The Resurrection of Jesus: The Foundation of Christian Faith

Abstract

The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith and doctrine. It is the cornerstone of the teaching of the Church since inception, and by reason of faith in the Risen Lord, Christians are called and strengthened to bear witness all over the world. This paper is an exposition of the doctrine of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It argues that the Christian faith will make no sense if the “Lord is Risen” is not given a prior place. It also gives a significant cue to the fact that Christian theology does not merely affirm an eschatological bodily resurrection, but that a physical bodily resurrection is essential for a post-mortem eschatological existence, without which the Christian account of an afterlife is questionable, if not false, at best. Although, much of the structure of this paper is inspired by Joseph Ratzinger’s masterpiece, Jesus of Nazareth, the paper is not aimed at a mere intellectual or conceptual clarification, but hopes to engender and evoke genuine faith in the reader to proclaim that indeed, “the Lord is Risen.” Consequently, to undermine the resurrection of the Lord, one undermines the faith of the Church, and hence, its hope.