The Resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament

by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

A) Terms and Definitions:

Resurrection – a transition from mortal life on earth, through physical death, to a new, completely different, form of immortal life:

The English word "resurrection" is derived from the past participle of the Latin verb resurgere, "to rise again."
In many biblical texts, Jesus is the subject of his own action: "he will rise from the dead" (Mark 8:31; 12:25; John 11:23-24; etc.).
In other passages, Jesus is the object of God's action: "he will be raised from the dead" (Mark 12:26; 16:6; Luke 9:22; etc.).

Resurrection is not the same as the "resuscitation" or "reanimation" of a body, nor the "reincarnation" or "immortality" of a soul.
- Resuscitation – the restoration or revival of a person from a coma, unconsciousness, or apparent death back to the same earthly life.
- Reanimation – the rejoining of an earthly body with the same soul (or a new soul?) after a temporary separation.
- Reincarnation – the rebirth of a soul into a new & different but still physical & mortal body (common idea in some Eastern religions).
- Immortality – the inability to die; life continuing forever (esp. a soul after its separation from a dead body).
Eternal Life – life with God forever, not interrupted by death; it either continues or starts anew after death.

Mortal Life – normal human life on earth, ending in death (Latin mors); any life subject to suffering, death, and decay.

Ascension – the return of a person, after life on earth, to live with God in heaven:

Some OT figures return to God in heaven in various ways:
- Genesis 5:24 – Enoch, the seventh Patriarch, does not die, but is "taken" by God.
- 2 Kings 2:1-14 – the "assumption" of the prophet Elijah, taken to heaven on a fiery chariot.
The Ascension of Jesus, only in Luke 24 and Acts 1, is a preparation for the sending of the Holy Spirit.
- It is traditionally thought to have occurred near the town of Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, just East of Jerusalem

Christians believe in the "Resurrection of the Body," not merely the "Immortality of the (disembodied) Soul"!
- Thus, "resurrection" might be thought of as the reunification of the spirit or soul with a new and immortal body.
  - Yet this new "body" should not be thought of in overly physicalistic or materialistic terms.
  - Even if our mortal body is buried or cremated, we will receive some type of "resurrected body."
- What this new (resurrected/immortal) body will be like is unknown, since it will be radically different from our present (physical/mortal) bodies.
- The main point is that we will still be "some-body," able to interact in personal relationship with God and with "every-body" else.

B) Biblical Background of Belief in the Resurrection:

Earliest Stages in OT: No belief in life after death whatsoever; life simply ceases to exist:

Psalm 6:5 – "For in death there is no remembrance of you. Who praises you in Sheol?" (cf. Ps 88:2-8, 11-13)
Psalm 115:17 – "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 – "The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost."
Job 7:9 – "As the cloud fades and vanishes, so those who go down to Sheol do not come up"
Job 14:10-14 – (in contrast to tree stumps, which might sprout again) "But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they? // so mortals lie down and do not rise again; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake or be roused out of their sleep. // If mortals die, will they live again?" (all of Job 14 argues: no!)

Middle Stages in OT: Belief in a general resuscitation or reanimation of many of the dead, or the whole nation, to a renewed life on earth:

Isaiah 26:19 – "Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise. O Dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy!"
Ezekiel 37 – Ezekiel's Vision of the Valley Full of Dry Bones, coming back to life with God's Spirit breathed into them.
Daniel 12:2 – "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

Latest Stages in OT: Beginning beliefs in continued life after death and/or resurrection from the dead for individuals:
- Wisdom 3:1-8 – "But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God... In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died... but they are at peace... their hope is full of immortality... In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever."
- 2 Macabbees 7:14 – "One cannot but choose to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being raised again by him."
- 2 Macabbees 12:43-45 – "...taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought."
NT Developments: Belief in resurrection from death to a new and different form of life:

1 Cor 15:35-57 – Paul explains that the spiritual imperishable body will be different from the physical perishable body, as a plant differs from a seed.
Mark 12:25 – "For when they rise from the dead, they... are like angels in heaven."

C) Four Types of Literary Materials related to the Resurrection in the New Testament:

Brief Statements of Resurrection Faith (Jesus says that he will be raised, or Christians proclaim that Jesus was raised, with no narrative details):
- The earliest NT texts related to Jesus' resurrection are brief proclamations, not narratives; see esp. 1 Cor 15:3-4.
- Some NT texts (esp. in Mark’s Gospel) suggest that Jesus’ resurrection will occur "after three days"
  (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; 14:58; 15:29; see also Matt 12:40; 26:61; 27:40, 63; John 2:19-20).
- Many other passages (esp. in Matthew & Luke) instead quote Jesus as saying "on the third day"
  (Matt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:7, 21, 46; Acts 10:40; cf. 1 Cor 15:4).
Empty Tomb Narratives (a few days after Jesus' death, some women find his tomb empty, his body missing):
- Mark 16:1-8; Matt 28:1-8, 11-15; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-13
- Details differ in these accounts as to the number and names of the women, the number and description of the heavenly messenger(s), their message, and the reaction of the women.
- See below for a brief comparison of these Gospel narratives.
Resurrection Appearance Stories (the risen Jesus appears to various individuals or groups of his disciples):
- Matt 28:9-10, 16-20; Luke 24:13-35, 36-49; John 20:14-18, 19-23, 24-29, 21:1-23; cf. also 1 Cor 15:5-8; Acts 1:3-5; [Mark 16:9-18]
- Details differ in these accounts as to where, when, and to whom Jesus appears; how he is described, and how the disciples react.
- See below for a chart summarizing these Gospel narratives.
Ascension Narratives (Jesus "ascends" or is taken up to heaven):
- Only in Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:2, 6-11, but not in Matthew, John, or the first editions of Mark.
- The brief mention of Ascension in Mark 16:19-20 is part of the later ending of Mark, added some time in the 2nd Century (Mark originally ended at 16:8).
- In contrast, Matt 28:16-20 could be called an "anti-Ascension"! Jesus does not ascend to heaven, but instead says that he will remain with the disciples forever! (cf. Matt 1:23 – "Emmanuel" = "God with us")

D) Overview of the Resurrection Accounts in the Four Gospels:

Event	Mark	Matthew	Luke	John
On Sunday morning, some Women Find Jesus' Tomb Empty	16:1-8	28:1-8	24:1-11	20:1-2, 11-13
Peter and the Beloved Disciple Run to the Tomb (in Luke: only Peter)	--	--	24:12	20:2-10
Jesus Appears to the Women (in John: only to Mary Magdalene)	[16:9-11]	28:9-10	--	20:14-18
The Guards Report back to the Authorities	--	28:11-15	--	--
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples on the Way to Emmaus	[16:12-13]	--	24:13-35	--
Jesus Appears to the Disciples on Sunday Evening in Jerusalem	--	--	24:36-43	20:19-23
Jesus Appears again to the Disciples a Week Later (with Thomas)	--	--	--	20:24-29
Jesus Appears to the Eleven as They Sat at Table	[16:14-18]	--	--	--
Jesus Appears to the Eleven on a Mountain in Galilee (The Great Commission)	--	28:16-20	--	--
Jesus' Last Words and His Ascension to Heaven, from Bethany	[16:19-20]	--	24:44-53	--
The Original Ending of John	--	--	--	20:30-31
Jesus Appears again to the Disciples at the Sea of Tiberias	--	--	--	21:1-23
The Second Ending of John	--	--	--	21:24-25

E) Comparison of the "Empty Tomb" Narratives in the Gospels:

(also the initial appearance of Jesus to the Women, recorded only in Matthew and John)

Gospel Passage	Messengers	Recipients	Message
Mark 16:1-8	a young man dressed in a white robe	3: "Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome"	"Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."
Matt 28:1-8	an angel of the Lord; his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes white as snow	2: "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary"	"Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you."
Matt 28:9-10	Jesus himself	(the same two women)	"Greetings!" ... "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Luke 24:1-11	two men in dazzling clothes	3+: "Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and the other women with them"	"Why do you look for the living among dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again."
John 20:11-13	two angels in white	1: Mary Magdalene alone	"Woman, why are you weeping?"
John 20:14-18	Jesus himself	Mary Magdalene, again alone	"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" "Mary!" "Do not hold onto me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ "

F) Comparison of the Ascension Narratives of Luke 24 and Acts 1 (and the "Anti-Ascension" of Matt 28, and the "Epilogue" of Mark 16):

Luke 24:44-53	Acts 1:1-14
⁴⁴ He [the risen Jesus] said to them [his disciples], "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ⁴⁶ And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day ⁴⁷ and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And (behold) I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." ⁵⁰ Then he led them (out) as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them.⁵¹As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. ⁵² They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and they were continually in the temple praising God.	¹ In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught ² until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴ While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit." ⁶ When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷ He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ⁹ When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. ¹⁰ While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. ¹¹ They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into* heaven." ¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. ¹³ When they entered the city they went to the upper room* where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Matt 28:16-20	Mark 16:14-20
¹⁶ The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, *I am with you always*, until the end of the age."	¹⁴ Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. ¹⁵ And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.¹⁶ The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." ¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

References and Allusions to Jesus' Ascension in the rest of the NT:

Luke 9:51 – When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
John 3:13 – "No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man."
John 6:62 – "Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?"
John 13:1, 3 – Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. //
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God... (see also John 14:12, 28)
John 16:28 – "I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father." (see also John 16:5, 10, 16-22)
John 20:17 – Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
Acts 1:21-22 – So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, / beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection."
Acts 2:33-35 – Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. / For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, / until I make your enemies your footstool."'
Acts 5:31 – God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Rom 10:6 – But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)
Eph 4:8-10 – Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." / (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? / He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)
Phil 2:9 – Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
1 Tim 3:16 – Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
Heb 7:26 – For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

G) Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

Do the Empty Tomb stories prove the claim that Jesus was raised from the dead? Why or Why not?
What is the significance of the different descriptions of the messengers in each of the Empty Tomb Stories?
What is the significance of the different number and names of the women in each of the Empty Tomb Stories?
What are the most important differences between "empty tomb stories" and "appearance stories"?
What is the implication of the lack of any appearance story in the original version of Mark (ending at 16:8)?
Where do all the appearance stories take place in Matthew 28? Where do they take place in Luke 24?
Where do the appearance stories of John 20 take place? Why does John 21 add even more appearance stories?

H) Some Recommended Books:

Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, and Demetrio S. Yocum. Easter: Meditations on the Resurrection. Liturgical Press, 2006.
Jeremy Driscoll, OSB. Awesome Glory: Resurrection in Scripture, Liturgy, and Theology. Liturgical Press, 2019.
Gerhard Lohfink. Is This All There Is?: On Resurrection and Eternal Life. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Liturgical Press, 2020.
Frank J. Matera. Resurrection: The Origin and Goal of the Christian Life. Liturgical Press, 2015.
Francis J. Moloney. The Resurrection of the Messiah: A Narrative Commentary on the Resurrection Accounts in the Four Gospels. Paulist Press, 2013.
Sandra M. Schneiders, IHM. Jesus Risen in Our Midst: Essays on the Resurrection of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Liturgical Press, 2013.
Brian Schmisek. Resurrection of the Flesh or Resurrection from the Dead: Implications for Theology. Liturgical Press, 2013.

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