Is the Resurrection Real?

Last updated on: April 20, 2011 at 3:41 pm by Deborah Arca

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Is the Resurrection Real? 2011-04-20T15:41:48+00:00 Deborah Arca

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In just a few days, millions of Christians around the world will rise early in the morning and raise joyful Hallelujahs as they celebrate the defining event of the Christian faith: the Resurrection of Jesus. Undoubtedly, millions more will rise and raise the question—in earnest or in jest—whether the Resurrection could possibly have happened, for real. In our modern scientific world, does belief in a Resurrection make sense?

We invited some of our favorite Christian theobloggers to respond to this question, in 100 words or less. We’ll share a few of their responses here at Faith Forward in the next few days. For the full article, click here.

Greg Garrett

It happened.

Now, did Jesus actually physically sit up in his winding shroud, walk out into the Garden, freak out Mary Magdalene, Peter, the Beloved Disciple?

I wasn’t there. But I can tell you it’s the only ending that makes narrative sense. Hans Urs von Balthasar said that the Resurrection was the plot twist God crafted for a story headed for disaster.

Like every good surprise ending, though, resurrection has to be true to the story preceding it. If God truly is about justice, love, and mercy, then sin, violence, and death can’t be the end of the story.

Greg Garrett is an English Professor at Baylor University, an Episcopal Lay Preacher and the author of The Other Jesus. Read his weekly column, “Faithful Citizenship,” here.

Amy Julia Becker

My husband threw a handful of crackers across the room. He was angry.

My daughter threw her arms out wide and said, “Tada!” She was proud.

My son’s tears rolled down his cheeks. He was sad.

The physical expression made the feeling real.

I can’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection unless it was physical, unless it was an act of God’s power affirming Jesus in his full humanity, as an integrated being, body, mind, and spirit. The resurrection was more than physical, but the physical made it real.

God raised Jesus from the dead. God rejoiced. And so do I.

Amy Julia Becker is an author and recent grad of Princeton Theological Seminary. She blogs at Thin Places.

And for a longer response on the Resurrection, read a new article by Marcus Borg here.

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