Resurrection
Resurrection is a concept that details the return of the dead to life. The most intriguing episode in the New Testament is the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Resurrection is a dominant theme found in the New Testament. For one, it raised extensive opinions emanating from diverse opinions from the different events and areas of the Bible. The argument calls for a natural form of immortality to the soul and the lack of immortality of the body. The spirit lives forever in magnification of the lord's power and magnificence in His actions, favor, and love for human kind. Unlike actual birth, rebirth through the resurrection is associated with the rejuvenation of both the body and soul (Ladd & Hagner, 1993). Resurrection has become a bedrock of Christian faith in recent times with the different episodes in the New Testament attesting to the existence of a superior being and the promise of a new existence after death.
Conversely, resurrection is used in two distinct respects, one entailing a belief in the resurrection of an individual’s soul while the other believes in the resurrection of the body and the soul in a physical form. The same has led to an active Christian theological debate as to which of the two is factual. The aspect has been fueled mostly by the resurrection of the Lord, where most Christians believe that His resurrection and ascension into heaven was in a humanly, physical body. However, a lesser number of believers dwell on the phenomena of ascension in a spiritual form (Ladd & Hagner, 1993).
Resurrection in the New Testament was a familiar concept and was a huge part of Jesus’ ministry. The theme elicited disagreements between the Pharisees and the Sadducees who had different notions as to the same inkling. The former believed in the resurrection of the dead and had a standard view that the last day signified the raising of the righteous from the death while the latter had no notion entirely of resurrection.
John 11:1-44 details an epic case of the resurrection from the dead and back to life in the regular, physical form. In retrospect, Lazarus was raised from the dead. He had been dead for four days and the process of decomposition was underway. Conversely, the episode magnifies and demonstrates God’s power over death and His manifestation in Christ; His Son (Harris, 1990).
Jesus informs Martha that, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). Also, He strived to quell her belief in the Jewish belief in the final resurrection. Jesus reiterated, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John11: 25-26). This has continued to become the greatest promise to the Christians and motivation to continue in the fundamental Christian ways and traditions.
In his Writings, Paul strove to affirm the resurrection of the Christ. He states that God solely raised Jesus, His son, from the dead (Gresham, 1983). He has also explained that it is God’s will to raise the true believers from the dead and give them eternal existence. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him” (Romans 6:9).
Paul explains the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His death as similar to the resurrection of the Christian believer through the baptism of the body and soul and the individual’s redemption from an evil and sinful life. He also touches on the possible future resurrection of the believer in Christ (Habermas & Licona, 2004). In 1 Thessalonians 4:13&5:11, Paul tries to explain to the Thessalonian church the dead will rise upon Christ’s return to meet Him. The numbers will add to those who will be in existence at the time of His return.
Paul addressed the issue of the form through which the body would be raised from the dead. The aposlte utilized the analogy of the images of the grain and the shoot. He echoed, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and we will all be changed, in a twinkling of an eye” Romans 15:50-52). He continues to state that with Christ’s actions, death will be finally conquered and swallowed up by the victorious deeds of the Lord.
In Hebrews 1:1-3, Peter states that Christ is sitting at God’s right hand in heaven, and this is duly after His provision of purification for our sins. The fact that Peter refers to Christ as the high priest, showcase his aptitude to display Christ’s magnificence: “So that byHisdeath he might destroy him who holds the power over death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). The tenet continues to show that Jesus’ death and resurrection were supposed to create a superiority to the evil, that is death.
The book of Acts, explain the power granted by the Holy Spirit to the disciples and their raising and healing power. There is a brief episode where Paul raised a young man called Eutychus after an accident where he had fallen from a window (Acts 2:07-12). The book emphasizes the resurrection of the individual to a new life and shows that God has power even over death (Harris, 1990). However, the accounts fail to explain the belief of the Christians in the resurrection into a new life and Acts marks an absolute focal point in the concept of the resurrection after death. In Acts, Peter declared to all that Jesus had risen from the dead. Luke also clarifies that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead despite the opposition and the persecution of individuals.
The aspect affirms the belief that God has great power over death and that he manifests His power through resurrection and victories over death. “This Jesus, who was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. However, God raised him up, having destroyed the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:23-24).
Rudolf Bultmann, a scholar, argued that Christians had a superior advantage over other individuals mainly because they embraced a high code of ethical conduct. Paul claimed in the same breath and stated that this ethics they so much professed would mean nothing if Jesus was still dead and confessed that truthfulness, in reality, was the foundation of ethical conduct and lies were never the same.
George Eldon reiterates that God manifested His actions mainly through measures that are evident in the Bible and not through the sermons and teachings. The significant details of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament form a basis for establishing a belief system to the resurrection of believers when the right time comes. Christianity is founded on a bedrock of beliefs and promises that the Bible provides through the scriptures (Gresham, 1983). Tentatively, without the same, Christianity is a fallacy. Consequently, resurrection forms the backbone of faith in Christianity and the belief of life after death.
The teachings of Jesus magnify this hope process, give vitality to the hope, and help all Christians to embrace the Christian faith and the concepts of resurrection. In 1 Cor. 15:13-14, Paul states, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.” Since we have proof that Jesus has been raised from the dead, this provides a promise that we have the hope of resurrection as believers and redemption in death.
References
Ladd, G. E., & Hagner, D. A. (1993). A theology of the New Testament. Wm. B. EerdmansPublishing.
Harris, M. (1990). From grave to glory. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House.
Habermas, G. & Licona, M. (2004). The case for the resurrection of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
Gresham, C. (1983). What the Bible says about Resurrection. Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub. Co.
