Jesus' Resurrection Experience

Between the time that Jesus died and the time that he resurrected, a space of about one and one-half days elapsed. He died on Friday afternoon, and he arose from the tomb in the early hours of Sunday morning. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was the single event that most influenced the subsequent narrative of his life and the event that effectively eclipsed and obscured his original teachings. The Christian gospel became the gospel of the Risen Christ, replacing the gospel that Jesus taught on the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all mankind. The fact that Jesus arose on the third day and subsequently appeared in a different form to nearly one thousand eyewitnesses over the next forty days was indeed an astonishing occurrence. Jesus’ resurrection was accomplished through the inherent power in himself; no other personality assisted him. When Jesus emerged unseen from the tomb, he was embodied in a new form midway between material and spirit existence. His body of flesh remained undisturbed in the tomb, while in his new form, he could pass through the walls of the tomb unobserved. Only later was his body of flesh removed by the angels, leaving the tomb empty but also leaving the facts of his resurrection misunderstood.