Christian Beliefs about the Resurrection

Religious Studies: KS3, topic 1.3.17

The Resurrection teaches Christians a lot about Jesus. It also teaches a lot of important Christian ideas.

The Resurrection highlights an important Christian idea - the value of faith.
Doubting Thomas, and the other disciples who did not recognise Jesus at first, all had a lack of faith.
They could only believe the Resurrection was true when they had proof it was Jesus.
Christians today do not have that physical proof of the Resurrection.
Christians today believe in the Resurrection because they have faith. They trust that God's word, in the Bible, is true.

The Bible's accounts of the Resurrection also stress that Jesus’ physical body was resurrected.
Jesus was not just a ghost or a spirit.
This is shown in the Bible when Jesus was able to eat with his followers, and Doubting Thomas was able to feel the wounds in his body.

Christians believe is that Jesus was able to rise again because he was the son of God, and had divine power.
They believe that in his death, Jesus had taken away all their sins and saved them from punishment.
By rising again, he had conquered death and made it possible for believers to have eternal life in heaven.
For this reason, Jesus is often referred to as the Messiah, a Hebrew word that is often translated as ‘saviour’.

Jesus' death and resurrection are celebrated by Christians each year at Easter.
Many Christians believe Easter is the holiest and most important time of the year.
At Easter, Christians are celebrating that even though people sin, they have been saved by Jesus' sacrifice
Christians say if they believe in the Resurrection and try to live as Jesus taught, they no longer need to fear death. Instead, they can look forward to being united with God in heaven.

Test yourself on Christian Beliefs about the Resurrection