The Resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament

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


Rudolf Koch: Christian SymbolsA) Terms and Definitions:


B) Biblical Background of Belief in the Resurrection:


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


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:

 


G) Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

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

H) Some Recommended Books:

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