Ch. 6: The Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
Redemption Accomplished and
Promise Fulfilled
• The Resurrection of
Christ forms the heart
of the kerygma, the
essential message of
our faith.
• Without the
Resurrection the
Gospels never would
have been written.
• Thanks to Christ’s Resurrection, which is part of
the Paschal Mystery, those who participate in that
Mystery:
– die to sin and
Satan’s power
over us
– receive grace,
God’s favor in this
life
– their souls survive
physical death and
their bodies will rise
again at the Last
Judgment
• The Resurrection was a historical event.
• Its historicity can be verified by facts reported by both
Jesus’ disciples and his enemies:
– The empty tomb—no one ever claimed to find a body
– Reports of seeing Jesus after his death (Mary
Magdalene, Thomas, the Apostles, two disciples on
road to Emmaus, 500 people in one place, St. Paul)
• The Resurrection was also a transcendent
event.
• It goes beyond the realm of history and our own
understanding of space and time.
– No one witnessed
how it physically
happened.
– Though the Risen
Jesus, was
recognizable, his
glorified body
transcended ordinary
life.
The Resurrection Accounts in the
Four Gospels
Matthew 28
Women at the Empty Tomb
(Mt 28:1-8):
• Mary Magdalene and her
companion encounter an
angel at the empty tomb,
who instructs them to tell
others that Jesus has been
raised.
Jesus Appears to the
Women (Mt 28:9-1):
• Jesus meets the women
on their way to tell the
disciples and tells them
that he will meet them in
Galilee.
The Report of the Guards
(Mt 28:11-15):
• Pharisees post guards at
the tomb so Jesus’ body
won’t be stolen and then
bribe the guards when
Jesus is raised
Jesus Appears to the
Eleven before his
Ascension (Mt 28:16-20):
• Jesus sends the apostles
out to all the nations and
promises to be with them
always
Mark 16
Women at the Tomb
(Mk 16:1-8):
• An angel tells Mary
Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and
Salome to tell Peter and the
disciples to meet Jesus in
Galilee, but the women
remain silent because they
are afraid.
• Mark may have intended
this abrupt ending as a
challenge for us to carry on
the work of discipleship.
The Longer Ending of
Mark’s Gospel
(Mk 16:9-20):
• Probably added by the
Church in the second
century and includes
scenes similar to those
in other Gospels:
– appearance to Mary
Magdalene
– two disciples on the road
– Jesus appearing to the
Eleven
– the Ascension of Jesus
The Shorter Ending:
• Tells how the women
did report to Peter and
the other Apostles and
gives Jesus’
commission to the
Apostles
Luke 24
Appearance to the Women at the
Tomb (Lk 24:1-12):
• Two angels appear to Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Joanna at the
empty tomb and remind them
of Jesus’ prophesies of his
Resurrection.
Appearance on the Road to
Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35):
• Jesus joins two disciples
walking on the road and opens
the Scriptures to them, though
they only recognize him later in
the breaking of the bread.
• (This is unique to Luke’s
Gospel.)
Jesus Appears to the
Disciples in Jerusalem (Lk
24:36-49):
• Jesus appears in the midst
of the Apostles, invites
them to touch his wounds,
and helps them to
understand how the
Scriptures had foretold his
suffering and Resurrection.
The Ascension (Lk 24:50-53):
• Jesus blesses his disciples and
is taken up to Heaven, and the
Apostles return to the Temple
in Jerusalem to await the
coming of the Holy Spirit .
John 20-21
The Empty Tomb (Jn 20:1-10):
• Mary Magdalene reports that the
tomb is empty, and Peter and the
Beloved Disciple run to the tomb
to see for themselves.
The Lord Appears to Mary
Magdalene (Jn 20:11-18):
• Mary encounters Jesus in the
garden, mistaking him for the
gardener, and is told not to
cling to Jesus because he
has not yet ascended to the
Father.
Jesus Appears to the Twelve (Jn
20:19-23):
• On Easter Sunday evening
Jesus mysteriously appears
through the locked doors in the
room where the Apostles are
hiding for fear of the authorities
and gives them the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
The Lord Appears to Thomas (Jn
20:24-29):
• Jesus appears to Thomas, who
had not been present when he
appeared to the others, and
invites him to put his fingers in
his wounds. Thomas responds,
“My Lord and my God!”
• (This story is unique to John.)
Appearance by the Sea
(Jn 21:1-14):
• Jesus calls out to the
Apostles, who are
fishing on the Sea of
Tiberias in Galilee,
instructs them to cast
their nets to the right,
and they make a great
catch of fish. When they
arrive on the shore,
Jesus offers them a
breakfast of fish and
Dialogue Between the Risen Lord and Peter (Jn 21:15-25):
bread.
• Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, and each time
Peter responds yes—a reversal of his betrayal in the
courtyard. Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep, establishing him
as the pastor who will guide the Church.
Summary of the Four Gospel
Accounts
• That the Gospel writers made no attempt to
mask the differences between the accounts
actually argues that there were true, valid
experiences behind each of them.
• There are also several similarities in the four
Gospel accounts:
–
–
–
–
–
The Resurrection took place on Sunday morning
There were women present
The tomb was empty
There were “messengers” at the tomb
There were several appearances to the disciples
Several verifiable facts
help us to respond to
those who are
skeptical about the
validity of the
Resurrection:
– Jesus actually did die by being crucified on a
cross by Pontius Pilate.
– The Apostles and other disciples of Jesus were
convinced that he rose from the dead.
– St. Paul saw the Risen Lord.
– Jesus’ tomb was empty.
Our Participation in Christ’s
Resurrection
The meaning and saving
significance of Christ’s
Resurrection:
– The Resurrection confirms all
Christ’s works and teaching.
– The Resurrection, following
Christ’s sacrifice on the
cross, accomplishes our
Salvation.
– The Resurrection gives us
new life, justifies us in God’s
grace, and adopts us into the
divine family.
– Through the power of the
Holy Spirit, Christians
participate in the Life,
suffering, Death, and
Resurrection of Jesus.
Meeting the Risen Lord
Jesus lives on in his Church, especially in the
sacraments, where we participate in the Passion,
Death, and Resurrection of Jesus in a tangible
way:
• Baptism: the Lord comes to us by the
power of the Holy Spirit, forming us
into his own image and initiating us
into the Church
• Confirmation: the Holy Spirit
strengthens us to live Christ-like lives
• Penance: Jesus forgives our sins and welcomes us back
into the divine family.
• Anointing of the Sick: Jesus offers us healing in times
of illness.
• Holy Orders/Matrimony: Christ helps us to live loving
lives of service and to build up the People of God.
• Eucharist: Christ associates us
with his sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving to the Father
offered once and for all on the
cross and pours out the graces
of Salvation on the Church.
The Ascension and Glorification of
Jesus Christ
• Jesus’ glorification consists of his Resurrection,
his Ascension into Heaven, and Pentecost:
• The Ascension and Pentecost are continuations of
the Resurrection accounts:
– Having ascended to the Father, Jesus continually
intercedes for us with the Father and prepares a
place for us with him in Heaven.
– On Pentecost, Jesus
sent the Holy Spirit
upon the Apostles,
giving them the power
and courage to
preach the Gospel.