the resurrection of Jesus

     Jesus' resurrection was a divine act involving all three Persons of the Godhead (John 10:17, 18; Acts 13:30-35; Rom. 1:4).  It was not just a revival of the broken physical body that was taken down from the cross and buried.  It was a transformation of Jesus' humanity that enabled Him to appear, vanish, and move unseen from one location to another (Luke 24:31, 36).  It was the creative renewing of His body, to become the body that is now fully glorified and deathless (Phil. 3:21; Heb 7:16, 24).  The Son of God in heaven lives in and through His body, and will do so forever.  In 1 Cor. 15:50-54, Paul envisages that Christians who are alive on earth at the moment of Christ's return will undergo a similar transformation.  Those who have died in Christ before His return will likewise be transformed never to die again.
     Christianity rests on the certainty of Jesus' resurrection as an occurrence in history.  The Gospel's have it as their goal, with the empty tomb and resurrection appearances, and Acts insists on it (Acts 1:3; 2:24-35; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30-32; 13:33-37).  Paul regarded the Resurrection as indisputable proof that the message about Jesus as Judge and Savior is true (Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:1-11, 20).
     Jesus' resurrection demonstrated His victory over death (Acts 2:24; 1 Cor. 15:54-57), vindicated His as righteous (John 16:10) and indicated His divine identity (Rom. 1:4).  It led on to His ascension, and His present heavenly reign.  It guarantees the believer's present forgiveness and justification (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:17), and it is the hope of eternal life in Christ for the believer (John 11:25, 26; Rom. 6; Eph. 1:18-2:10; Col. 2:9; 3:1-4).