Lecture #12 The Passion of Christ and Resurrection of Jesus B

welcome to video lecture number 12 in which we will discuss the passion of Christ and the resurrection of Jesus in the gospels let's start with The Passion of Christ in the gospels we will consider The Passion of Christ as presented in all four gospels the passion narratives which recount the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus are Central to the gospel accounts and are rich in theological meaning each gospel offers a a unique perspective on these events shaping our understanding who Christ is and what he accomplished in this act of sacrificing himself on the cross it also

helps us to understand its significance for the early community and Beyond into our life today let's look at an overview and structure of the passion accounts the narratives uh the term passion refers to the sufferings of Jesus leading up to and including the crucifixion passion the word comes from the Latin term pasio which means both suffering and enduring it is similar to the Greek term pathos that that relates to both suffering and emotion the passion narratives Encompass the events from the Last Supper through Jesus's burial it's Central to the gospels the passion week in including

the resurrection of Jesus is the climax of The Gospel Story Each evangelist devotes significant attention and significant portion of his gospel to the writing of these events the passion narrative not only serves as the culmination of Jesus's Earthly Ministry but also as the foundation for Christian soteriology which is a fancy word to say the doctrine of Salvation let's look at how the different gospels structure the passion narratives the synoptic gospels do so in a very similar fashion as you might imagine because they share so much in common and John's is a little bit different the

passion narratives in the synoptic gospels follow a similar structure with variation in some details and emphasis that typically include this pattern they start with the Lord's Supper then there's the agony In The Garden of Gethsemane then there's the arrest of Jesus the trials before the Sanhedrin and pilate mocking and scourging crucifixion and death and then finally the burial of Jesus whereas John's passion narrative uh shares some common elements uh with the synoptics but present some unique details and distinct theological emphasis which includes the farewell discourse a very long section from John 13 to 17 the

arrest and trials of Jesus the crucifixion and death and burial we want to look at all of these details uh in a little bit more detail we're going to look at each of these stages in more detail beginning with the passion narratives starting at the Last Supper The Last Supper is the final meal that Jesus shares with his disciples uh before his arrest it is traditionally understood as a Passover meal where they celebrate the work that God did to deliver Israel out of Egypt out of bondage in the time of Moses uh though the timing

is depi is depicted differently in John's gospel uh as an institution of the Eucharist or of the Lord's Supper uh it is important to recognize that we continue to do the practice that Jesus instructed his disciples in this time in Matthew 26: 26-29 Mark 14: 22 and 25 and Luke 221 14-20 Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper the Eucharist giving new meaning to The Bread and Wine as his body and blood he reinterprets those two elements of the Passover meal this act establishes the New Covenant anticipating Jesus's sacrificial death for the Forgiveness of sins drawing on

uh uh Illusions illustrations from Ezekiel and J Jeremiah the timing of the Last Supper in relation to Passover especially in go John's gospel emphasizes Jesus as the true Passover Lamb whose sacrifice brings deliverance from sin and death let's move on to the agony in Gethsemane after the Last Supper Jesus retreats to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray where he experiences deep anguish about his impending suffering let's look at the theological significance of that it shows us the humanity of Jesus the scene in Gethsemane in Matthew 26 Mark 14 and Luke 22 vividly portrays Jesus's Humanity

as he wrestles with the fear and sorrow of the approaching death his prayer not my will but yours done reflects the submission to the father's will highlighting the theme of obedience and trust it also shows us the disciples failure whereas Jesus was successfully preparing for his uh persecution and his death the disciples could not even stay awake their inability to stay awake and pray with Jesus underscores their weakness and foreshadows their abandonment of him during his arrest and trial this contrasts like I said with Jesus's steadfastness and determination to fulfill his mission and of course

perhaps the disciples are the best Among Us how many of us would have failed in that same moment this moves us on to the arrest and trial in the synoptic gospels Jesus is arrested in Gethsemane and brought before the Jewish authorities where he undergos a series of Trials he is then handed over to the Roman Governor ponus pilate for sentencing the theological significance of this is that Jesus is innocent and it portrays Injustice the trait uh the trial highlights this Injustice of Jesus's condemnation despite his innocence he is falsely accused and unjustly sentenced to death

the theme of innocent suffering is Central to the the passion narrative and resonates with the prophetic imagery of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 it captures the idea that Jesus who has not sinned at all is going to be persecuted and is going to be executed as a substitute substitutionary atonement atonement for all of us you see if Jesus had been tried because of his proclamations then that that might have been some sense of culpability but because he was found guilty of something he didn't do just emphasizes his sinlessness Jesus as king and Messiah is

an important theme the trial before Pilate in Matthew 27 Mark 15 and Luke 23 centers on the question of Jesus's kingship pilate's questioning and the mocking of Jesus as king of the Jews emphasized the paradoxical nature of his kingship one marked not by Earthly power but by suffering and self-sacrifice he's turned things on its end and now we see we get to the crucifixion and his death Jesus is crucified at gol gotha where he endures physical Agony and mockery before dying on the cross each gospel provides a detailed account of the events surrounding the crucifixion

though they emphasize different aspects at the cross the most important theological significance is that Jesus provides atonement through sacrifice the crucifixion is the ultimate Act of atonement where Jesus Bears the sins of of humanity and offers himself as a sacrifice for the Salvation of the world the synoptics Highlight the significance of Jesus's death with Supernatural signs such as the tearing of the temple curtain symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and Humanity even in the book of Hebrews it reflects that we have direct access to God because that curtain doesn't exist anymore Jesus has

given us as Believers direct access to the father it's also a period of fulfillment of scripture throughout the passion narratives the gospel writers emphasize the Fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies which underscores that Jesus's suffering and death were in accordance with God's Redemptive plan all along and it was foretold in scriptures even Jesus's Cry of Abandonment has theological significance in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 Jesus cries out my God my God why have you forsaken me this moment of profound anger anguish reflects the depth of Jesus's suffering and his identification with the one who is forsaken

while also pointing to Psalm 22 a Psalm of lament that ultimately ends in Hope and Vindication and salvation so there's this salvation that comes out of this great pain and Jesus is amplifying that for all the people the burial of course has theological significance it's the next event in the case of Jesus after he suffers following his death Jesus Jesus is buried in a tomb provided by Joseph of arthea the burial is a significant event as it sets the stage for the Resurrection the reality of Jesus's death is one of the theologically significant points of

the gospels the burial emphasizes the reality of his death countering any notion that his resurrection was merely a uh spiritual or symbolic or it was just all an act the burial also fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 5 39 which speaks of the suffering servant being buried with the rich it's also a preparation for Resurrection the burial narrative foreshadows the resurrection as the tomb becomes the place where the greatest Miracle of all the defeat of death is about to occur the passion narrative in John is just a little bit different so let's look at that one

there's some distinct features in it that we don't see in the synoptic gospels as well such as a very high christology John's gospel presents Jesus as fully aware of his Divine Mission and in control of the events leading to his death this is evident in Jesus's confident demeanor throughout the passion narrative and his willingness to lay down his life in John 10:18 he's going to be FOC the passion narrative is going to focus on the glorification of Christ for John the crucifixion is not just an event of suffering but also an event of glorification Jesus

speaks of being lifted up in John 12:32 a term that similarly refers to the crucifixion resurrection and exaltation the cross is thus the moment of Jesus's triumph over sin and death there are a few key elements in John's passion narrative uh the farewell discourse where he speaks to his disciples for several chapters John 13-1 17 before his arrest Jesus delivers this lengthy discourse to his disciples preparing them for his departure and prepare them for the coming Holy Spirit the farewell discourse as it's called emphasizes themes of love unity and the indwelling of the holy spirit

it's a really good lesson for us as the church today to re read that on a regular basis because it's the last words of Jesus preparing his church to be the church it also contains Jesus's High Priestly prayer in John 17 where he prays for his disciples and all future Believers underscoring the UN between Jesus and the father and the mission of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit John also talks about the arrest and trial of Jesus unlike the synoptics John's account of the arrest emphasizes Jesus's Authority when the soldiers come to

arrest him they fell to the ground when he declares I am he in John 18:6 echoing the Divine name revealed in Old Testament Exodus 3:14 they didn't fall to the ground in the synoptic Gospels the trial before Pilate in John's gospel includes an extended dialogue about kingship and Truth between pilate and Jesus in John 18:33 through 38 highlighting Jesus as the embodiment of truth and the true king whose kingdom is not of this world in John's account of the crucifixion uh includes unique details such as the presence of Mary the mother of Jesus and the

Beloved disciple at the foot of the cross in John 19 25- 27 that we identify as the author of the book John the Apostle Jesus's final words where he says it is finished in John 19:30 signified the completion of his mission John's gospel portrays the crucifixion as the moment of Jesus's glorification where the work of Salvation is accomplished and the new creation begins after Jesus's death Joseph aea a secret disciple of Jesus and Nicodemus the one who had earlier visited Jesus by night in John chapter 3 come forward and take Jesus's body and prepare it

for burial they anoint his body with a mixture of myrrh and allows and place it in a new Tomb located in a garden near the crucifixion sight according to John 19 38-42 the this is a fulfillment of Prophecy the burial is a new Tomb by a wealthy and respected figure like Joseph of ARA and it fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 539 like we talked about which speaks of the suffering servant being assigned a grave with the rich this detail emphasizes the dignity and the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus's death what is the symbolism of the garden

the location of the tune in the garden May symbolize uh and Echo the Garden of Eden where Humanity's fall into sin occurred in this new Garden the stages set for the resurrection representing the the reversal of the fall or I like to call it the reverse of the curse and the beginning of a new creation through Jesus's victory over death it's a part of the continuity with the Resurrection the burial though um solemn and Final in appearance is presented as a Prelude to the coming Resurrection John's gospel leaves readers in anticipation knowing that the tomb

will soon become the sight of the greatest revelation of Jesus as ident and sign of his messiahship is the resurrected Lord let's look at some of the theological themes in the passion narrative um beginning with sacrificial love Christ was a willing sacrifice across all four gospel Jesus's passion is depicted as a voluntary Act of sacrificial love Jesus's willingness to endure suffering and death for the sake of all of humanity underscores the depth of divine love and the centrality of the cross in Jesus's Redemptive plan it points to an agape love this sacrificial love is often

understood in the context of the Greek term Agape which is self-giving unconditional love the passion narratives uh highlight that Jesus's love is not merely for the disciples or the righteous but it extends to all Humanity even those who reject and In This Moment crucify him he highlights The Obedience to the father will Jesus is the obedient servant the passion narratives emphasize Jesus's obedience to the father's will even in the face of immense suffering this obedience fulfills the role of the suffering servant pres prophesied in the Old Testament such as in Isaiah 53 who willingly Bears

the sins of many Jesus's obedience provides an example of discipleship it's a model of Christian discipleship for all of us Believers are called to follow Jesus's example by embracing their own crosses and submitting to God's will even in difficult circumstances it's easier said than done but when we go through hard times that's the time to say not my will Lord but yours and to trust in the Lord to accomplish his will through us even in the midst of our circumstances another important theological theme is the Paradox of kingship Jesus is the suffering King the passion

reveals uh uh some special ideas of of who Jesus is as the the king uh presenting a paradoxical view of Jesus's kingship that was completely unexpected he's mocked as the king of the Jews yet it is through his suffering and death that he truly Reigns over sin and death and over everyone and everything this upside down kingship challenges worldly Notions of power and authority and ushers in the kingdom of God the passion reveals that the kingdom of God is Not established through military might or political power or through wealth but through self-sacrifice humility and love

Jesus's death on the cross is the inauguration of this Kingdom which is characterized by justice peace and Reconciliation this passage also is a fulfillment of scripture uh it's throughout the passion narratives the gospel writers frequently refer to Old Testament prophecies that are fulfilled in Jesus's suffering and death this fulfillment underscores that Jesus's passion was part of God's PR determined plan for salvation while the passion week uh fulfills ancient prophecies it also inaugurates something entirely new a New Covenant between God and Humanity sealed by the blood of Jesus finally one of the most important themes is

is victory over sin and death the cross is Victory the passion narratives uh particularly in John present the cross not merely as a moment of defeat for Jesus but as the moment of Jesus's greatest victory over the powers of sin and death the resurrection which follows the passion confirms this Victory and ushers in the hope of eternal life for believers it's an eschatological hope the passion points forward to this eschatological hope of resurrection and the ultimate Triumph of God's kingdom Jesus's death and Resurrection are the first fruits of the new creation that Believers will be

able to fully experience in the age to come the passion narratives in the gospels are profound theological texts that invite deep reflection on the nature of Jesus's mission the meaning of the death and the implication for Christian life and death are profound for each of us each gospel writer offers a unique portrayal of the passion highlighting different aspects of its significance however they all Converge on the central truth that through his suffering and death Jesus accomplished the work of salvation revealing the depth of God's love and opening the way for eternal life as we continue

to study these narratives let us remain mindful of their power to shape our understanding of Christ Inspire our faith and challenge us to live in the light of the Cross thank you for your attention to this and I look forward to the next discussion we're about to have and that is on the resurrection of Jesus in the gospels let's now focus on this most important event of the theology it's the second part of this lecture we talked About the Passion narrative and now we're going to talk about the resurrection of Jesus um the resurrection is

the Cornerstone of Christian faith symbolizing victory over death and sin the confirmation of Jesus's Divine identity the gospels present the resurrection as the climax of The Narrative each providing a unique perspective that contributes to our understanding of this event let's look at the overview of the the the go the resurrection of events that take place in all of the gospels the resurrection refers to the event in which Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion this event is narrated in all four gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John and is Central

to the Christian belief system the resurrection affirms Jesus's identity as the Son of God it validates his teachings and it fulfills the Old Testament prophecies is also the foundation for Christian hope hope in eternal life and the future resurrection of all believers uh there are some common elements uh even though there are some variations in some of the details uh in all of the narratives this includes the discovery of the empty tomb by the women followers of Jesus the Angelic announcement of Jesus's resurrection and appearances of the Risen Jesus to his disciples each gospel writer

though emphasizes different aspects of the Resurrection reflecting their theolog olical perspective and the needs for their communities let's look at the resurrection narrative first in the synoptic gospels beginning with the gospel of Matthew Matthew's account of the Resurrection that's in chapter 28: 1-2 begins with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visiting the tomb early on the first day of the week they experience an earthquake and an angel descends from Heaven rolls back the stone and announces Jesus's resurrection the key themes here are divine power and commissioning of the disciple the disciples the earthquake and the

angelic appearance uh ex emphasize the dramatic and divine nature of the Resurrection underscoring God's direct intervention in raising Jesus from the dead the Risen Jesus meets the women and later the disciples in Galilee where he gives the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18 through uh verse 20 this passage highlights the mission of the disciples to spread the gospel to All Nations affirming the universal scope of Jesus's message the gospel of Mark presents a similar narrative let's look at that for a quick moment it doesn't have the end of the same ending that Matthew does though Mar

March Resurrection account is the shortest and most igma of the gospels taking place in mark 16: 1-8 it describes the visit of Mary Magdalene the Mary the mother of James and salomy to the tomb where they find the stone rolled away and encounter a young man in white who tells them Jesus has written as risen uh there's fear in silence and a call to Faith that takes place the women flee from the Tomb in fear and say nothing to anyone at first uh this abrupt ending is the earliest in the earliest manuscripts leaves readers with

a sense of awe and mystery emphasizing the overwhelming and incomprehensible nature of the Resurrection Mark's account uh challenges readers to respond to Faith uh through the announcement of Jesus's resurrection even in the face of fear and uncertainty and aligns Mark's broader theme of discipleship as a Journey of Faith amid trials in the Gospel of Luke we see the resurrection account in Luke 24 uh it's a very long chapter verses 1- 53 and it is detailed and emphasizes the Fulfillment of Scriptures it begins with the women discovering the empty tomb and then shifts to several Resurrection

appearances including the road to Emmas and Jesus's app appearance to the disciples in Jerusalem for Luke the emphasis is fulfillment of scripture and breaking of bread yet again Luke repeatedly stresses that Jesus's death and Resurrection were in accordance with scriptures showing that this was the plan all along not like a secondary thought that God had after man sin this was God's intention this emphasis on fulfillment reinforces the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and the Divine Divine Plan of Salvation for all people this recognition of Jesus during the breaking of bread in the EMAs

narrative underscores the Eucharistic themes in the Luke's gospel and the Lord's Supper is a picture is a picture there as they're eating together again this act symbolizes the presence of the Risen Savior in the community's sacramental life there's also the idea of a universal salvation Happening Here meaning it's available to all not for all who don't believe but those who do the gospel concludes with Jesus's Ascension and the commissioning of the disciples to preach repent repentance and forgiveness of sin to All Nations beginning in Jerusalem in Luke 24:47 which reflects Luke's theme of the universality

of Salvation available to Gentiles as well as to Jews in John's gospel The Narrative includes things that you don't find in the other gospels John's uh gospel chapter 20 uh verse one all the way through the end of chapter 21 provides a rich and nuanced account of the Resurrection including detailed personal encoun between the Risen Jesus and his followers John is an eyewitness writing down some of these things he experienced this includes appearances to Mary Magdalene the disciples and doubting Thomas as well as the miraculous catch of fish in Galilee he his key themes are

based on intimate encounters and faith and belief John's narrative emphasizes the personal and transformative encounters between Jesus and his followers he's rebuilding the relationship that was ruptured when he was executed and killed and when they abandoned him Mary magdalene's recognition of Jesus when he calls her by name in John 20116 highlights the intimate relationship between the Risen Lord and his disciples on the faith and beliefs account the account of Thomas who initially doubts the resurrection but later confesses Jesus as my Lord and my God in John 2028 connecting the first pieces of the trinitarian doctrine

serves as a powerful testimony to the importance of truth and the importance of Faith Jesus's blessing on those who believe without seeing speaks directly to us to later generations to the audience of the gospel and future generation of Believers there's also the theme of new uh creation that's taking place here the resurrection in John's uh John's account in his gospel portrayed the beginning as of a new creation the breathing of the Holy Spirit on the disciples in John vers 22 Echoes the Breath of Life in Genesis and probably has a picture from Ezekiel of the

bone the valley of dry bones that becomes the army of God symbolizing the renewal and empowerment of the disciples for their mission as God breathed life into Adam he now brings new life through the spirit in his followers his Believers let's look at the theological themes in the resurrection narratives the resurrection narratives and the gospels provide foundational theological themes that shape Christian doctrine and the life of the church these themes include victory over death Divine identity of Christ the inauguration of the New Covenant and new creation and the commissioning of the church let's develop these

key theological themes in a little bit more depth first of all is victory over death he defeated death on the cross the resurrection is the definitive victory over death signaling the defeat of sin and the grave in the context of Christian eschatologically eschatology death is often seen as the final enemy we see this in 1 Corinthians 15:26 but Jesus's resurrection demonstrates that the death's power has been broken the resurrection is both the historical and Cosmic event confirming that Christ's Victory is not just personal but encompassing all Humanity the victory is Central to Christian hope of

eternal life and bodily Resurrection with passages such as 1 Corinthian 15 54-57 highlighting how death is swallowed up in Victory we are offered eternal life as a result of the work of Jesus's resurrection the resurrection serves as the first fruits of eternal life 1 Corinthians 15:20 says indicating that believers who are united with Christ will share in his resurrection This Promise of eternal life transcends mere spiritual survival after death it promises a full and embodied life in the presence of God as Jesus conquered death so Believers through their faith in him are promised a future

resurrection and the hope of Eternal communion with God this transformation from mortality to immortality is seen not only as personal but as part of the cosmic renewal is bringing about through Christ the next theological theme to study in the resurrection narratives is Christ's Divine identity and there's two aspects to this confirmation of Jesus's Divinity the resurrection is a Divine confirmation of Jesus's identity as the Son of God which is vividly proclaimed in Romans 1:4 Jesus's resurrection vindicates his claim to Divinity distinguishes him from other religious figures and other Messianic claimants by rising from the dead

Jesus validates his unique relationship with God the Father demonstrating the truth of his teachings and his authority the resurrection thus becomes the focal point for understanding Jesus not merely as a prophet or a teacher but as God incarnate who possesses the power over life and death it also confirms Jesus as Lord and Messiah the resurrection fulfills the Messianic Promises of the Old Testament establishing Jesus not just as this great teacher but the long awaited Lord and Messiah we see this in Acts chap 2: 36 it is the proof that Jesus is the rightful ruler over

all of creation and that his kingdom has been inaugurated through his death and Resurrection by being raised from the dead Jesus establishes his lordship over sin death and Satan this title of Lord or curios in Greek gives to Jesus a profound implication in the Roman World it challenges the Imperial authority of Caesar and it elevates Christ as the true Sovereign deserving of all Allegiance and worship another important theme is the New Covenant and the new creation he's inaugurating a New Covenant the resurrection is the hinge point in the establishment of the New Covenant through his

death and Resurrection Jesus mediates a new relationship between God and Humanity characterized by forgiveness peace Grace and the indwelling of the holy spirit this is Promised in Jeremiah 31: 31-34 and explained in Hebrews 9:15 this new covenant is not based on the old Mosaic law but on the transformative work of Christ's sacrifice and victory over death the resurrection ratifies this Covenant showing that Jesus's blood has inaugurated a new way to access God not through Temple sacrifices but through his eternal priesthood it also points to a New Creation it Sparks the beginning of this new creation

according to 2 Corinthians 5:17 in the resurrection of Jesus we we see the first glimpse of God's work to renew and restore all things in John's gospel the resurrection occurs in a garden evoking imagery from the Garden of Eden and signaling that the Brokenness of the old creation is being undone through Christ just as Christ's body is transformed and glorified in the resurrection so too will the entire creation be renewed and changed transformed as foretold in Romans 819 through 23 creation itself awaits the Redemption that comes through Christ this new creation is not just spiritual

but encompasses all things reconciling Heaven and Earth through the Risen Christ according to Colossians 1:20 a fourth major theological theme that we see in the resurrection narratives is the commission and mission of the church let's start by looking at the Great Commission the resurrection narrative culminates in Jesus's commissioning his disciples to spread the gospel to the nations in Matthew 28:18-20 and also John 20 19-23 this command to make disciples of all Nations establishes the church's Mission linking the power of the Risen Christ to the global expansion of the Gospel the resurrection is not merely a

private event but it has public missional implications compelling the church to Proclaim Christ's Victory and call others to participate in this new covenant through faith and baptism it is accomplished by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit the Risen Christ does not leave his disciples to carry out his mission by their own strength in John 20: 22 Jesus is recorded as breathing on his disciples saying receive the Holy Spirit a gesture that anticipates the full outpouring of the spirit that's going to take place at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 Luke 244 49 emphasizes that the spirits

uh that the disciples are to wait in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power from on high thus the resurrection leads directly to Pentecost and the empowering of the church for its Mission the resurrection therefore is not just an event of past significance but is continually lived out through the spirit's work in the life of the church enabling Believers to Bear witness to Christ's Victory and lordship these things reveal the theological depth of the Resurrection narratives showing us how they touch on every aspect of Christian faith eschatology christology soteriology ecclesiology and patology each gospel writer

offers unique insights but together they present the resurrection as the defining moment of God's Redemptive plan by bringing hope transformation and Mission To The World the resurrection of Jesus is the lynchpin of Christian faith a confirming everything that Jesus taught and did during his Earthly Ministry the gospel narratives provide multiple perspectives on this event each contributing to a richer understanding of its significance whether through the dramatic and Powerful imagery in Matthew the mysterious and open-ended account in Mark the scriptural fulfillment and Universal salvation in Luke or the ultimate and transformative Encounters in John the resurrection

is depicted as a world changing event that redefines our reality as we reflect on the resurrection we are invited not only to consider its historical and Theological implications but also to respond in Faith and Action the resurrection calls us to live as people of Hope grounded in the promise of New Life In Christ and to participate in the ongoing mission of the church empowered by the spirit may God bless you all thank you for having taken this course and may you have a better awareness of how Jesus comes across in the four Gospels