While reading through NT
Wright’s book ‘The Resurrection of the Son of God’ (2003) I found that in his
summary in chapter 12 he (inadvertently) gives many historical reasons for
believing that Jesus really did rise from the dead. The following are my very brief extracts of his summary.
1.
“Even
if we suppose the very unlikely hypothesis that the early disciples, all of
them of course Jewish monotheists, had come to be convinced of Jesus’ divinity
without any bodily resurrection having taken place, there is no reason to
suppose that they would have then begun to think or talk about resurrection
itself. If, somehow, they had come to believe that a person like Jesus had been
exalted to heaven, that would have been quite enough [in the culture of their
day]; why add extraneous ideas?” (p.574)
2.
No
‘tomb veneration’: “Jews of the period, and some at least of the early
Christians, venerated the tombs of prophets and martyrs. … there is no evidence
whatever that anyone ever went back to Jesus’ tomb to pray, to meet friends and
family, …” (p.579)
3.
From
Sabbath to Sunday: “… especially noticeable [is] the remarkable transfer of the
special day of the week from the last day to the first day. … By far the
easiest explanation for all this is that the early Christians believed that
something had happened on that first
Sunday morning.” (p.579-80).
4.
Jesus
became the centre of Christian belief and devotion:
4.1.
“The
symbolic world of early Christians focused
upon Jesus himself. … baptism and eucharist, though [having antecedents Jewish
and pagan] were consciously undertaken with reference to him. His status as
Messiah and lord, and the worship accorded him … are everywhere apparent in the
early Christian world … this is particularly noticeable in the case of the
cross, which lost its shameful symbolic value … and became a sign of God’s
love.” (p.580)
4.2. Stories: “The stories of the early church focus again and again on Jesus and his
death and resurrection.” (p.581).
4.3. Answers to questions of ‘who are Christians?’:
“… when posed to the early Christians, elicit a set of resurrection-shaped
answers. Who are we? Resurrection people: a people, that is, formed … at Easter
…” (p.581)
“Jesus’ resurrection … vindicated or validated his Messiahship; and if he was Messiah, he was the world’s true lord.” (p.583).
"Christ is risen!" / "He is risen, Indeed!"
