Resurrecting Jesus: Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic

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One of the letters sent by Paul the Apostle to one of the early Greek churches, the First Epistle to the Corinthians, contains one of the earliest Christian creeds referring to post-mortem appearances of Jesus, and expressing the belief that he was raised from the dead, namely 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. [21] [22] [23] It is widely accepted that this creed predates Paul and the writing of First Corinthians. [16] Scholars have contended that in his presentation of the resurrection, Paul refers to this as an earlier authoritative tradition, transmitted in a rabbinic style, that he received and has passed on to the church at Corinth. [note 5] Geza Vermes writes that the creed is "a tradition he [Paul] has inherited from his seniors in the faith concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus". [25] The creed's ultimate origins are probably within the Jerusalem apostolic community, having been formalised and passed on within a few years of the resurrection. [note 6] Hans Grass argues for an origin in Damascus, [26] and according to Paul Barnett, this creedal formula, and others, were variants of the "one basic early tradition that Paul "received" in Damascus from Ananias in about 34 [AD]" after his conversion. [27] In Acts 2:24, Peter says that “God raised [Jesus] from the dead.” So that’s the basic answer. God resurrected Jesus. As we read more Scripture, that basic answer becomes more nuanced. They hurried away from the tomb, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly [ a] Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” Jesus crossed all of the boundary lines that separated the people of his time because he viewed the world from the perspective of what unites us, not what divides us. In Resurrecting Jesus, Adya asks us to consider the man known as Jesus as a model of enlightened engagement with the world. He examines the story of Jesus from his birth to the Resurrection to reveal how the central events in Jesus' life parallel the stages of awakening that we may be called to experience ourselves. Adya then illuminates five central archetypes of the Jesus story—Peter, John, Mary Magdalene, Judas, and Pontius Pilate—and the key insights they hold about the way we might relate to the spiritual impulse within. Our journey concludes with an inspiring call to "live the Christ" in a way that is unique to each one of us.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”’ (John 11:25-27). There are at least 12 different appearances of Christ in the resurrection accounts, beginning with Mary and ending with the apostle Paul. They were physical, tangible experiences with Christ eating, speaking and allowing himself to be touched. Easter is a reminder that God is in the business of awakening hope in the hearts of people who are feeling hopeless. He does this in ways that only he can do. Smith argues that Mark has integrated two traditions, which were first separate, on the disappearance (from the tomb, interpreted as being taken to heaven) and appearance (post-mortem appearances), into one Easter narrative. [126] [127] According to Géza Vermes, the story of the empty tomb developed independently from the stories of the post-resurrection appearances, as they are never directly coordinated to form a combined argument. [128] While the coherence of the empty tomb narrative is questionable, it is "clearly an early tradition." [128] Vermes notes that the story of the empty tomb conflicts with notions of a spiritual resurrection. According to Vermes, "[t]he strictly Jewish bond of spirit and body is better served by the idea of the empty tomb and is no doubt responsible for the introduction of the notions of palpability (Thomas in John) and eating (Luke and John)." [129] Ehrman rejects the story of the empty tomb, and argues that "an empty tomb had nothing to do with it [...] an empty tomb would not produce faith." [130] Ehrman argues that the empty tomb was needed to underscore the physical resurrection of Jesus. [131] Resurrection of a transformed body [ edit ]The resurrection of Jesus Christ is also important because it validates who Jesus claimed to be, namely, the Son of God and Messiah. According to Jesus, His resurrection was the “sign from heaven” that authenticated His ministry (Matthew 16:1–4). The resurrection of Jesus Christ, attested to by hundreds of eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3–8), provides irrefutable proof that He is the Savior of the world. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay” ( Psalm 16:9-10). Mary discovered that the empty tomb was not the end, but rather the beginning of life eternal in Jesus’ name. Jesus risen from the dead means that sin and death no longer have a hold on a person whose faith is in Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus’ (John 20:11-14, NIV).

Professor Dale Allison's learned work offers an impressive contribution to the most important questions regarding Jesus and Christian origins. Rich with literary and historical detail, finely nuanced in its assessment of complicted and often very contentious issues, and here and there written from an autobiographical perspective, Resurrecting Jesus is a joy to read. Beginning students and learned scholars alike will gain much from this engaging book." --Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Wolfvillle, Nova Scotia According to Ehrman, these two Christologies existed alongside each other, calling the "low Christology" an " adoptionist Christology, and "the "high Christology" an "incarnation Christology." [186] While adoptionism was declared heresy at the end of the 2nd century, [204] [205] it was adhered to by the Ebionites, [206] who regarded Jesus as the Messiah while rejecting his divinity and his virgin birth, [207] and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish law and rites. [208] They revered James the brother of Jesus (James the Just); and rejected Paul the Apostle as an apostate from the Law. [209] They show strong similarities with the earliest form of Jewish Christianity, and their specific theology may have been a "reaction to the law-free Gentile mission." [210] But there are some who say that the Bible never really taught the doctrine of the resurrection. That whole matter of resurrection was something that was invented by Paul or by Peter or by one of the others. Nothing could be further from the truth. Consider three— only three of so many—biblical categorical affirmations of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let’s begin with the old testament. The Resurrection of Jesus was Prophesied in the Old Testament The apostles, who were eye-witnesses to the risen Christ, experienced dramatic changes in their lives after meeting him, ruling out the possibility that the resurrection story is an invented one.

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Peter claimed forcefully that Jesus appeared to him, [223] [185] and legitimised by Jesus's appearance he assumed leadership of the group of early followers, forming the Jerusalem ekklēsia mentioned by Paul. [223] [167] He was soon eclipsed in this lea The New Testament writings contend that the resurrection was "the beginning of His exalted life" [171] [note 19] as Christ and Lord. [173] [web 2] Jesus is the " firstborn of the dead", prōtotokos, the first to be raised from the dead, thereby acquiring the "special status of the firstborn as the preeminent son and heir". [1] [web 2] According to Beale Cynthia Bourgeault is currently one of the core faculty members at The Living School for Action and Contemplation. Michael A. Milton, PhD (University of Wales; MPA, UNC Chapel Hill; MDiv, Knox Seminary), Dr. Milton is a retired seminary chancellor and currently serves as the James Ragsdale Chair of Missions at Erskine Theological Seminary. He is the President of Faith for Living and the D. James Kennedy Institute a long-time Presbyterian minister, and Chaplain (Colonel) USA-R. Dr. Milton is the author of more than thirty books and a musician with five albums released. Mike and his wife, Mae, reside in North Carolina. Timothy 2:8: "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead... this is my gospel for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained...". [43]

Firstborn" refers to the high, privileged position that Christ has as a result of the resurrection from the dead [...] Christ has gained such a sovereign position over the cosmos, not in the sense that he is recognized as the first-created being of all creation or as the origin of creation, but in the sense that he is the inaugurator of the new creation by means of his resurrection. [web 2] The Bible indicates that all three Persons of the Trinity were involved in Jesus’ resurrection. Galatians 1:1 says that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. First Peter 3:18 says that the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead (see also Romans 1:4, and note that Romans 8:11 clearly says that God will resurrect believers “through His Spirit”). And in John 2:19 Jesus predicts that He will raise Himself from the dead (see also John 10:18). So, when we answer the question of who resurrected Jesus, we can say God did. And by that we can mean it was the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Two men appeared to the women in gleaming clothes. The women were frightened but the men said: Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’ (Luke 24:5–7). In the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, telling her that Jesus is not there because he has been raised from the dead, and instructing her to tell the other followers to go to Galilee, to meet Jesus. Jesus then appeared to Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" at the tomb; and next, based on Mark 16:7, Jesus appeared to all the disciples on a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus claimed authority over heaven and earth, and commissioned the disciples to preach the gospel to the whole world. [58] Matthew presents Jesus's second appearance as an apotheosis (deification), commissioning his followers to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." [45] In this message, the end times are delayed "to bring the world to discipleship". [59] The three Marys at the Tomb of Christ (1470) at the west portal of Konstanz Minster, Baden-Württemberg, GermanyThe Word of God guarantees the believer’s resurrection at the coming of Jesus Christ for His church at the rapture. Such assurance results in a great song of triumph as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (cf. Hosea 13:14). Where is your focus today? The pain? The problem? The unknown? Don’t look past the fact that the tomb is empty. Don’t look past what the empty tomb means. Realize the empty tomb speaks of resurrection hope. Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). In other words, Jesus led the way in life after death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is important as a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike other religions, Christianity has a Founder who transcends death and promises that His followers will do the same. Every other religion was founded by men or prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we know that God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 10:12). It is early in the morning. It has been three days from the time Jesus was crucified, died, and laid in a tomb. Mary heads to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. There wasn’t time to anoint the body when Jesus was first placed in the tomb. When Mary arrived, she found the tomb empty and open. The stone had been rolled away. Mary feared that someone had taken Jesus’ body. Fear must have gripped her heart. Moody exists to proclaim the gospel and equip people to be biblically grounded, practically trained, and to engage the world through gospel-centered living. In short, we prepare people for their purpose and calling!