Kayla M

The disciples were discouraged, disheartened and in hiding because they believed Jesus was dead and that it was final. Being in this psychological state, I don’t think they would have the motivation to concoct a story about his resurrection because they were in a state of shock. They also wouldn’t be putting on an act. After they realized he wasn’t dead, everything changed about their psychological state - hope was restored.

The disciples’ motive may have been to prove that what Jesus was saying was true; that he would die and on the third day rise again. I think this would be a rather weak motive because they were all in shock when they heard he was alive. They didn’t believe until they saw him. Why would they be in shock and running about if they stole the body? The Romans: to prove that Jesus was a liar in fact just another man, dead. The Jews: not sure Joseph A: not sure what gain he would have for a dead body.

As someone said in a previous comment, in this context, using the term “Christian scholars” to describe such people seems to be an oxymoron. The resurrection of Christ is a core tenet of the Christian faith. If he didn’t have a bodily resurrection, why believe in him? He would be just another man. And Christianity would be just another religion. I think some people struggle to grasp things of the supernatural because it is often difficult to verify them with natural evidence (hence the term supernatural). We live in a time when science trumps everything. If it cannot be explained with scientific evidence then it is marked as not true. Science has become many people’s God and when things don’t fit within their carefully constructed way of thinking, it is often rejected.

Jesus’ resurrection refers to him being raised from death & the grave. His ascension on the other hand refers to when he was taken back to heaven, seated at the right hand of his father. The two fit together because they illustrate his complete defeat of death & ultimate victory. He defeated death and the grave, then to top it off, he went back to his original position in heaven, the place of honour, God’s right hand. His ascension presents double proof that he’s the son of God.

Jesus has the same human body he had pre-death and pre-resurrection. Meaning he could eat, walk, you could touch him, see his scars etc. The difference post-resurrection is that his human body had no limitations. He functioned even more god-like. He could appear, disappear, walk through walls, the whole works. I see where Hollywood gets their ideas for some of these movies they put out there.

The similarities include: 1. Jesus died & was buried 2. A woman or the women went to the tomb 3. An Angel spoke to the women 4. Jesus appeared to several people after, including Mary M, the men on Emmaus road, & the disciples

The righteous will be resurrected to eternal life with Jesus Christ (John 5:29 and Daniel 12:2)

How does Job's vision of resurrection (Job 19:25-27) differ from the Jews' former understanding of death as Sheol? Job’s vision of resurrection sees him and his redeemer (Jesus Christ) both alive in flesh. This points to the possibility that there will be a time when those who are dead in Christ will also see their redeemer, both in flesh and body. On the other hand, the Jews understood death as sheol, a place reserved for the dead, regardless of the life they lived while on earth, they all ended up there. It’s a land of forgetfulness where God’s presence is absent. What is progressive revelation? This is when more truths about the mysteries of God are gradually revealed and understood. It happens over a period of time as God chooses to let us know.