014, pp. 109–110.
- ^ Hurtado 2005, p. 186.
- ^ Vermes 2008a, pp. 151–152.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Ehrman_HJBG_CGwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Ludemann, Gerd (2010). The Resurrection Of Christ: A Historical Inquiry. Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1615925155.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Kurt Rudolph, Gnosis: The Nature & History of Gnosticism, p. 190 (T & T Clark Ltd, 1970, second and expanded edition, 1980; 1998). ISBN 0567086402