Crucifixion & Resurrection of Jesus | Bible In Nutshell

Overview & Key Concepts

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Who are Bible In Nutshell?

Welcome to Bible in a Nutshell! Our vision is to create full-length movies that bring the Bible to life. Imagine watching a beautifully animated ... more

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What is Resurrection?

Resurrection is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of ancient religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and ... more

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What is Crucifixion?

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden beam. The victim is left to hang for several ... more

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Frequently Asked Questions

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1.Does the resurrection of Jesus prove he is God?

No. Jesus himself raised people after their death:

1. Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:35-43)
2. Son of a widow at Nain (Luke 11:11-17)
3. Lazarus, who was dead for four days (John 11-1-44)
4. Women received their dead by resurrection (Hebrews 11:35)
5. Elijah raised a widows son from death (I Kings 17:17-24)

Therefore, the resurrection itself would not make Jesus unique or divine even.

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2.How did the early Jewish-Christians view Jesus' resurrection?

The earliest Jewish-Christians did not believe that the resurrection meant Jesus was God, but rather that he was a righteous man approved by God through miracles, wonders, and signs. Based on texts like Acts 2:22-24, they maintained the theological view that Jesus had been raised by God, not that he was the Creator himself.

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3.What is the significance of Jesus' resurrection?

The resurrection of Jesus is of crucial importance to Christian doctrine. The Christian religion was founded many years after the death of Jesus based on the beliefs in his resurrection. Put simply, if there was no resurrection story, their would be no Christianity.

The reported resurrection of Jesus serves as the absolute foundational cornerstone of orthodox Christian theology and identity. Historical scholars note that institutional Christianity was organized years after Jesus' death primarily upon the early community's collective belief that he had triumphed over death. Academic consensus agrees that without the preservation and widespread propagation of this resurrection narrative, Christianity as an independent world religion would not exist.

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4.Did Jesus' disciple question his resurrection?

Yes, the New Testament canonical records openly document that even members of Jesus' inner circle of chosen followers struggled to accept his physical resurrection. In the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 28:17), the text captures his final appearance on a mountain in Galilee, explicitly stating that when the disciples saw him, they worshipped him, 'but some doubted'. Modern historians view this candid admission as highly credible, showing that belief in the resurrection was complex even for early eyewitnesses.

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5.What is the credibility of the Jesus' resurrection?

The resurrection is the most controversial creed issue facing Christianity today. There are numerous explanations for the resurrection, all of which are contested. There is no concensus if Jesus' tomb was found empty or not; whether disciples saw anything or not; even if anything happened or not.

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6.How important was Jesus' crucifixion to Apostle Paul?

In his surviving epistles, the Apostle Paul demonstrates almost no interest in the day-to-day earthly life, chronological career, or specific moral parables of Jesus of Nazareth. Instead, his extensive theology is completely fixated on the cosmic, atoning meaning of the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of the figure he addresses as 'the Lord'. Secular historians analyze this focus to illustrate how early Christian theology transformed from an inward-looking Jewish prophetic movement into a universal savior faith.

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7.Who replaced Jesus after his crucifixion?

Following the crucifixion, leadership of the primary community of believers in Jerusalem fell to Jesus' biological brother, James the Just. Mainstream historical and biblical scholarship confirms that James directed the mother church as an observant Jew, maintaining that followers must continue upholding traditional Mosaic customs and temple practices.

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8.Who instigated the crucifixion of Jesus?

There is no doubt the Jewish religious leaders of Israel were responsible for Jesus' death. The Romans carried out the actuall crucifixion under the authority of Pontius Pilate.

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9.What did James do after Jesus' crucifixion?

In Jerusalem, the disciple James, who acted as the primary leader of Jesus' immediate followers, strongly believed that their movement's future lay as a distinct religious group operating firmly within the confines of the traditional Judaism religion.

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