Death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When did Christ actually rise? The Relationship Between the Old Testament and New Testament Passover

Resurrection [Greek] ἀνάστασις; lat. resurrectio] of Jesus Christ, the return of Jesus Christ to life after His death and burial caused by crucifixion. The great Christ installed in memory of this event bears the same name. holiday called the Bright Resurrection of Christ or Easter.

Events of Sunday night

The events of the night on which Jesus Christ was resurrected are described in the 4 Gospels (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18). There is a brief mention of some of them in the 1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (15. 4-5). Since the descriptions of the evangelists differ significantly, since ancient times attempts have been made to compile a general chronology of Easter events (Tatian, Hesychius); in Russian biblical studies the sequence of events of Easter night is given by the priest. T. Butkevich, A. Paharnaev, prot. M. Sobolev and others. But, in addition to the facts known from the Gospels, all chronologies are in the nature of assumptions. The facts to which the Gospels testify are as follows.

On Saturday late in the evening (ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων; in the Synodal translation: “after... Saturday” - Matthew 28.1), when the 1st day of the week began (τῇ ἐπιφωσκούδηι εἰς μίαν σαβ βάτων; in the Synodal translation: “at the dawn of the first day of the week"; in the East, new days began in the evening), the Galilean women came to the tomb in which they laid Jesus Christ in order, according to Jewish custom, to anoint His body with embalming substances, which they did not have time to do on Friday, the evening of the swarm was already considered the beginning of the Sabbath, that is, the “day of rest.” Some wives are mentioned by Ap. Matthew (28.1), others - St. Mark (16.1), “and Mary Magdalene was the companion of all, as His most zealous and zealous disciple” (Theoph. Bulg. In Matt. 28). They found that the stone had been rolled away (Mk 16:4; Lk 24:2; John 20:1) and the tomb was empty. After Saturday evening, the Lord Jesus Christ has already risen. “God raised Him up, breaking the bonds of death, because it was impossible for it to hold Him” (Acts 2:24). How the Resurrection took place is not reported in any Gospel - this is the Mystery of God's omnipotence, which cannot be described. Some interpreters believe that the Most Holy One was with the women. The Mother of God is “another Mary” (the liturgical Tradition is about this - in the synaxaran reading on the Holy Week of Easter; cf. Theophylact of Bulgaria: “By Mary, the mother of James, understand the Mother of God, for She was so called as the imaginary mother of Jacob, the son of Joseph, I mean brother of God" - Theoph. Bulg. In Luc. 24. 1-12), others believe that it was Mary of Cleopas or Mary of Jacob (perhaps this is the same person; cf.: Euseb. Hist. eccl. III 11 ), Eusebius of Caesarea believes that there were 2 Marys from Magdala, which is why the 2nd is called by the evangelist “another Mary” (Euseb. Quaest. evangel. // PG. 22. Col. 948). The facts of indirect evidence of the occurrence of the main event do not require accuracy from the evangelists. According to the Gospel of Matthew, at the moment the women arrived, “there was a great earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord came down from heaven and came and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it; His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow” (Matt 28:2-3). The Angel of the Lord (or “a young man... clothed in a white robe” - Mk 16.5, or “two men in shining robes” - Lk 24.4; cf. Gen. 19.5 ff.) informs the wives about the accomplishment of the great Mystery . It is only clear that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ took place with the tomb closed on the third day, as Christ Himself told the disciples about this (Matthew 16.21; 17.23; 20.19; Mark 8.31; 9.31; 10.34; Luke 9. 22; 18. 33; John 2. 19-22) and as the angel preached to the myrrh-bearing women: “Why are you seeking the living among the dead? He is not here: He has risen; remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must... rise on the third day” (Luke 24:5-7; Matt 28:5-6; Mark 16:6).

Mary Magdalene reports to St. Peter and “another disciple whom Jesus loved (Apostle John, cf. John 21.20, 24.-M.I.): “They have taken the Lord away from the tomb, and we do not know where they laid Him” (John 20.1 -2). Both disciples, and also, apparently, Mary Magdalene, run to the cave and find in it only “the linen cloths lying and the cloth that was on His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but especially rolled up in another place” (John 20. 3-7). Ap. John immediately “believed” that Christ had risen (John 20.8) - this is the first revelation of faith in the Risen One (“he who had not seen and believed”; cf.: John 20.29). Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem, and Mary remained at the tomb and wept. At this time she saw 2 angels in the cave, who asked her: “Wife! Why are you crying?" Mary Magdalene replied: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. Having said this, she turned back and saw Jesus standing; but did not recognize that it was Jesus. Jesus says to her: woman! Why are you crying? who are you looking for? She, thinking that this is the gardener, turns to Him: Master! if you have brought Him out, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him. Jesus says to her: Mary! She turned and said to Him: Rabbi! - which means: “Teacher!” Jesus says to her: Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; But go to My brothers and say to them: “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God”” (John 20. 11-17). Mary Magdalene leaves the burial place to fulfill the command of the Divine Teacher (John 20.18). At dawn, other myrrh-bearing women come to the cave. They also saw a stone rolled away from the entrance to the cave, and in the cave itself an angel and were horrified (Mk 16:1-5). The angel told them: “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, crucified; He has risen, He is not here. This is the place where He was laid. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him...” (Mark 16.6-7). The women “ran with fear and great joy to tell His disciples” (Matthew 28:8). On the way they were met by the risen Christ “and said: Rejoice!” (Matthew 28.9).

The appearance of an angel, whose appearance “was like lightning,” caused great fear among the guards guarding the cave, “those who guarded them trembled and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:2-4). They told the Jewish high priests about this, and they, after consulting with the elders, gave the soldiers “enough money” so that they would spread a false version of the disappearance of the body from the tomb, according to which the disciples of Christ stole His body, which the guards who were sleeping at that time did not notice ( Matthew 28.11-15).

The description of the event of the Resurrection itself, that is, how Jesus Christ came to life and found himself outside the burial cave, is absent in the canonical New Testament texts and is available only in the apocryphal “Gospel of Peter”. None of the people saw this event. Even Rev. The Virgin, to whom, according to Church Tradition, the Risen One appeared first, sees Christ after His Resurrection. Therefore, the event of V. as such was never depicted in Byzantium. and Old Russian iconography.

Testimony of Jesus Christ and the Apostles about the Resurrection

Having power over life and death (John 11.25), Christ not only raised the dead (the daughter of Jairus - Matthew 9.18-19, 23-25; the son of a widow from the city of Nain - Luke 7.11-15; Lazarus from the village of Bethany - John 11. 1 ff.), which foreshadowed His own rise from the dead, but also predicted His Resurrection. He repeatedly told His disciples “that the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill Him, and after He is killed, He will rise on the third day” (Mark 9.31; cf. 8.31; 10.34). At the same time, Jesus Christ referred to the Old Testament “sign of Jonah”, “for as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:39-40). He also spoke “about the temple of His body” (John 2.21): “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2.19; cf. Matt. 26.61). These words were not understood by those to whom they were addressed (John 2:20). And only the disciples of Christ, “when... He rose from the dead, they remembered that He had said these things, and believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus spoke” (John 2:22). However, they do not immediately come to faith in the Resurrection of Christ. They do not believe what they are told about the events of the Easter night of the myrrh-bearing woman (Mk 16.11; Lk 24.11); ap. Thomas does not believe that the “other disciples” “saw the Lord” (John 20:25); “two of them” (Cleopas - Luke 24. 18 and, perhaps, the evangelist Luke, which is why he hid his name; cf.: Theoph. Bulg. In Luc. 24. 13-24), called by Jesus Christ “foolish and slow heart" because of their disbelief "to everything that the prophets predicted (about Christ - M.I.)" (Luke 24.25), they believed in the Risen One only when He Himself, "beginning from Moses," explained "to them what was said about Him in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:26-27), and at the end of the meeting He was revealed to them “in the breaking of bread” (Luke 24:35). The risen Christ appeared to His apostles and disciples “for forty days” (Acts 1.3) (“for many days” - Acts 13.31). He explained the Scriptures to them (Luke 24.27, 44-46), revealed the secrets of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1.3), to assure them of His Resurrection, “He showed them His hands and feet and His side” (John 20.20, 27 ; Lk 24.39), ate food with them (Lk 24.41-43; Jn 21.9-15), prepared them for their future. evangelistic ministry (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15; Jn 20:21-23). The information of the evangelists about the appearances of the risen Christ is supplemented by St. Paul. He points out that Christ “appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time”; then - “To James, also to all the Apostles; and after all he appeared to me too,” that is, the ap. Paul (1 Cor 15.6-8), although the appearance of Jesus Christ to the apostle took place much later than the previous appearances (Acts 9. 3-6). Despite the fact that the disciples see the Risen One, touch Him, eat with Him, the body of Christ was no longer subject to the usual conditions of earthly life. On the day of His Resurrection, according to the testimony of the Evangelist John, “when the doors of the house where His disciples were meeting were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle and said to them: Peace be with you!” (20.19). Through locked doors, Christ comes to His disciples 8 days after the Resurrection (John 20:26). Even those close to Him do not recognize Him, for their eyes are “held” (Luke 24:16; John 20:15). During the breaking of bread in the village of Emmaus, when the “eyes” of Jesus Christ’s companions “were opened and they recognized Him,” “He became invisible to them” (Luke 24:30-31). The risen Christ appears “not to the world” (John 14:22), but only to a limited circle of those whom He chose, because for a world lying in evil (1 John 5:19), He is “the stone that the builders rejected... ... a stone of stumbling and a stone of temptation" (1 Peter 2:7). Therefore, even the guards do not see Him, although at the moment of the Resurrection they are located directly at the burial cave.

The apostolic sermon from the time of the founding of the Church was a sermon about the risen Christ, and the apostles themselves called themselves “witnesses” of the Resurrection (Acts 2.32; 3.15). His resurrection for them is the foundation of Christ. faith, for “if Christ is not resurrected,” says the ap. Paul to the Christians of Corinth, “our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain” (1 Cor 15:14). “And if in this life only we hope in Christ,” not believing in His Resurrection, which became the guarantee of the resurrection of all people, “then we are the most miserable of all people” (1 Cor 15:19). Despite the fact that they were not witnesses to the very moment of the rise of Jesus Christ from the tomb, the apostles testify first of all to the very fact of the Resurrection (Acts 2.24; 4.10, etc.) and its correspondence with Scripture (i.e., the fulfillment Old Testament prophecies about Christ). Yes, app. Peter, on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, revealed to those gathered the messianic meaning of the 15th Psalm, pointing out that the words of the prophet. David: “You will not leave my soul in hell, nor will you allow Your holy one to see corruption” (Acts 2:27) - refer not to the prophet himself, for “he died and was buried” (Acts 2:29), but to the risen Christ (Acts 2:30-31). Addressing the members of the Sanhedrin, St. Peter explains that the Old Testament image of the cornerstone (Isa 28:16; cf. Ps 117:22) should also mean Jesus Christ, whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead (Acts 4:10-12). In the Resurrection of Christ, St. Paul sees the fulfillment of the promise “given to the fathers” (Acts 13:32), while emphasizing that the Risen One “will no longer return to corruption” (Acts 13:34). The theme of the Resurrection is constantly present in his preaching: not only when he addresses the Jews with their messianic aspirations, but also to the pagans who worshiped the “unknown God” (Acts 17:23, 31-32). Chapter 15 his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians can rightly be called, as Rev. Georgy Florovsky, “the gospel of the Resurrection” (Florovsky G. About the Resurrection of the Dead // Transmigration of Souls: Problems of Immortality in Occultism and Christianity: Collection of articles P., 1935. P. 135). In it up. Paul writes not only about the very fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also about the significance of this event in Christ. soteriology, while correlating it with Buddhism. the general resurrection of the human race.

The theme of V.I.H. in the patristic heritage

Continuing the apostolic tradition, patristic thought constantly addresses this topic. Already at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries. in the oldest Eucharistic prayer, contained in the Didache, the first Christians thank the Heavenly Father for the “immortality” that He “revealed through Jesus His Son” (Didache. 10). At the same time, sschmch. Ignatius the God-Bearer opposes docetism, rooted in Gnosticism, which denied the reality of the physical body of Jesus Christ and, accordingly, recognized His suffering and resurrection as imaginary. Christ, emphasizes sschmch. Ignatius, “suffered truly, as truly and resurrected Himself, and not as some unbelievers say, as if He suffered ghostly. They themselves are a ghost..." (Ign. Ep. ad Smyrn. 2). Appealing to the gospel facts of the appearance of the risen Christ, sschmch. Ignatius points out that Christ, after the resurrection, ate and drank with his disciples, “as one who had flesh, although he was spiritually united with the Father” (Ibid. 3). He, according to Sschmch. Ignatius, allowed the apostles to touch Him so that they would be convinced that He was “not an incorporeal spirit” (Ibidem). The keeper of the apostolic Tradition about the resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals himself to be the keeper of the Apostolic Tradition. Polycarp, bishop Smirnsky. In the Epistle to the Philippians, he writes about Christ, “who suffered even death for our sins, but whom God raised, breaking the bonds of hell” (Polycarp. Ad Phil. 1; compare with the sermon of the Apostle Peter, in which he testifies, that “God raised Him (i.e., Jesus Christ. - M.I.), breaking the bonds of death” - Acts 2.24).

Patristic thought pays special attention to the expression “firstborn of the dead,” Crimea ap. Paul names the risen Christ (1 Cor 15:20, 23). At the same time, she correlates it with the name “last Adam” given by the same apostle to Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:45). Comparing, following the apostle, the two Adams (1 Cor 15. 21-22, 45, 47-49), smch. Irenaeus, bishop Lyonsky, notes that Christ, as the new Adam, “headed (recapitulavit) all humanity, giving us salvation, so that what we lost in (the first. - M.I.) Adam... we received again in Christ Jesus" (Iren. Adv . haer. III 18. 1, cf.: III 18. 7). As Christ, who led the human race, according to smch. Irenaeus, can be called the “Head”, who “resurrected from the dead”, so humanity is a “body”, “copulated through connections” (Eph 4. 15-16) with this “Head” and co-resurrected with Her (Iren Adv. haer. III 19. 3). Continuing this exegetical tradition, St. Theophan the Recluse writes: “Christ, as the Firstborn, had to go through the entire path of restoration in order to pave the way for those being restored. For this purpose (He. - M.I.) dies, in order to destroy the power of death, for this purpose He is resurrected, in order to lay the foundation of resurrection for everyone, for this purpose He enters into glory, in order for everyone to open the door to entry into this glory... Behind Him how all humanity will surely follow the Firstfruits" ( Feofan (Govorov), ep. Interpretation of the First Epistle of St. ap. Paul to the Corinthians. M., 1893. S. 547, 549).

Reflecting on the Resurrection, St. the fathers ask the question: what fate would await humanity if Christianity had not been crowned with the Resurrection of its Founder? According to St. Gregory, bishop Nyssa, humanity in this case would have lost the most important thing - the highest meaning of its existence. If death is not defeated by Christ and “is the limit of life”, “if there is no Resurrection, then why do people work and philosophize”, entering into the fight against evil and the anomalies of the surrounding world? If the dead do not rise, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!” (1 Cor 15:32). (Greg. Nyss. In sanct. pascha. Col. 676). To this text app. Paul, quoted by St. Gregory, and St. Filaret, Metropolitan Moscow, calling it a “rule,” which the apostle pronounced “on behalf of those who do not know or do not want to know the resurrection.” This “rule,” notes St. Filaret, “it would be suitable for the moral philosophy of the dumb, if they had the advantage of philosophizing.” It “would constitute all wisdom, all morality, all laws among people, if the thought of a future life were removed from them. Then do not be angry, neighbor and brother, if you also become food for people who love to “eat and drink,” for if it is not worth the trouble to take care of your own life, because “in the morning we will die,” then it is also not worth the trouble to spare the life of another, which tomorrow the grave will swallow it up without a trace.” “Philosophy of the Wordless” Met. Filaret contrasts faith in the resurrection and eternal life, which began with the risen Christ ( Filaret (Drozdov), mit. Words and speeches. M., 18482. Part 1. P. 83). Realizing that it is very difficult to have such faith (cf. Acts 17:32), St. the fathers suggest going to her through images of the resurrection observed in the surrounding nature. “Lord,” writes sschmch. Clement, bishop Roman, - constantly shows us the future resurrection, of which He made the Lord Jesus Christ the Firstfruits, raising Him from the dead.” Images of the resurrection Clement sees in the change of day and night, in the appearance of new shoots from grain thrown into the ground, in the mythological legend about the Phoenix bird, widespread at that time, a worm is born from a rotting body, which then turns into a new bird (Clem. Rom. Ep. I ad Cor. 24, 25). “Since the miracle of the resurrection is great and exceeds faith, then the Lord ... - according to St. Gregory, bishop Nyssa, - as if accustoming us to faith” in this miracle through other miracles of his, in which the victory of life over death is seen. “Having started with the lowest degrees of miracles” (by which St. Gregory means the healings from various diseases described in the Gospels performed by Jesus Christ), the Lord “exceeds” them with new miracles - the resurrection of people. And finally he completes them with His own Resurrection (Greg. Nyss. De hom. opif. 25).

A deep and comprehensive theological analysis of the mystery of the Resurrection is given by St. Athanasius I the Great. In explaining this mystery, he goes far beyond the scope of Christology and uses the doctrine of God - the Creator of the world, about human nature, and about sin. Before him was one of the main questions of Christ. Soteriology: who and how could defeat the mortality of human nature. Although the saint himself recognized the potential mortality of this nature even before it committed a sin, however, when this mortality from potential became real, the catastrophe that occurred turned out to be so significant that only He who omnipotently created the world “out of nothing” with His Word could overcome it. This same Word, as the “Father’s Image,” recreates man, and He, as the “source life,” resurrects the mortal, becoming, i.e. “the firstfruits of the general resurrection” (Athanas. Alex. De incarn. Verbi. 20). The resurrection of Christ radically changes the meaning of death in human destiny. The tragedy of death has been overcome; we are now “due to the mortality of the body, we are resolved (that is, we die. - M.I.) only for a while... so that we can inherit a better resurrection” (Ibid. 21). Death is terrible only outside of Christ; “those who die as lost” are mourned by those who have no hope of resurrection. For Christians, “death is defeated and disgraced by the Savior on the cross, bound hand and foot.” Therefore, “all who walk in Christ” trample on it and even laugh at it (Ibid. 27).

For St. Kirill, bishop Jerusalem, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the “diadem of victory over death”, which replaced the crown of thorns and crowned Christ at the moment of His Resurrection (Cyr. Hieros. Catech. 14). In the fact of the Resurrection of Christ, St. the fathers note 2 most important truths: human nature, perceived by the Savior, was resurrected “by the power of the Divinity dwelling in it and united with it” and “passed into a state of incorruptibility and immortality,” “putting aside corruption with the passions” (Cyr. Alex. De incarn. Domini 27).

The victory of Christ over death in the patristic works is usually depicted through His victory over hell. Hell, according to St. John Chrysostom, “put to shame” by the Lord who descended into him, “put to death,” “deposed,” “bound” (Ioan. Chrysost. Hom. in Pascha). The Risen Christ, says St. Gregory the Theologian, “repelled the sting of death, crushed the gloomy gates of dull hell, granted freedom to souls” (Greg. Nazianz. Hymn. ad Christ.). Using figurative language, St. John of Damascus likens death to a predatory fish, which, like hell, swallows sinners. “Having swallowed the Body of the Lord as a bait, (she. - M.I.) is pierced by the Divine, as if with the hook of a hook, and, having tasted the sinless and life-giving Body, she dies and gives back everyone she once swallowed up” (Ioan. Damasc. De fide orth.).

Theology of the Resurrection

The basis of Christ. The dogma of the Resurrection consists of the words of Jesus Christ Himself: “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). The entire New Testament Easter gospel is built on them. Christ also points out that He is not only Life itself (John 14:6), but also the Source of life, “for as the Father has life in Himself, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26) . Death, which reigns supreme over fallen humanity, has no power over the Son. And although He brings His human nature through the gates of death, subjecting itself to the conditions of a sinful existence, death cannot hold Him back. She is omnipotent only in the world, which “lies in evil” (1 John 5:19). Before Christ she shows her complete powerlessness. Jesus Christ resurrects Himself and resurrects others as the Author of life (Acts 3:15).

The mystery of the Resurrection, revealed in all its power and glory on Easter night, begins to be revealed already on the Cross. The Cross of Christ is not only an instrument of shame, but also a sign of victory and triumph. “Today we celebrate a festival and celebration,” writes St. John Chrysostom, - for our Lord was nailed to the Cross” (Ioan. Chrysost. I De cruce et latrone. 1). The death of Jesus Christ destroys the very foundation of death, pulls it out, according to St. Paul, her “thorn” (1 Cor 15:55). St. Cyril of Alexandria even calls the death of Christ “the root of life” (Cyr. Alex. In Hebr. // PG. 74. Col. 965). On the Cross, by His death, Christ tramples death (troparion of the feast of Holy Pascha). Therefore, the “power of the Resurrection” is precisely the “Power of the Cross,” “invincible and indestructible, and the Divine power of the honorable and life-giving Cross.” On the Cross, the Lord “raises us to the first bliss,” and “through the Cross comes joy to the whole world” (Florovsky. About Death on the Cross. P. 170). “Every act and miracle-working of Christ, of course,” writes St. John of Damascus is very great, divine and amazing, but most amazing of all is His honest Cross. For nothing less than as soon as through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ death is abolished, ancestral sin is resolved, hell is deprived of its spoils, resurrection is granted... a return to original bliss is arranged, the gates of heaven are opened, our nature is seated at the right hand of God, and we have become children of God and heirs. All this was accomplished by the Cross” (Ioan. Damasc. De fide orth. IV 11). After death, the soul of Christ descends to hell, remaining there united with God the Word. Therefore, the descent into hell is the manifestation and victory of Life. “When you descended to death, Immortal Belly, then you killed hell with the brilliance of the Divine” (Sunday troparion, tone 2). The Lord Jesus Christ as the Chief and Savior (Acts 5. 30-31) “destroys” the “mortal dwelling” (the Mother of God of the Paschal canon, hymn 4) of “all-begotten Adam” (Easter troparion 6th ode) and takes him out from there. It was this event that, under the influence of Easter hymnography, began to be depicted in Byzantium. iconography of the Resurrection of Christ.

The life path of suffering, which ended with death on the Cross and the descent into hell, leads Jesus Christ to the glory of the Resurrection. This glory is the seal of the entire redemptive feat of the God-Man. He foreshadows it already at the Last Supper with his disciples: “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God was glorified in Him, then God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will soon glorify Him” (John 13:31-32). The path to this glory lay through suffering and death, because the Son of God, uniting with fallen human nature, thereby subjected Himself to the conditions of an anomalous existence caused by human sin. He “made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil 2:7-8). Through obedience to God the Father, Christ healed man from the self-will that led him to sin, and revived his nature in Himself (see Art. Atonement). That is why “God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth...” (Phil 2:9-10). The Incarnate Word enters into the glory that He had with the Father “before the world was” (John 17:5), and introduces there the regenerated human nature. The latter, therefore, achieves such greatness that it is worthy “in heaven” to sit “at the right hand” of God the Father, “above all principality, and power, and strength, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the future" (Eph 1:20-21). God the Father, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Eph 1:20), “put all things in subjection under His feet and set Him above all” (Eph 1:22). Therefore, the risen Christ tells His disciples that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him” (Matt. 28:18).

Having conquered death in Himself by His Resurrection, Jesus Christ thereby defeated it in the entire human race, since He is the “last Adam” (or “Second Adam”) (1 Cor 15.45-49), from whom people inherit new nature and eternal life. “We celebrate the mortification of death, the destruction of hell, the other beginning of eternal life” (troparion of the 2nd song of the Easter canon). This beginning is “...“new creation”, ἡ καινὴ κτίσις. One might even say, the eschatological beginning, the last step on the historical path of salvation. (In the NT the word καινός means not so much something “new” as “final”, “relating to the final goal.” Throughout the text, the word obviously has an eschatological meaning.)” (Florovsky G., Archpriest. Dogma and History. M ., 1998. P. 245). The “mortification” of death, however, does not mean that after the Resurrection of Christ people should no longer die. Only the absoluteness of death has been destroyed by the resurrected. Although “even now,” as St. notes, John Chrysostom, - we still die the same death, but we do not remain in it; but this does not mean dying... The power of death and true death is when the deceased no longer has the opportunity to return to life. If after death he comes to life, and with a better life, then this is not death, but dormition” (Ioan. Chrysost. In Hebr. 17. 2).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ brought not only the human race out of the ontological impasse. Its life-affirming power has a cosmic dimension. How high the dignity of nature, space, matter is, is already evidenced by the Incarnation itself. The hypostatic Word became flesh. It perceived the entire created world; in His body was concentrated “the whole substance of heaven and earth, from the simplest to the most incomprehensible” (Antony [Bloom], Metropolitan of Sourozh. Homily on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord // ZhMP. 1967. special issue. “50th anniversary of the restoration of the patriarchate” 67). The “finger” taken from the earth and forming the corporeal human organism is perceived in the Incarnation by the Divine, who again sanctifies and affirms in this act the path of the material world to transfiguration. The body of Christ cannot be imagined only as a certain part removed from space and therefore not belonging to the latter. The Incarnation was the real beginning of the transformation not only of man - the bearer of the image of his Creator, but also of matter itself - the work of the Creator's hands. After the Resurrection of Christ, “everything rushes towards ἀποκατάστασις τῶν πάντων (“restoration of all things”) - that is, to the complete restoration of everything that was destroyed by death, to the illumination of the entire cosmos with the Glory of God...” (Lossky V. Dogmatic Theology. P. 286) . In the Resurrection, the universality of the Kingdom of God was revealed, in which, along with man, both heaven, that is, the spiritual world, and earth, that is, the material world, are called upon. They are called to become the new heaven and the new earth (Rev 21:1), so that God becomes “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28). That is why “all creation,” writes St. Athanasius the Great, solemnly celebrates the festival (of the Resurrection of Christ. - M.I.) and every breath, according to the Psalmist, praises the Lord (Ps 150. 6)” (Athanas. Alex. Ep. pasch. 6. 10).

Lit.: Sobolev M., prot. The reality of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. M., 1874; Butkevich T., priest. The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ: The Experience of Historical Criticism. presentation of the gospels. stories. St. Petersburg, 1887. pp. 761-795; Voronets E. N. Resurrection of Christ // Wanderer. 1889. Apr. pp. 629-661; Tsarevsky A. WITH . Resurrection of Jesus Christ. K., 1892; Glebov I. The resurrection of the Lord and the appearance of His disciples after the resurrection. H., 1900; aka. Historical authenticity of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Kh., 1904; Tareev M. M. Christ. Serg. P., 1908. P. 340-358; Bulgakov S. The Resurrection of Christ and modern consciousness // Two cities: Sat. Art. M., 1911. T. 2. P. 166-176; Tuberovsky A. Resurrection of Christ. Serg. P., 1916; Florovsky G., prot. About the death of the godmother // PM. 1930. issue. 2. P. 148-187; Dani è lou J . La résurrection. P., 1969; Balthasar H. V. von. Theologie der drei Tage. Einsiedeln, 1969; Pannenberg W. Die Auferstehung Jesu und die Zukunft des Menschen. Münch., 1978.

M. S. Ivanov

Hymnography

The contemplation of the saving mystery of V.I.Kh. and the glorification of this most joyful event in history find varied expression in the liturgical life of the Church. The center of this glorification is Easter, as St. Gregory the Theologian, - “holidays, a holiday and a triumph of triumphs” (PG. 36. Col. 624), quoted in the Easter canon (irmos of the 8th canto). In addition to this annual holiday, which continues for many times. days, V.I.H. is glorified weekly on Sundays, and the Octoechos contains 8 different Sunday services corresponding to 8 voices. The Easter sequence of the Colored Triodion (the texts of which are not called Sunday or holiday texts in the Typikon, but always “Easter”) and 8 vocal Sunday sequences of the Octoechos (the Octoechos system also includes 11 (corresponding to the number of Sunday morning Gospels) Sunday exapostilarii and Gospel stichera of the Octoechos and 2 Sunday troparions according to the great doxology of Matins) make up today. time the main body of Orthodox chants. Churches dedicated to V.I.Kh. Along with these 9 sequences, V.I.Kh. is spoken of in the sequences of the feasts of the Ascension of the Lord (Thursday of the 6th week of Easter), the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem (Sept. 13), and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord (Sept. 14), etc. Many hymns dedicated to V.I.Kh., now not in use, have been preserved in manuscripts.

The main themes of Sunday and Easter hymns are reflection on the relationship between the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord (and more broadly, contemplation of the entire economy of the salvation accomplished by Christ), revealing the meaning of V.I.H. as victory over death and sinful forces, a story about the historical circumstances of V.I. X.

The relationship between the Passion and Death on the Cross of Christ and His Resurrection as the mystery of the saving economy is the central theme of Sunday hymns: (troparion “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ”), (eastern stichera on Vespers 1st tone), (sedalen is resurrected, 5th tone).

The connection between the Cross and the Resurrection of the Lord is constantly mentioned in the morning canons of the Sunday successions of the Octoechos (in each voice there are 2 canons dedicated to V.I.Kh., and 1 dedicated to the Mother of God), so that the second of them are even called “Cross-Resurrection” ( The 1st troparion in them is usually dedicated to the Cross, the 2nd - to V.I.Kh.), although the theme of the Passion is also present in the 1st Sunday canons (for example, the 1st tone: (troparion of the 1st canto), (troparion of the 3rd canto), etc.). Mn. Sunday hymns open with the glorification of the Passion and end with the glorification of the Resurrection of the Lord. In the period between Antipascha and the Ascension of the Lord, when the weekdays combine the Sunday and weekday successions of the Octoechos, on Wednesdays and Fridays Sunday hymns are sung not before, but after the weekdays (which on these 2 days are dedicated to the Cross); as the Colored Triodion explains, hymns of the cross are sung before Sunday hymns. In the Easter texts the theme of the suffering and death of the Lord is present, but not so emphasized: (troparion of the 3rd song of the canon), (troparion of the 6th song of the canon).

The chants emphasize the universal character of the Passion: (troparion of the 3rd song of the Sunday canon, 2nd tone), (troparion of the 3rd song of the Sunday canon, 6th tone) and the Resurrection: (troparion of the 3rd song of the Easter canon), (choruses for the 9th song of the Easter canon). In addition to the Cross and Resurrection, Sunday hymns touch on topics that are in one way or another connected with the mystery of God’s economy - the Incarnation of God the Word ( (troparion of the 9th song of the Sunday canon, 8th tone), (Sunday stichera on the stichera of the 5th tone); the connection between the Incarnation and V.I.H. is also manifested in the hymns of the Mother of God in Sunday successions), His self-impoverishment in the perception of human nature ((troparion of the 7th song of the Sunday canon of the 8th tone)), the Ascension, etc.

The most important theme of Sunday chants is the revelation of the meaning of V.I.H. as victory over hell and death: (3rd eastern stichera on Vespers, 2nd tone), (2nd troparion of the 3rd song of the Sunday canon, 6th tone); as the basis for the salvation of the faithful: (hypakoi of the 6th tone) and the whole world: (1st Sunday troparion according to the great doxology); how to start a new life: (troparion of the 7th song of the Easter canon); as a prototype of the general Resurrection at the end of time: (troparion of the 7th song of the Easter canon).

The historical description of the events associated with V.I.Kh. was reflected in Sunday chants, for example: (troparion of dismissal of the 1st tone); (sedalen is resurrected, 1st tone). A number of hymns mention the apostles as direct participants in the events of those days, their condition and actions before and after V.I.H., and their preaching throughout the world: (troparion of the 7th canon of the Cross and Sunday canon, 8th tone); about the myrrh-bearing women together with the apostles: (sedalen resurrected 2nd tone or separately: (eastern stichera on praises in the 2nd tone); about the righteous Joseph and Nicodemus: (sedalen is resurrected, 2nd tone). About the attempt of the high priests and scribes to conceal V.I.H. (Matt. 28. 11-15) is sung in the east at Vespers of the 5th tone: . Some chants are constructed in the form of dialogues or monologues of participants in the events: (Ipakoi Easter).

The retelling of the Gospel stories about V.I.Kh. constitutes the main content of the Gospel stichera and exapostilarii. Often it goes into interpretation, e.g. in the 6th exapostilary: or in prayer and glorification of the Savior. In some cases there is a call for contemplative empathy with the events of the Gospel, as, for example, in the 1st exapostilary: .

In Sunday hymns, Old Testament prototypes are recalled: the giving of water and food to Heb. to the people in the desert (which is opposed to the gall that the Savior tasted on the Cross): (troparion of the 3rd song of the Sunday canon, 5th tone); sacrifice of the Passover lamb (prefiguring Christ): (troparion of the 4th song of the Easter canon), etc.; the old Adam is contrasted with Christ - the Second Adam, for example: (troparion of the 6th song of the Sunday canon, 2nd tone).

Sunday hymns are not devoid of penitential content, for example: (Sunday verse stichera of the 6th tone), (alphabetical stichera of the 5th tone); the same in the Easter sequence: p (troparion of the 1st song of the Easter canon).

Irmos (nowadays incorrectly called the 1st troparion) of the Sunday troparions on the blessed is dedicated to the theme of repentance and forgiveness of the thief crucified at the right hand of the Savior, which is due to the initial phrase: (words of the thief - Luke 23.42), placed before the verses of the beatitudes. Troparia on the blessed are dedicated to the Crucifixion and Resurrection, the liberation of Adam, the myrrh-bearing women and the apostles; sometimes they also contain the theme of thieves crucified with Christ (for example, in the 2nd troparion of the 1st tone: ; in the 5th troparion of the 5th tone: ).

Some of the chants of Sunday services became melodic-rhythmic self-similar models for composing other chants: 1st stichera on the praises of the 8th tone, 3rd stichera on the praises of the 6th tone, 1st sedalene on the 1st 1st tone prosody, etc.

V.I.H. is often spoken of in euchological texts, especially in the texts of the Divine Liturgy: all anaphors in one way or another mention the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord (for example, in the anaphora of the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:); according to the current time in Orthodox Church rite, immediately after Communion, the clergy read several. Easter hymns (“Having seen the Resurrection of Christ”

It has a long history of formation compared to other holiday icons. The peculiarity of its development is that its lit. the foundation that developed in the early period did not undergo significant changes, and the image during the 3rd-17th centuries. changed. Texts of the Holy The Scriptures, patristic works, hymnography, as well as the apocrypha that underlie the image of V.I.Kh., developed the same theme of the victory of the risen Christ over hell and death. However, creating the iconography of a mysterious event, to which there were no eyewitnesses on earth, presented a difficult task. Due to the fact that in the Gospels there is no description of V.I.H., in early Christ. in art it was depicted symbolically through prototypes contained in the Old Testament, for example. in the signs of the prophet. Jonah (Mt 12:40; 16:4). Numerous compositions on this theme have been known since the 3rd century. They were preserved in the paintings of the catacombs of the 3rd-4th centuries. (Priscilla, Peter and Marcellinus, Pretextatus, May Cemetery, Giordani), in the mosaics of the Cathedral of St. Theodora in Aquileia (IV century), on the reliefs of sarcophagi. A similar composition is found in the art of later times. Thus, in the miniature of the Khludov Psalter (Greek State Historical Museum. 129. L. 157, mid-9th century), the image of Jonah in the belly of a whale illustrates the text: “From the belly of hell, my cry, you heard my voice.”

In the early Byzantine period. In art, the desire to overcome symbolism led to the development of historical composition, which combined the illustration of the Gospel narrative and the image of the tomb of the Savior in the form of a cross or a temple built by the emperor. Constantine the Great on the site of V.I.Kh. On the relief of the sarcophagus of the 4th century. (Lateran Museum, Rome) there are 2 warriors on the sides of a cross crowned with a laurel wreath with the monogram of Christ, one of the warriors is sleeping, leaning on a shield; The scene is framed by trees, their crowns close together like an arch. This image indicates the location of the action - the olive garden, where the tomb is located. On the doors of the diptych (5th century, Milan Cathedral (Duomo)), the reliefs of which are dedicated to the Passionate events from the “Washing of the Feet” to the “Assurance of Thomas”, V.I.H. is presented in 3 scenes: sleeping warriors near the temple- rotunda of the Resurrection of Christ, the appearance of an angel to the myrrh-bearing women and the appearance of Christ to Mary. The last 2 scenes become the most common images of V.I.H. in the V-VI centuries. On a carved plate (420, British Museum) - wives and warriors at a temple with an open door; on the frame of the Gospel (5th century, Milan Cathedral (Duomo)) - an angel and a wife standing in front of an open tomb in the form of an ancient temple on a high base; on a plate (5th century, Castello Museum, Milan) - wives fall to an angel sitting on a stone near a temple with a slightly open door; on the plate (5th century, Bavarian National Museum, Munich) in the upper part of the composition above the wives, a young Christ is depicted ascending the mountain, holding the Divine right hand; on the miniature from the Gospel of Rabbi (Laurent. Plut. I. 56, 586) - the appearance of an angel to the myrrh-bearing women and the appearance of Christ to Mary; the “Crucifixion” is depicted in the upper part of the sheet; on the lid of the reliquary (VI century, Vatican Museums) - the appearance of an angel to the wives against the backdrop of a rotunda with open doors, similar to the royal doors of the altar, with a throne covered with indium; on the ampoule of Monza (VI century, treasury of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Monza, Italy), as well as on the miniature of the Gospel of Rabbala, the composition “Appearance of an Angel to the Myrrh-Bearing Women” is combined with the “Crucifixion”. These scenes, as episodes of the Passion Events, continue to exist in art in parallel with the developing iconography of V. I. Kh. (frescoes of the Spassky Cathedral of the Mirozh Monastery, mid-12th century; Church of the Ascension in Mileshevo (Serbia), 20s 13th century; icon of the festive row of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 1425-1427). The compositions juxtapose illustrations to the Gospel text telling about the appearance of an angel, and images of the realities of the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Thus, on the fresco of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Pskov Snetogorsk Monastery (1313) there is an edicule over the Holy Sepulcher with hanging lamps. The iconography of the historical type could not reflect the theological content of V.I.H., which was thought of as the victory of Christ over hell and death , starting with the Epistles of St. Peter (1 Pet 3. 18-19). A new iconographic solution aimed at revealing this theme is reflected in the composition “The Descent into Hell” with the inscription: “h anastasis”, known from miniatures from the Psalms. Early examples are miniatures from the Khludov Psalter, in which there are several. once there is a scene depicting Christ trampling a defeated giant in the form of Silenus, from the womb or from the mouth of Silenus the Savior leads Adam and Eve by the hand (illustrations to Ps 67. 2 (“Let God rise again” - L. 63), 7 (“God brings like-minded people into the house, driving out those who are chained" - L. 63 vol.), 81. 8 (“Rise up, O God, judge the earth” - L. 82 vol.). Christ is surrounded by a halo of glory, hell is depicted in the form of an ancient personification, which reflects not only the tradition widespread in Christian iconography (personification of the Jordan, sea, earth, desert, etc.), but also the attitude towards hell as an animated character, sounding in narrative, hymnographic and patristic texts.

The iconography of the “Descent into Hell” as an image of V.I.H. received its established form by the 10th century. The earliest examples are known from miniatures from the Gospel of John, read at Easter (for example, Iver. Cod. 1; NLR. Greek. 21 + 21A. 21). The Savior, surrounded by a radiance of glory, with a cross in his left hand, descends into the dark cave of hell and leads Adam and Eve out of their coffins in the form of sarcophagi. On the sides are depicted the Old Testament righteous, in the foreground is the prophet. David and King Solomon. In the cave of hell there are doors, locks, and iron ropes torn off their hinges. Next to Christ, St. is depicted pointing to Him. John the Baptist with a scroll in his hand, which “told the good news to those in hell of God manifested in the flesh” (troparion of the 2nd tone).

V.I.H. - an obligatory element of the temple decoration program (“The Descent into Hell” in the katholikon of the Hosios Loukas monastery in Phokis (Greece), 30s of the 11th century - Christ with a cross in his left hand stands on torn doors, leads Adam out, on the sides - the righteous in sarcophagi, in the foreground - Prophet David and King Solomon; Catholicon of the monastery of Nea Moni on the island of Chios, 1042-1056, - ​​next to Christ - St. John the Baptist with scroll; Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Daphne, about 1100; Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello, about 1130, - under the composition “Descent into Hell” the “Last Judgment” is depicted). The iconographic scheme is repeated almost without changes on the icons (2 epistilia of the 11th and 12th centuries, folding, 12th century, from the monastery of the Great Martyr Church of Catherine on Sinai; icon “Twelve Feasts,” 12th century, GE, - the Savior is represented in the center with arms spread to the sides, as if showing nail wounds, on the sides - Adam and Eve).

In the Paleologian era, the iconography of V. I. Kh. undergoes certain changes: a large number of characters are introduced, resurrected people in shrouds are depicted in the coffins, the composition acquires a more impetuous and dynamic character (for example, the Church of the Holy Trinity of the Sopočani monastery ( Serbia), ca. 1265). In the mon-re of Chora (Kahrie-jami) in K-pol (1316-1321) V.I.H. is placed in the conch of the apse of the pareklesion: Christ, standing on the torn doors of hell, in an almond-shaped shining halo, holds Adam and Eve with both hands , depicted as rising from sarcophagi; on the right behind Eve stands Abel with a shepherd's crook, on the left behind Adam are kings and prophets. This iconographic version became widespread in the XIV-XVI centuries, including in Russian. monuments, for example in the painting c. Vmch. Theodore Stratelates on the Stream in Novgorod (over Christ the angels hold a cross crowned with a laurel wreath - a sign of victory over death), on Pskov icons (XIV century, Russian Museum; XV century, PIAM; XVI century, Tretyakov Gallery; XVI century, Russian Museum ). The latter have a number of features: Christ is depicted in red robes, the outer ring of the mandorla is filled with seraphim and cherubs; in the cave, angels bind Satan; the doors of hell torn from their hinges are depicted standing vertically below, and above them, under the mandorla, are the open doors of heaven, where the eyes of the righteous are directed; along the outer edge of the cave there is a wall with towers; above the halo are angels.

Lit. The composition “The Descent into Hell” is based on apocryphal texts; the most fully reflected in the iconography are the “Gospel of Nicodemus” and “The Tale of Eusebius on the Descent into Hell of St. John the Baptist." The "Gospel of Nicodemus" was compiled on behalf of the resurrected sons of rights. Simeon the Receiver of God, who, like all the Old Testament righteous people, were in hell and were witnesses to the preceding events and the very descent of the Savior into hell. Hell in this story acts as a character talking to Satan. Resurrection of rights. Lazarus was alarmed by hell, which feared that Christ would destroy its prisons. Hell strengthened its doors with iron ropes, but the Savior who descended there tore down the doors, smashed all the locks and illuminated the spaces dark for centuries. Listing the prophets and righteous men who were in hell, the author also talks about what happened in paradise during the Resurrection of Christ, about how He handed the cross to the thief, about the conversation of the prophets Enoch and Elijah with Him. In “The Word of Eusebius on the Descent into Hell of St. John the Baptist" tells about the sermon of St. John the Baptist brought to the gloomy abodes, about the rejection of this sermon by sinners and about the joy of the righteous. Dialogues of St. John the Baptist with the prophets are reflected in the inscriptions on the scrolls in the hands of the prophets (for example, on the 14th century icon, NGOMZ).

In con. XIV century The iconography of V. I. Kh., based on apocryphal narratives, is enriched with motifs drawn from ascetic literature, and the number of characters increases. In the halo around Christ, angels are depicted with lamps, with the names of virtues and with spears, with which they defeat demons in the cave of hell; above the demons are written the names of the vices overcome by the corresponding virtues; above the halo there are angels with a cross, in the cave - angels are binding Satan. Thus, V.I.H. is depicted as a victory over death and its cause - sin. This composition is repeated in a number of icons of the XIV-XVI centuries. (late 14th century, from Kolomna, Tretyakov Gallery; letters of Dionysius, 1502, from Ferapontov Monastery, State Russian Museum; 16th century, State Historical Museum).

In the 17th century The complicated iconography of V. I. Kh. is becoming widespread, where in addition to the “Descent into Hell” the “Rising of Christ from the Tomb” and a number of scenes from the Passion Scenes to the Ascension are depicted. As in the early Byzantine era. monuments, in these compositions the historical narrative comes to the fore. Christ, surrounded by a halo of glory, is depicted twice: above an open tomb with shrouds and descending into hell. On the icon “Resurrection - Descent into Hell” (40s of the 17th century, Yakhm) to the left of Christ standing over the tomb, a host of angels rushes down to the gates of hell; Many people come out of hell, among whom are Eve and Christ, holding Adam with one hand and pointing upward to the gates of heaven with the other; the righteous with unfolded scrolls in their hands move to the heavenly chambers following the winged saint. John the Baptist; in paradise - a prudent thief before the prophets Enoch and Elijah; Scenes are placed around: “The Crucifixion”, “The Entombment”, “The Appearance of an Angel to the Wives”, “The Appearance of Christ to Mary”, “Peter at the Empty Tomb”, “The Meeting at Emmaus”, “The Assurance of Thomas”, “The Appearance on the Sea of ​​Tiberias” , "Ascension".

Subsequently, the iconography of “The Descent into Hell” is replaced by the composition “The Rising of Christ from the Tomb.” Following Western Europe. engraving and painting samples, artists depict a naked Christ in a girdle, with a flag in his hand, hovering above the coffin surrounded by cloudy radiance (for example: an icon of the 17th century, the Church of the Intercession in Fili, Central Museum of Art and Culture; an icon of the Annunciation with Stamps, 18th century ., YAHM; icon of the 18th century, Irkutsk Art Museum).

Lit.: LCI. Bd. 1. Sp. 201-220; Bd. 2. Sp. 322-331; Pokrovsky N. IN . The Gospel in iconographic monuments. M., 2001r. pp. 482-519.

N. V. Kvlividze

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is, without a doubt, an epochal event in the history of mankind, and therefore it is extremely important to confirm its historical authenticity. In fact, it is the resurrection that is at the heart of Christianity, and it is what binds every promise and blessing together. If it were proven that the resurrection was falsified, Christianity could be considered a cheap counterfeit that does not bring redemption to people. In this case, Jesus could not even be called the “great moral teacher”, as some unbelievers see him, since his main prediction, that he would rise from the dead, would have turned out to be a lie.

In fact, our very salvation depends largely on the reliability of four historical facts: birth, life, death and especially resurrection Jesus Christ. After all, our firm faith in the historical authenticity of the resurrection determines our eternal salvation. Romans 10:9 contains a statement that could be called the “formula” of salvation: “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved." If we question any fact of Scripture, are we not thereby eroding the foundation of our salvation? But the most important fact in Scripture is the affirmation of the historical authenticity of the event on which our salvation depends!

Therefore, the assertion that the resurrection is historically unprovable or that there is no need to prove it is contrary to the apostolic testimony. The resurrection became the foundation on which the Apostle Paul built his ministry. He became convinced of the reality of this fact as a result of a personal meeting with the risen Christ. In the passage below, we have highlighted in bold type what Paul said about what the consequences would be for Christianity if there was no resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:14-20
(14) A if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.
(15) Moreover we would also be false witnesses about God, because they would testify of God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, unless, that is, the dead are raised;
(16) for if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised.
(17) And if Christ is not resurrected, then your faith is vain: you are still in your sins.
(18) That's why and those who died in Christ perished.
(19) And if in this life only we hope in Christ, then we the most miserable of all people.
(20) But Christ rose from the dead, the firstborn of those who died.

Resurrection Passages Are Historically Accurate

The New Testament passages telling of the resurrection have all the hallmarks of historical accuracy. The fact that they appeared very early, at a time when hostile eyewitnesses of those events were still alive, minimizes the possibility of falsification, since this would be very dangerous. There is agreement on the basic facts, yet the passages contain differing details. These accounts are not carefully crafted reproductions of a single, standardized story. In fact, all five descriptions of Christ's appearances after his resurrection are independent of each other, as indicated by striking discrepancies. However, a deeper analysis shows that these descriptions do not contradict each other. Henry Morris writes:

A well-known theory of evidence is that the testimony of several eyewitnesses, each presenting facts from their own point of view, forms a strong evidentiary basis if apparent contradictions in the testimony are resolved through careful examination. This is precisely the case with the various accounts of the resurrection.

The Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul Evidence for the Resurrection

At the moment Paul met the risen Christ, he was an ardent opponent of the Christian faith. He was a highly educated man who was difficult to convince of the truth of a teaching that in any way contradicted or did not agree with the Mosaic tradition. We can say that he was last a person on earth who could accept the idea of ​​a crucified and resurrected Messiah based on the Jewish expectations of the time. The fact that he believed so completely in the resurrection of Christ and devoted his life completely to his risen Master is convincing proof of the truth of the resurrection. Canon Kenneth writes:

Several years after Jesus' crucifixion, the evidence for Jesus' resurrection seemed overwhelming to at least one educated man [the Apostle Paul].

The empty tomb is a historical fact

No reputable New Testament historian questions the fact that the tomb in which Christ was laid after the crucifixion was empty. Only three explanations can be found for this circumstance. Either Jesus' body was taken by his enemies, or his friends did it, or Jesus rose from the dead. The first option is extremely unlikely, since his enemies would certainly have demonstrated his body in the future in order to humiliate the disciples who believed in the possibility of his resurrection. In addition, they would do this to stop the spread of a new religious movement that posed a threat to the Mosaic traditions. It is equally unlikely that Jesus' friends took his body, because after his crucifixion they were completely depressed and disappointed precisely because they did not believe in his resurrection. It is absurd to assume that people in such a state could resort to cunning, steal a body and spread a story that they themselves did not believe.

The disciples were zealous Jews

Jesus' disciples were Jews, and they all took their privileges and responsibilities very seriously. It is unthinkable that they would decide to create a new religion just for personal gain. For a first century Jew, this would be tantamount to lying against the God of Israel. Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (where he calls it “false witness,” which is a violation of one of the 10 Commandments). For a first-century Jew, slandering God and distorting His revelation meant risking loss of salvation and future participation in the Messianic kingdom. Would such a person risk future rewards for a few years of prestigious status as the leader of a new religion? The answer can only be a resounding “no.”

Women's Testimony

The presence of women at the tomb is strong evidence of the veracity of the biblical narrative. In first-century Jewish culture, women's testimony was virtually ignored. Their testimony was not considered at all at the trial. A person could not be convicted of a crime that was witnessed only by women. If the story of the resurrection had been invented later in order to confirm the authenticity of Christianity, why would there be any mention of what exactly it was? women were the first to see it and report the empty tomb? The only reason can be that this is exactly how things were in reality. The story of how women brought the news of the resurrection, but the male disciples did not believe them, casts a shadow on the people who were the first leaders of the Christian Church. If the Church had made up this story after some time, it would certainly have portrayed its early leaders in a more favorable light.

Propaganda by Jewish authorities as confirmation that the tomb was empty and the body was missing

Jewish religious authorities paid people who claimed to have seen the empty tomb to lie and tell everyone that the disciples had stolen the body. In addition, they killed many of those who preached about the resurrection. Having an excellent opportunity to nip the new movement in the bud, they would stop at nothing to take possession of the body of Jesus and then present it to the people. However, they did not succeed. They were unable to find the body since Jesus was resurrected.

Jesus' enemies would present his body to refute the words of believers

If Jesus was not resurrected, then what happened to his body? If his enemies stole the body and did not show it to anyone, it would only contribute to the spread of the rumors of the resurrection that they so feared. The decisive proof that the enemies could not take the body is the fact that they would certainly have produced it at the first request, since they tried with all their might to discredit the words of the disciples. As William Lane Craig writes, “This is historical evidence of the highest order, since it comes not from Christians, but from opponents of the early Christian faith.”

No mention of tomb veneration

If Jesus was not resurrected, why do we not find any mention of veneration at his tomb, as is often the case with the burial sites of religious leaders? Although God forbade such worship, the Israelites did not abandon this practice. Therefore, God took the bodies of Elijah and Moses to prevent their followers from turning their graves into places of worship.

Non-Christian Historian Testifies for Resurrection

Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, wrote the following about Jesus Christ and the spread of Christianity:

And when Pilate, on the accusation of our elders, sentenced him to crucifixion, those who from the very beginning loved him remained faithful to him. On the third day he appeared to them alive again. For the divine prophets foretold this and a huge number of other miracles regarding him. And the tribe of Christians, whose name came from him, has not disappeared to this day” (Antiquities of the Jews, XVIII, 3, 3).

Although many view this testimony from a non-Christian source as a forgery, this is unlikely since the works of Josephus were favorably received by both Jews and Romans at the time of their writing. He was an honorary Roman citizen. There is no mention of objections to this passage raised by opponents of Christianity. If this passage were a fake and a later insertion, this fact would have been widely discussed in the literature of the time. However, the silence of critics in this case speaks against them.

Lack of Other Explanations in Early Non-Biblical Sources

The early historical sources contain no other explanations for the rapid growth of the Christian Church, and there are no attempts to tell “the way things really were.” If the story were fabricated, some critic or person disillusioned with Christianity would certainly offer an alternative explanation. However, the only plausible explanation for the phenomenon of rapid growth of the Church was that the early Christians believed in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Biblical accounts of Jesus' post-resurrection appearance form a unified testimony

The four Gospels and the apostle Paul give a combined testimony of the ten post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. Since all these descriptions agree in detail and do not contain contradictions, the burden of finding evidence lies on those who do not believe in the truth of these words.

Ten appearances of Jesus are given in supposed chronological order:

1. Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18; Mark 16:9)
2. To other women (Matt. 28:8-10)
3. Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5)
4. To two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35; Mark 16:12)
5. To the eleven disciples (excluding Thomas - Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23)
6. To the Twelve Disciples Eight Days Later (1 Cor. 15:5; John 20:24-29)
7. To the seven disciples near the Sea of ​​Tiberias (John 21:1-23)
8. Five hundred followers (1 Cor. 15:6)
9. Jacob (1 Cor. 15:6)
10. To the Twelve Disciples at the Ascension (Acts 1:3-12)

The idea of ​​a new body of Christ was a foreign concept to the disciples

The disciples had difficulty believing in the possibility that Christ would die and then rise again, and they never even thought that the Messiah would come in a new body. It is inconceivable that early Christians could have dreamed up such a story, which even today seems like science fiction to many skeptics.

Modern scholars and historians accept that there is strong evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus

J. P. Moreland confirms this fact and quotes other scientists:

Almost no New Testament scholar today denies that Jesus appeared after his death to some of his followers. Some scholars interpret this phenomenon as either hallucinations or visions given by God, but not related to the physical presence of Jesus. However, none of them denies that believers have had similar experiences. Skeptical scholar Norman Perin admitted: “The more we study the tradition relating to the appearances of Jesus, the stronger the foundation on which this tradition rests seems to us.” Dunn, a professor of theology at the University of Durham in England, agrees: “It is almost impossible to dispute that Christianity has its roots in certain visions experienced by early Christians, who interpreted them as appearances of Jesus raised by God from the dead.”

Thomas Arnold, former professor of history at Rugby and Oxford and one of the world's most renowned historians, made the following statement regarding the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

I know of no other fact in the history of mankind which, in the eyes of the unprejudiced investigator, is supported by more convincing or complete evidence than that great sign which God has given us to show that Christ died and rose from the dead.

Simon Greenleaf is recognized as one of America's greatest lawyers of all time. He was an expert in eyewitness testimony and the founder of Harvard Law School. Greenleaf analyzed the passages of the four Gospels describing the resurrection of Christ in light of their reliability as objective testimony, and concluded:

It is therefore impossible to suppose that they could have been so persistent in maintaining the truths which they preached, if Jesus had not actually risen from the dead, and if this fact had not been known to them as well as any other fact.

The Conviction of Jesus' Followers in His Resurrection

Those people who first published the story of Jesus' resurrection from the dead believed in the authenticity of this fact. They based their faith not only on the fact that the tomb was empty, but also on a personal encounter with the living Jesus, who appeared to them after his burial. He was seen not once or twice, but at least ten times, and all these cases are recorded in the Bible. In addition, he appeared to disciples not individually, but to groups of two, seven, eleven and even five hundred people.

Martyrdom of Jesus' followers for believing in his resurrection

First century believers preached and acted with the conviction of the truth of Jesus' resurrection. Many of them even died for their faith. If Jesus' friends had stolen his body to make it look like he was resurrected, then they would have known for sure that it was a lie. People do not become martyrs for an idea they consider a hoax.

Unanimous testimony of witnesses who could not be mistaken or victims of deception

Some critics argue that early Christians who saw Christ after his death actually experienced a vision or hallucination, much like some people today who claim to have "seen" pop star Elvis Presley. Perhaps it was an ecstatic vision? Dream? A fantasy of a fevered imagination? Maybe a ghost? All this is implausible, since different groups of people cannot see the same hallucination over time, and 500 people in a crowd cannot have the same dream at the same time.

Some modern Christian apologists have advanced the idea that physical the resurrection of Christ has no special significance, since his “spirit”, one way or another, ascended to God. Supposedly, God showed followers a “vision” of Christ continuing to live “spiritually” at the right hand of God. Such a mystical and spiritualistic concept would not satisfy the inquisitive minds of the Jewish disciples, who believed that the dead remained dead until they were resurrected in the body, physically. Such an idea, moreover, replaces the historical basis of the Christian faith with a subjective, mystical basis, which in no way explains the zeal and enthusiasm of the early disciples who spread the testimony of the bodily resurrection of Christ.

The Disciples' Disbelief in the Resurrection

With the exception of Joseph of Arimathea, none of Jesus' followers believed in his death and subsequent resurrection. They didn't expect it to happen, and when it did, they didn't believe it at first. They considered the message “vain words” (Luke 24:11). They did not believe until they were forced to believe, after they saw the resurrected Master right in front of them. Henry Morris writes:

One thing is certain: the disciples could not have made up the resurrection story out of their own fertile imagination. On the contrary, they were never able to get used to this idea, despite numerous prophecies from Scripture and the words of Christ himself. It took very strong arguments to convince them that the resurrection took place.

The idea of ​​a resurrected Messiah was foreign to the Jews and absurd to the Greeks

The description of the death and resurrection of Jesus did not fit into the prevailing idea of ​​the Messiah (the theocratic ruler who would deliver Israel from the pagan yoke) at that time, and therefore it was very difficult to convince people of the truth of this fact. The Greeks, with their doctrine of the immortality of the soul, considered the idea of ​​bodily resurrection absurd and unnecessary (cf. Acts 17:32). If the disciples had come up with a concept to base a new religion on, they would have tried to make the concept more consistent with the prevailing expectations of the time.

Jesus could only leave the tomb if he was resurrected

Proponents of the "swoon theory" claim that Jesus was not actually dead when he was buried and that he later came to his senses. However, in this case, weak, emaciated, wrapped in heavy burial shrouds, Jesus could hardly move the heavy stone that covered the entrance to the tomb and go outside. Moreover, the Roman authorities had ordered the door to be sealed, so even if he managed to move the stone away, the guards would seize him and subject him to further abuse. Since there is no mention of such an incident, it simply did not happen. Otherwise, the enemies of Jesus would certainly have made a fuss about such an amazing event.

The very existence of the Christian Church makes no sense if Jesus is not resurrected

Some critics claim that the resurrection story is a later addition to the life of Christ, composed by the Church many years later to exalt its dead hero. However, we know from independent historical sources that a sect of Christians arose in the region of Lake Tiberias, and that the main reason for its appearance was their belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The resurrection was not a later addition to the Christian faith, it was its cause and stimulus. The followers of Christ based their faith not on historical narratives, but on what they saw with their own eyes. The descriptions were the result of their faith, but not the cause of it. Christianity is based on the historical fact of the resurrection, since without it faith turns out to be a fake. If there were no resurrection, there would be neither the New Testament nor the Christian Church.

The disciples could not gain any benefit from the made-up story and new religion

By Jesus' investigators faced difficulties, ridicule, hostility from others, and many died as martyrs for their faith. In light of all this, it is difficult to imagine that they would stand so steadfastly for their beliefs if they knew that they were preaching lies. They found some reward in religion, but it was based on a sincere belief in the truth of what they taught.

The Unanimous Testimony of the Early Christian Leaders

If the empty tomb and resurrection were fiction, why didn't at least one of the disciples break away from the others and create their own version of Christianity? Or why didn’t at least one of them tell the world that the disciples’ statement was a lie? The Temple authorities would willingly pay any money to anyone who could provide such information. If money was not a sufficient incentive, why couldn't some enterprising person prove that the resurrection story was a lie in order to attract disciples and become the leader of a new cult? History has shown that this role has always been very popular, and the situation described was an excellent opportunity for this.

Without comprehensive and convincing evidence of the resurrection, it is difficult to explain the continued unity of the early Christian leaders, especially in light of the human tendency toward self-advancement. The fact that they were all devoted to the truth of the message they proclaimed is the only explanation for their unity and the absence of any revelations. Those who lie for personal gain usually do not stick together for long, especially when the difficulties overshadow the benefits.

Any other explanation for the resurrection seems implausible

In light of such evidence as the empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, and the rapid growth of the Christian Church, a reasonable person must conclude that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a proven historical fact. In a court of law, such evidence would be sufficient to secure a conviction if there were no contradictory evidence that created the basis for “reasonable doubt.” However, any alternative explanations and theories look very dubious and based on speculation. Consequently, Christians who base their faith on a proven historical fact behave quite prudently and in accordance with common sense. Christianity not only has a strong historical basis, but also holds the promise of unimaginable benefits for those who believe. According to the Bible, the only undeniable promise of eternal life to humanity, both individually and collectively, depends on our belief in the resurrection. As Halley writes: “With what radiance of glory this simple faith illuminates human life! Our hope for resurrection and eternal life is based not on philosophical hypotheses about immortality, but on historical fact.”

The heart of Palestine, attracting pilgrims from all over the world, is Jerusalem, and the heart of Jerusalem is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This place, associated with the events of Sacred history that are most dear to every believing heart, is itself a monument to many historical eras. The pilgrim expects to see here the splendor and luxury corresponding to a shrine of universal significance. And he finds simplicity bordering on poverty, which is the best possible evidence of the humility of the Lord, who gave His Life for each of us.

History of the temple

The place of the Crucifixion and Burial of our Lord Jesus Christ was located outside the city wall of Old Testament Jerusalem. His veneration began already during the time of the first Christians, but no temple buildings were built over the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha ​​at that time.

But the memory of this place was not lost after the destruction of the city by Emperor Titus in 70. According to the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea, during the construction in 135 by Emperor Hadrian on the site of the destroyed Jerusalem of the new Roman city of Aelia Capitolina, a temple was built on the site of the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher in honor of the pagan goddess Venus. Blzh. Jerome of Stridon adds that from the era of Hadrian to the era of Constantine the Great, a statue of Jupiter stood above the site of the Resurrection, and a statue of Venus stood on the rock of the Crucifixion, thereby preserving an indication of the location of Christian shrines.

The first Church of the Holy Sepulcher was founded by St. Queen Helena and built under the leadership of St. Macarius of Jerusalem. Roman architecture did not allow the presence of massive rocks in the building: therefore, the rock around the Holy Sepulcher had to be cut, hewn from the outside of the cave, and brought to a round shape. Above it, Queen Helena erected a round rotunda - Anastasis (translated: Resurrection). This form of the building continues to this day. The rock of Golgotha ​​was hewn in exactly the same way, but in a cubic form. The majestic complex of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was solemnly consecrated in the presence of Emperor Constantine and representatives of the clergy from different countries on September 13, 335.

The temple existed unchanged until the capture of Jerusalem in 614 by the Persian king Khozroes, when its structures were severely damaged. But under the leadership of the monk Modest (the future Patriarch of Jerusalem), at the expense of Emperor Heraclius and Khosroes’s wife, Christian Mary, the temple was restored. In 637, when Jerusalem was besieged by Caliph Omar, Patriarch Sophronius, fearing a repeat of the bloodshed of the Persian invasion, surrendered the city, and the Church of the Sepulcher and the main Christian shrines of Jerusalem were not damaged.

In 1009, Caliph El-Hakim, fueled by rumors and slander against Christians, sanctioned the massacres of the Christian population of Jerusalem and the destruction of Christian churches. As a result of this destruction, the Constantine Basilica was irretrievably lost. Emperor Constantine VIII negotiated the right to restore the temple from his son El-Hakim. Construction work continued during the reign of Constantine Monomakh, but in terms of scale and splendor this building was far from its ancient predecessor.

Rumors about the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher reached Europe and served as one of the reasons for agitation for the start of the Crusades. Having captured Jerusalem in 1099, in the mid-12th century. The crusaders rebuilt the temple on a grand scale in the majestic Romanesque style (the cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery near Moscow was later built in its likeness).

In 1187, Jerusalem was taken by Sultan Salah ad-Din. He allowed Christian pilgrims to freely visit Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, his successors repeatedly began persecuting Christians in the Holy Land. The shrines were in poverty and desolation. In the 16th century The Franciscan monks took up the task of restoring them.

In the 1860s. above the rotunda, a hemispherical dome was built from metal structures, its shape reminiscent of the original completion of Anastasis from the time of Constantine the Great. The building still exists in this form.

Temple tour

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ consists of several chapels. Upon entering the temple, the pilgrim stops in front of the Stone of Anointing. At this place, righteous Joseph and Nicodemus laid the lifeless body of the Lord after being taken down from the Cross, anointed him with incense, and wrapped him in a shroud. This is a yellow-pink fragrant stone under a vault of many lamps.

To the right of the holy gates of the Church of the Resurrection and the Stone of Anointing, along the marble staircase you can climb 17 steps to Holy Golgotha. Its name translated means “frontal place.” According to Jewish tradition, Adam's head was buried in this place. That is why, by the Providence of God, the redemption of the human race took place here, where the Most Pure Blood of the Savior washed away the sin of Adam, pouring through a cleft in the rock. The open Calvary throne overshadows the very place where there is a small round hole in which the Life-giving Cross of the Lord was installed. This hole is lined with a silver frame with the image of the Passion of Christ chased on it.

On the right side of the Cross of Calvary, a deep crack is visible (it is now under glass), formed during the earthquake that occurred at the moment when Christ gave up His spirit. At the same time, the veil in Solomon's temple was torn.

The Orthodox throne is separated by a colonnade from the Roman Catholic chapel of Golgotha. At the site of the Catholic throne, according to legend, soldiers nailed the Savior to the Cross.

Having descended from Golgotha, the pilgrim enters the chapel of Adam, built under Golgotha. Behind the throne, through the iron bars, you can see the continuation of the Golgotha ​​crack. Leaving the chapel of Adam and going to the right, the pilgrim approaches the Greek chapel of the desecration and laying of the crown of thorns, where under the throne there is a part of the stone brought from the praetorium. The Lord sat on this stone while the purple robe and crown of thorns were placed on Him.

From this place the pilgrim descends twenty-eight steps down to the underground Armenian church of St. Helena, and from it another twelve steps lead to the dungeon, where the holy Queen Helena found the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. At the place where he was found, in the very recess of the cave, a Greek throne was built. In this dungeon, huge fragments of natural rocks are visible in the form in which they remained after the earthquake that occurred during the Crucifixion of Christ.

Having gone upstairs and turning right along the gallery, the pilgrim approaches the aisle where the soldiers divide the vestments of the Lord. They divided among themselves, according to the custom of that time, the clothes of the Crucified One, tearing them into four parts. The tunic (shirt) was woven, and they did not want to tear it, but agreed to give it to one of them who would receive it by lot. Thus, the soldiers literally fulfilled the prophecy of King David: “I divided my garments for myself, and cast lots for my clothing” (Ps. 21:19).

Next we go out to the Greek chapel of St. martyr Longinus the centurion, who believed during the death of Christ at the sight of wondrous signs. “The centurion and those who were with him guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake and everything that happened, were greatly afraid and said: Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

On the opposite side of the temple from Golgotha, in the northern part, there is a stone called “the bonds of the Savior.” He stands at the entrance to a small cave where soldiers guarded criminals while preparing the instruments of their execution on Golgotha. The holy feet of the Savior were enclosed in two holes of this stone during the installation of the Cross.

Not far from here is the place marked by a marble circle, where the Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene after His Resurrection. In the western part of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, in the chapel of the Jacobite Syrians, there is the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus Christ, carved into natural rock. As is known from the Gospel, after being removed from the Cross, Christ was placed in a new tomb that belonged to Joseph. Upon his death, Joseph was buried in this more modest tomb.

The main object of worship for an Orthodox pilgrim is the Holy Sepulcher, which is located in the Rotunda of the Church of the Resurrection. Under its high dome there is a chapel, or small church (in Greek - edicule), lined with marble, with decorations on the walls and a dome in the middle. The Edicule is divided into two parts: the first is called the chapel of the Angel - the harbinger of the joyful Resurrection of Christ (three meters long and wide). In the middle of this chapel stands a marble vase, in which is placed part of the stone that the Angel rolled away from the door of the Tomb. During the Liturgy, this stone serves as a throne. The entrance to the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher is very low and narrow: 112 cm high, 72 cm wide. The cave itself is also small. Three sides of the Tomb are leaning against the rock, and the fourth is open and lined with marble. The top is also covered with a marble board, as if divided in the middle. During the Liturgy, the top board on the Holy Sepulcher serves as an altar on which the Gifts for the Eucharist are prepared. Between the Edicule and the Stone of Anointing there is a marble circle on the floor, surrounded by an iron lattice cap. The Mother of God stood here when Christ was taken from the Cross and wrapped in a shroud.

Worship in the temple

In the 19th century The temple was divided between six different Christian communities - Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian, whose monastery is located on the roof of the temple. The partition was not peaceful. Only in 1852 did an agreement, signed under pressure from the Turkish Sultan, consolidate the status quo. Christians of other Churches can visit the temple as ordinary pilgrims. At the Holy Sepulcher, as at Golgotha, three Divine Liturgies are celebrated in a row: at 12 o’clock at night - Greek, Orthodox; behind it is the Armenian one, and the third is the Catholic one. The plot of land occupied by the temple has belonged to two Muslim families since the time of Salah ad-Din. They also keep the keys to the temple.

Despite the division of the Christian Churches, the veneration of the Holy Sepulcher, Golgotha ​​and other shrines of Jerusalem is, perhaps, little of what today truly unites all Christians and reminds us of the Apostle’s call to seek the things above, “where there is neither Greek, nor Jew, nor circumcision, nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11).

Everyone knows the story associated with the Resurrection of Jesus, but few know the details of this event, although the holiday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the main one for Christians.

It is in honor of the Resurrection of Christ that all Christians celebrate Easter for forty days.

What sources describe the events associated with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

The main sources that describe the events associated with the Resurrection of Jesus:

— Gospel of Matthew. Chapters 27, 28

— Gospel of Mark. Chapters 15, 16

- Gospel of Luke. Chapter 24

The word Gospel is translated from Greek as “good news” about the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Gospel according to Mark

The story of Jesus' resurrection began with his trial and crucifixion on the Friday before Passover.

Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Jesus, crucified on the cross, died about three hours after lunch.

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Christ and Salome and other disciples of Christ were present during the execution.

In order not to overshadow the Jewish holiday of Passover (Easter), the Jewish high priests and Pontius Pilate instructed one of their high priests, a rich man from the city of Arimathea, named Joseph, to take the body of Jesus and bury him. According to the Bible, Joseph and his assistant removed Jesus' body from the cross and buried it in Joseph's crypt.

But most likely, given Joseph’s rank, and he was one of the leaders of the Sanidrin, all these actions were carried out not by him personally, but by a funeral team from the local guard, but under his leadership.

It is interesting that none of the disciples of Jesus, neither Mary Magdalene nor the mother of Jesus took part in the funeral of the Lord.

Jesus Christ was buried in a similar grave

Having removed the body of Jesus from the cross, Joseph wrapped a shroud around Christ and buried Jesus in a cave that evening, then rolled a stone to the entrance to the cave and returned to Jerusalem.

Mary Magdalene and his mother Mary watched from afar where Jesus was buried.

The cave where Jesus was buried was in Joseph's garden, next to Golgotha, where Christ was crucified.

The next morning, remembering Jesus' prediction that he would rise on the third day, the high priests went to Pilate and asked him to place a guard at the cave so that Christ's followers could not secretly steal Jesus' body.

To guard the cave, Pontius Pilate assigned guards and ordered it (the cave) to be sealed.

Myrrh-Bearing Women

On the third day after the funeral of Jesus, early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the mother of Christ Mary of James, having bought aromatic oils, went to the cave to anoint the body of the deceased.

Approaching the cave, the women were worried about who would move the heavy stone that was covering the entrance to the cave.

But when they approached the cave, they were surprised to find that there were no guards who were supposed to guard the cave, and the stone covering the entrance had been rolled away.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Angel of the Lord

When the women entered the cave, they saw that the body of Christ was not there, and on the right side of the bed was sitting a young man dressed in white clothes.

The women were frightened and froze, but the young man immediately turned to them:

“You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, crucified; He has risen, He is not here. This is the place where He was laid. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; There you will see Him, just as He told you."

The frightened women ran out of the cave and returned to Jerusalem, but, overcome with horror, they did not tell anyone anything, neither about the disappearance of the body, nor about the young man in white robes.

However, just as Jesus predicted, he rose again early on Sunday morning.

The first person to whom he appeared was Mary Magdalene.

Appearing before Mary Magdalene, he cast out seven demons from her.

After which Mary Magdalene went to the disciples of Jesus and told them that Jesus had risen and that she had seen Him alive, but the disciples did not believe Mary’s story.

Then Jesus appeared in another form to two of the disciples on the road.

They told about the meeting with the Teacher, but the rest of the students again did not believe them either.

Then in the evening Jesus appeared to the remaining eleven of his disciples and reproached them for not believing in his resurrection and said to them:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

After the conversation with the disciples, Jesus went to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, and the disciples went to preach.

This concludes the story of the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew tells about the events associated with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with slightly different details than the Gospel according to Mark.

In the Gospel of Matthew there are earthquakes, a solar eclipse, and the resurrection of the dead:

“Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the stones dissipated; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”

But near the cave, events are already happening somewhat differently.

When Mary, the mother of James and Josiah (mother of Christ), and the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached the cave, a great earthquake occurred due to the fact that the Angel of the Lord who descended from heaven came, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it:

“His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow.”

Horror gripped everyone: the guards guarding the cave and the women.

The angel turned to the women and said:

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified; He is not here - He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there"

The women, making sure that Jesus’ deathbed was empty, went back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles about the resurrection of the Teacher.

Eleven disciples went to Galilee to meet the Teacher there, on the mountain.

Not all the disciples believed that their teacher Jesus was before them.

As Jesus approached, he addressed his disciples:

“All authority in heaven and on earth is mine. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This concludes the story of the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Gospel of Luke

In the Gospel of Luke in the 24th chapter, the women also on Sunday morning came to the cave to the tomb of Christ with prepared spices and also found the stone rolled away from the entrance to the cave.

But when they entered the cave, not a young man appeared before them, but two men in shining clothes.

They, just like the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, told them that Jesus had risen and was waiting for them in Galilee,

But even here the women did not believe the messengers.

However, in the Gospel of Luke, the Apostle Peter is present in the cave, who approaches the Holy Sepulcher and sees only the linens lying there.

The following describes the events when two disciples meet Jesus on the road and do not recognize him for a long time, and only after he reclined with them and broke bread with them did they realize that they had spent the whole day in the company of Jesus:

“And as He reclined with them, He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He became invisible to them."

Further, upon returning to Jerusalem, they found together the eleven Apostles who said that the Lord had truly risen and appeared to Simon. And they told about what had happened on the way, and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of bread.

And at that moment Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them:

"Peace to you"

The apostles were confused and afraid, thinking that they saw a spirit.

But Jesus convinced them that he was their blood, and then he ate baked fish and honeycomb with them.

The disciples bowed to Jesus and returned to Jerusalem in a festive mood.

This concludes the story of the Resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.

Are there any records of references to the Ascension of the Lord in the works of eyewitnesses of Christ?

No, in the works of eyewitnesses of Christ there is not a single record where there would be any mention of the Ascension of the Lord. All references to the Ascension of the Lord were not written by eyewitnesses and in a later period.

For many centuries, Christians have greeted each other on Easter with the words: “Christ is risen! Truly risen!” Let's look at the evidence that proves that he was indeed resurrected. Let us divide the entire body of factual data into four groups concerning the following events: The Death of Christ; Burial of Christ; Empty tomb; The appearance of the risen Christ.

Death of Jesus

Why is it so important to establish the death of Jesus?

It is quite obvious that if we are going to say that Christ rose from the dead, then this means that he first died. Since if he really did not die on the cross, then he could not be resurrected. That is why it is important to first establish the fact of his death, that is, the fact that is spoken of by the Apostle Paul in his early formulation of the Christian creed, or creed.

Refutation of the fact of the death of Christ

Some people seriously said that he lost consciousness, and then, when he found himself in a cool tomb, he came to his senses. Despite his weakness, he was able to escape from the tomb and appeared before his friends. And since he was very weak after all the torment he endured, he looked like a spirit. The disciples decided that, and spread this news throughout the area. Then Christ probably wandered around for some time until he disappeared in an unknown place.

However, in light of the two most important ones, as has been repeatedly pointed out in various sources, this theory is absurd. Firstly, the extensive injuries and wounds he suffered; and secondly, the fact that his body, taken down from the cross, was wrapped in numerous shrouds, soaked in special aromatic oils, and placed in a carefully sealed tomb.

Evidence that Christ really died and was dead before he was buried

Before Jesus was nailed to the cross, he was scourged. Then a crown of thorns was placed on his head. During the scourging to which Christ was subjected, a terrible device was used, which is called a flagrum. It was a kind of whip, equipped with pieces of metal and bone, which served to ensure that the blow penetrated deeper. It happened that during such scourging the victim died without waiting for the end of the torture. It is not surprising that after the scourging Jesus was so weak that he could not carry his cross to the place of execution.

Then Jesus was crucified, that is, his hands were nailed to the cross with nails in the area of ​​​​the wrists to the transverse pole, and his legs were nailed with one large nail to the vertical pole. This execution was very cruel, since this position of the legs led to the fact that the victim instinctively stretched upward, making it easier for himself to breathe. Thus, the agony could last for several days.

However, the Jewish Sabbath was approaching, and according to John, the Jewish authorities did not want bodies that they considered desecrating the Sabbath celebration to remain on the cross. Therefore, they asked Pilate for permission to break the legs of three crucified people in order to hasten their death. This had to be done so that the upper part of the body would hang and thereby make breathing difficult, which would automatically lead to death if it did not occur before. Permission was given. However, when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they began to break his legs. This means that they were absolutely sure that he was dead. These people knew their craft. However, apparently, in order to be sure, one of the soldiers pierced his body with a spear.

John tells us that when “one of the soldiers...pierced his side...blood and water immediately flowed out.” This medical certificate of death suggests that the blood had clotted in all the major arteries and that he died before he was pierced by the spear. Since John could not have known the medical basis for this fact, his testimony is powerful evidence that Christ did indeed die. Thus, William Edwards writes: “It is clear that the totality of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus died before his body was pierced with a spear...”

Pilate is concerned with establishing the fact of Christ's death

When Sanhedrin member Joseph from Arimathea came to the Roman procurator Pilate and asked him for permission to bury Jesus, the cautious Pilate decided not to take risks, even when dealing with such an eminent person. In the very first description of this situation, the evangelist Mark notes that Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead (since, as we said above, the agony of crucifixion could last for several days). Therefore, just in case, he called the centurion and asked him if Jesus was really already dead. And only when he received it from the centurion did he give the body to Joseph. Thus, all the facts indicate that Jesus died on the cross.

Burial of Jesus

Who took care of Jesus' burial?

The most obvious question that arose both before John and before any other person was the following: how did it happen that the burial covers remained in the same position? If robbers were operating here, it is unlikely that after stealing the body they would have stole the most valuable fabrics and aromatic oils. But even if for some inexplicable reason they only wanted to steal the body, then why did they roll up the tissue again? Well, perhaps just to create the impression of the tomb being untouched? But if they wanted to create that impression, they would have replaced the stone. But here we are faced with another question: how did the robber move the stone when the guard was there? After all, this could not be done unnoticed. And the rolled away stone clearly indicated that the tomb had been disturbed. It was a direct invitation to come and look inside.

If it was not robbers who acted here, then who could it be? Maybe some strange followers of Jesus who tried to carry the body away from under the noses of the guards and put it in a safer place? But if it were them, they wouldn't keep it a secret from the other students. They would reverently rebury him, and sooner or later all Christians would know where the tomb was. In any case, we must somehow address the problem of noise that would arise when the stone was rolled away from the entrance and which the guards could not fail to hear.

The sight of the burial cloths convinced John that a miracle had occurred. At first he thought: what if someone removed the body and gave the covers such a look in order to convince people that a miracle had happened? But who could it be? From a moral point of view, none of Christ’s disciples could do this. From a psychological point of view, this was also impossible, since no one expected the Resurrection. But from a practical point of view, this was impossible because of the guards.

And finally, to suspect the authorities that they did something that would make people think about the resurrection is also completely absurd. After all, it was they who provided careful security to the tomb to avoid this possibility.

Having ruled out all the incorrect explanations, John and Peter were left with one possible explanation: the body had passed through the burial cloths. But what did this mean? And where was Jesus now?

With these questions they left the tomb, apparently deciding that further stay there would give them nothing. However, as subsequent events showed, they were wrong.

Witnesses of the appearance of Christ

The fact that the tomb turned out to be empty is extremely important: if it had not turned out to be empty, then it would be impossible to talk about the Resurrection. But it must be emphasized that the early Christians did not simply claim that the tomb was empty. Much more important was the fact that during the forty days before his ascension, they met with the risen Christ several times in a row. They saw him, talked to him, touched him, ate with him. This is what inspired them to act and gave them courage to preach the Christian Good News to the world. Moreover, when the apostles began to preach the gospel publicly, the fact that they were personal witnesses to these appearances of the risen Christ served as an essential part of the gospel. Let's give examples.

1. Peter in Jerusalem. On the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, when the Resurrection of Jesus was first publicly proclaimed, Peter said: “This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses.”
2. Peter in Jerusalem. Shortly after Pentecost, in his second most significant speech, recorded by Luke, Peter said: “But the ruler of life was killed; of this God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”
3. Peter in Caesarea. When Peter first proclaimed the Christian good news to non-Jews, Peter told Cornelius, a Roman centurion, that he and others “…ate and drank with Him after He had risen from the dead.”
4. Paul in Antioch of Pisidia. In his most important speech in the synagogue, Paul said about Christ: “When they had done all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; For many days he appeared to those who went with him from Galilee to Jerusalem and who are now his witnesses before the people.”

And when Paul writes a brief but comprehensive statement of the Good News, he includes information about individual appearances of Christ as the most important component:

“I remind you, brethren, of the gospel which I preached to you, which you received, in which you stood, and by which you are saved, if you keep what was taught, as I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I initially taught you what I myself received, that is, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve; then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, and some have died; then he appeared to Jacob, and also to all the Apostles; and after all he appeared to me as if I were a monster.”

Hume's criteria for evidence

Hume, as we have seen, gives several criteria that he considers important for assessing the strength of evidence, in particular the number and character of witnesses and the manner in which they present their evidence.

Criterion 1. Number of witnesses

From Paul's list, as well as from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, we know that during the forty days that separated his Resurrection and Ascension, Christ appeared to more than five hundred people. Twenty years later, in the mid-50s. n. BC, when Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, more than two hundred and fifty of them were still alive. And they could, apparently, be questioned about the events they observed. Consequently, during the first stage of the growth of the Christian church there was no shortage of witnesses who could report their encounters with Christ.

But the point is not only in the number of witnesses who actually saw the risen Christ. The point is also that these were very different people to whom he appeared in a wide variety of situations. For example, he appeared before a group of eleven people in a closed room; to the woman who was alone in the garden; several fishermen at sea; two travelers on the road; to two more travelers on the mountain. It is this diversity of people and characters that argues against describing these encounters as hallucinations.

Inadequacy of the concept of explanations of events as hallucinations

According to this concept, the appearances of Christ are mental phenomena similar to hallucinations. Proponents of this concept claim that the disciples "saw" something, but their vision was not objectively real, but rather occurred in their minds. However, evidence from the field of medical psychology argues against such an explanation.

1. Hallucinations are usually observed in people of a certain temperament, endowed with a vivid imagination. Whereas among Christ’s disciples there were people of different professions requiring very different qualities. Matthew was a tax collector, stubborn and sober; Peter and his comrades are fishermen, brave and hardy; Peter and his comrades are fishermen, brave and hardy; Thomas - an inveterate skeptic, etc. It is difficult to classify these people as those who are susceptible to hallucinations.
2. Hallucinations are usually associated with anticipated events. Thus, philosopher William Lane Craig says that “since a hallucination is simply a projection of consciousness, it cannot contain anything that was not previously in consciousness.” But, as we said above, none of the disciples after his death on the cross expected to see him again. Instead of expecting his Resurrection, they had fear, doubt and uncertainty in their minds, that is, they had no psychological prerequisites for the corresponding hallucinations.
3. Hallucinations usually occur over a relatively long period of time. At this time, the person experiences more or less hallucinations. But the appearances of Christ occurred frequently for forty days, and then suddenly stopped. None of the disciples ever had such an experience afterwards. The only exception was Paul, who reports that he once met the risen Christ. But this was the last time. Such experiences also do not resemble ordinary hallucinations.
4. It is difficult to imagine that five hundred people who saw Christ at the same time would experience a hallucination.
5. Hallucinations could not lead to belief in the Resurrection. The explanatory power of the concept of hallucination is significantly limited: it applies only to the appearances of Christ, while the fact of the empty tomb remains unexplained. However, no matter how many hallucinations the disciples of Christ experienced, they would never have been able to preach the Resurrection in Jerusalem if the tomb had not been empty!

Criterion 2. Consistency of eyewitness accounts

If the judicial testimony of several witnesses to an event coincide in almost all details, then any judge, apparently, will conclude that the witnesses are somehow connected with each other and it is possible that they agreed among themselves to introduce the court into delusion. On the other hand, if the testimony of independent witnesses does not coincide at all, then they are also of no use to the court. Independent testimony is required to agree on the main points and to have such discrepancies that could be explained by differences in the positions from which the event was observed, etc. Descriptions of minor details may vary, but with more detailed information, these descriptions can be summarized into one big picture. Some details may remain unexplained, but they can be explained if more information is obtained. However, these unclear details should not relate to the main facts of the case.

Applying these principles of analysis to the Resurrection narratives, we see that the Gospels agree in basic details. There is a core to these narratives: Joseph of Arimathea laid the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb; A small group (or groups) of women followers of Christ came to the tomb early on the morning of the first day of the week and found the tomb empty. These people and Christ's disciples subsequently met him repeatedly under different circumstances.

As for the minor details, they differ significantly. For example, Matthew tells us that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb at dawn, whereas John tells us that she arrived there “while it was still dark.” These messages can be easily connected into a single whole: Mary could have left the house when it was still dark, but she approached the tomb when it was already light.

In addition, when reconstructing events, it is important to realize that in one form or another, various women participated in the events associated with the death of Christ and His Resurrection. The group, which included Mary Magdalene, the “other Mary” and Salome, arrived at the tomb first. Approaching the tomb, they saw that the tomb was empty. Mary ran back to the city to tell Peter and John. In her absence, Joanna (possibly together with Susanna), who left the Hasmonean palace, came to the tomb along a different road. They had to enter the city through a different gate, so they did not meet Mary Magdalene. These four women entered the tomb, where they were told to go back to the city and tell the disciples of Christ what had happened. And since there are many narrow streets in Jerusalem, they did not meet Peter and John, who fled to the tomb along with Mary Magdalene. John and Peter, running to the tomb, saw the burial shrouds, indicating that Jesus had been resurrected. They left the tomb. But Mary Magdalene hesitated, and then she saw Jesus. She then joined the other people who were in the Jerusalem house.

So, the women were asked to report the events to the apostles. Until this moment, only two people knew about them - John and Peter. The remaining nine, who apparently spent the night in Bethany, had yet to hear from them. At this time, a group of women, which probably included the “other Mary” and Salome, went to Bethany. On their way they also met Jesus.

Let us dwell on one more obvious difference between different descriptions of events. The point is that the Gospel of Luke says that Jesus appeared to the eleven, while John's account, which apparently refers to the same event, says that Thomas was not present at this event, that is, in fact there were only ten students there. However, this discrepancy need not be interpreted as a contradiction, since when Luke speaks of the eleven, he may be referring to the disciples as a group as a whole. To understand this method of indication, let's give an analogy. Say, if there are seven people on a sports team and a sportscaster says he's going to interview the seven, that doesn't necessarily mean he's going to meet with all seven players.

The reader can find a more detailed description related to the burial and Resurrection of Christ in the already mentioned book by Wenham.

The renowned historian Michael Grant of the University of Edinburgh writes: “Different Gospels give different accounts of how the tomb in which Christ was buried was later found to be empty. However, if we apply to these descriptions the criteria of veracity that we usually apply to other literary sources, then it turns out that we have enough data to come to the conclusion that the tomb was indeed empty.

Criterion 3: Witness bias

It is often said that since information about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ comes primarily from Christian sources, there is a danger that we are relying on information that does not have the strength of independent evidence. At first glance, this objection seems reasonable, but it looks completely different in the light of the following arguments. Those who found the data in favor of the Resurrection of Christ convincing became Christians. But it is not necessary that they were already Christians when they first heard about the Resurrection. The most obvious example of this is Saul of Tarsus. He was not a Christian, but one of the learned Pharisees who fought fiercely against Christians. He made great efforts to send many of them to prison or torture. He sought to eradicate the story of the Resurrection from the consciousness of people and thereby destroy the very foundations of Christianity. Hearing that Christianity was beginning to spread beyond Jerusalem, he received permission from the high priest to go to Syria, to Damascus, and arrest all the Christians there. But by the time he reached Damascus, something completely unexpected had happened to him - he had become a Christian.

Paul's conversion and subsequent writings served as a milestone in European world history. During the remaining years of his life, he founded many churches, and his writings (comprising more than half of the New Testament) influenced and continue to influence millions of people around the world. Saul's conversion was a turning point in history and requires serious analysis. His actual explanation goes like this! “...and after everyone else he appeared to me...”

Thus, Paul's testimony is significant because he was not a believer when he encountered the Risen Christ. It was this meeting that led to his conversion.

But there is another question that needs to be asked in connection with this discussion. On what basis do those who do not believe in the Resurrection of Christ claim that he did not rise? The religious authorities who condemned Christ and executed him could not ignore the messages of his disciples. They desperately sought to stop the social movement that arose as a result of the Resurrection. They had all the power of government at their disposal. If necessary, they could even rely on the Roman military machine. But, despite this, they did not disseminate any other information, except for the obviously stupid story (for which they also had to pay handsomely) that the disciples of Christ allegedly stole his body while the guards were sleeping. Therefore, they resorted to primitive and crude tactics. They threw the apostles into prison and tried to intimidate them, threatening them with serious consequences if they continued preaching the Resurrection. The complete lack of data that could be used either by the authorities or by any other people to prove that the Resurrection did not occur is very telling. One gets the impression that the authorities did not have any information that he could disseminate.

Criterion 4. Attitude of witnesses

Following Hume, this section should consider how Christians presented their position. Did they express doubt or, on the contrary, act by force? Of course, they did not doubt their views. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles gives many examples of the courage of the disciples who testified about the Resurrection, sometimes in front of very hostile listeners. But they never acted by force. The most striking thing in early Christianity is the non-violence adopted by the disciples from Christ. He taught them not to use the sword to defend himself or his teachings. There is no place for senseless aggression in his kingdom. Take, for example, the impact of Paul's conversion to Christianity. Before his conversion, he was an ardent persecutor of his fellow Jews for their Christian beliefs. After his conversion, he stopped persecuting people, no matter what religion they belonged to. For his faith in the Resurrection of Christ, he himself was subjected to terrible persecution and, in the end, paid with his life.

Thus, we can apparently conclude that Hume's criteria for reliable evidence are met in the case of Christ's first disciples.

Near the tomb on Easter day

Women as witnesses

Anyone who knows even some details of the ancient laws regarding witness testimony is surprised that the first reports of the Risen Christ in the Gospels were made by women. It is known that in Jewish culture of the first century AD, women were not considered competent witnesses. Therefore, if someone in those days wanted to invent a story about the resurrection and present it to people as real, he would never have started in this way. The only situation in which it was safe to include women in the story was when there was complete confidence in the authenticity of the events, when there was no point in worrying about what people would think if the story of the event included female witnesses. So, the mere inclusion of women in the story is a clear sign of its historical authenticity.

Psychological data

• Lack of interest among students in the tomb

We do not know that John and Peter tried to discuss with Mary Magdalene how to understand the situation with burial clothes. It is psychologically difficult to imagine that they would discuss this issue with her, since she was sobbing, overwhelmed with grief at the thought that she had forever lost the body of the one who brought her forgiveness, peace of mind and tranquility and restored her honor. And if “resurrection” meant that she had lost access to him forever, then their speeches would hardly have consoled her. After all, she was going to come to the tomb along with other women to complete the embalming of the body, and she clearly had completely different thoughts. If the Resurrection had not happened, they would very quickly have turned the tomb into a sanctuary, when they could come to worship the deceased spiritual teacher. It is surprising that nowhere in the New Testament is there any mention of such a practice, there is not a single comment from which it would follow that the apostles called people devoted to Christ to make a pilgrimage to his tomb in order to receive some special blessing or even healing. On the contrary, there is no evidence of any real interest in the tomb of Christ in the early stages of Christianity.

What prevented the natural desire, in particular, on the part of the first Christian women, to make the tomb an object of worship? Mary is probably the best person to answer this question, since it was she who sought to be at the tomb on the day she found it empty. Since she came to complete the embalming of the body, she wanted to find the body. Standing next to the tomb and sobbing, she saw someone through her tears. She mistook this man for a gardener. She thought that he had carried the body away, so she asked him: “If you have carried it away, tell me where you have put it, and I will take it.” Together with another woman, she wanted to take the body and bury it with honor in a place that would become an object of eternal worship.

But she did not do this, because such an amazing event happened that Mary and other people no longer began to show any interest in the tomb. John tells us that the man Mary mistook for the gardener was in fact the risen Christ. Maria, he reports, quickly recognizing his voice, realized that she had received the answer to her question. If Jesus was resurrected, then what is the point of tending his tomb? None! No one makes a shrine in honor of someone who is alive.

• New relationships

But at the same time another question arose. If the tomb was now abandoned because the disciples were convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead, then a very important question arose: what should now be the relationship between the disciples and the risen Christ? Maria, having discovered that he was alive, naturally wanted to approach him. But Christ told her something very important, which in fact was important not only for her, but also for all his followers: “... Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; But go to my brothers and say to them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.”

Mary knew it was the real Jesus—she heard his voice and touched him. But he told her that he would no longer remain with her in this form; but now, on the other side of death, he convinced her and all his followers that he had created a new and eternal relationship between them, himself and his Father, which death could no longer destroy.

It was a living connection with the living Christ that satisfied the needs of her and many millions of people in subsequent times. Mere knowledge that he had risen from the dead would not have been enough for this.

Nature of the Resurrected Body

That evening Christ appeared to the core group of disciples. They gathered in Jerusalem, in a room behind closed doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. He showed them the nail marks on his hands and the spear marks on his body. Now, finally, John knew what the Resurrection meant! The body that passed through the burial clothes also passed through the closed doors. But it was real, tangible and, moreover, alive.

Some readers may be looking forward to asking the question: How, in this age of scientific and technological progress, can one believe that the physical body has passed through funeral robes and locked room doors?

We know four dimensions of space-time. But it is not limited to these four dimensions. Perhaps nature itself has a larger number than we always thought. An analogy can help us here. In 1880, mathematician Edwin Abbott wrote an amazing book. It was a satire on class structure. Abbott says: try to imagine a two-dimensional world called Flat Earth, populated by: straight lines, triangles, squares, pentagons, etc., even circles. He then introduces a character named Sphere into the story. The sphere lives in a three-dimensional world called Spherazemie. She tries to explain to one of the Flat Earth creatures what it means to be a sphere. The sphere passes through the valley of the Flat Earth, appearing first as a dot that grows larger, then smaller, then disappears. This, of course, seems impossible for flat-earthers simply because they cannot perceive more than two dimensions. The Orb confuses them further when it tells them that as it moves through the Flatland Valley, it can see into their homes and can appear in them even if the doors are closed. The sphere even takes one flat-earther into space to show him what his world looks like from the outside. However, having returned home, this flat-earther cannot convey his new knowledge to his fellow citizens, who do not know another world other than their own two-dimensional world. Maybe our world is similar to Flat Earth, with the difference that we have not two, but four dimensions? If this is so, then a reality with a more complex uniformity could interact with our world, like the Sphere with the Flat Earth.

Modern physics of space and analogies like Abbott's help us to think that perhaps the New Testament description of the properties of the resurrected body of Christ cannot be completely rejected. If there is a God who is beyond space and time, then it is not surprising that the resurrection of his son reveals aspects of reality that also indicate a transcendence of our space and time.

However, there are likely to be those who will begin to challenge the idea that the Resurrection of the body of Christ was physical, since the New Testament speaks of the resurrection of a “spiritual body.” The point of this objection is that “spiritual” means “non-physical.” However, it only takes a little thought to realize that there are other possibilities. When we talk about a gasoline engine, we do not mean that the engine is made of gasoline. What we really mean is that the engine runs on gasoline. Thus, the term "spiritual body" may well refer to the force that is behind the life of that body, rather than being a description of that body itself.

In order to determine which of these interpretations is correct, it is enough to turn to the text of the New Testament. In the Gospel of Luke we read that Christ says to his disciples: “Look at my hands and at my feet - it is I myself; touch (touch) me and look at me; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” From this statement, it is obvious that he is saying that his resurrected body was not “made of spirit.” It was made of flesh and could be touched. And to emphasize this, Christ asked them if they had anything to eat. They offered him fish and he ate with them. The fact that he ate this fish was evidence beyond any doubt that his resurrected body was a physical reality. When he left, they probably could not recover from amazement for a long time, staring at the empty plate. Whatever the nature of the world to which he now belonged, it certainly had a physical dimension.

Jesus' Disciples Doubt the Resurrection

From the New Testament we learn of several instances where disciples expressed doubts about the Resurrection. For example, when the apostles first heard what the women told them, they thought it was meaningless. And they were not convinced of the truthfulness of their words until they saw Jesus for themselves.

Thomas was not with the other disciples in Jerusalem that evening when the Risen Jesus appeared to them in a locked room, and he simply refused to believe them when they told him that they had seen him. He told them: “... Unless I see the wounds of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds of the nails, and put my hand into his ribs, I will not believe.” Thomas managed not to succumb to the general mood of the group - he wanted to make sure of the truth their observations himself. A week later they all found themselves back in a room in Jerusalem. Jesus appeared to them, spoke to Thomas and invited him to put his fingers in his wounds and his hand where he had been pierced by a spear. Christ presented Thomas with the evidence he demanded (which, by the way, indicates that the risen Christ heard what was asked of him). He did not reproach Thomas for not believing the words of others and for wanting to see Christ with his own eyes, but he blessed those who did not see but believed. He said: “...Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

In fact, the Gospels do not say whether Thomas touched Christ or not. But it is said that he said: “My Lord and my God!” He recognized the risen Jesus as God.

What about those who have not seen Christ?

In this long section on the appearances of Christ, we talked about the early Christians who saw Christ with their own eyes. Let us also recall that after 40 days his apparitions ceased (with the exception of Paul's experience on the road to Damascus). Consequently, the vast majority of Christians throughout history became Christians without seeing Christ with their own eyes. Christ said something very important about this to Thomas and his other disciples: “...You believed because you saw me: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Witnesses to the events we described saw them and therefore believed them, but most did not have this experience. This, of course, does not mean that Christ called other people to believe without any data or evidence. This is wrong. First, the evidence we are offered comes from people who actually witnessed the events. But Christ tells us that there is convincing evidence and data of a different kind. And one of these proofs is the way in which God's words penetrate the hearts and souls of people.

Predictions of the Death and Resurrection of Christ in the Old Testament

Some of Jesus' disciples experienced a deeper degree of mistrust than Thomas, that is, a mistrust that cannot be overcome by seeing the event with one's own eyes. Luke tells us about two followers of Jesus who were walking from Jerusalem to the nearby village of Emmaus on the day the events described above took place. They were depressed by what happened in Jerusalem. On the way, a stranger joined them. It was Jesus, but they did not recognize him. Luke explains that “their eyes were held,” apparently for supernatural reasons, but perhaps for another reason. They believed that Jesus was supposed to bring them political freedom, but to their great chagrin, he himself was crucified. From their point of view, there is absolutely no benefit from a liberator who allowed himself to be crucified. Thus, the rumors spread by women about his resurrection were empty.

Jesus did not immediately tell them who he was. Instead, he briefly explained to them the Old Testament, showing that it was according to the Old Testament prophets that the Messiah, whoever he was, had to be rejected by his people, put to death, and then resurrected and glorified. This sounded new to these two travelers. Until now they had seen in the Old Testament what they wanted to see. They had grasped the prophecy of the triumph of the Messiah, but what had escaped their attention was the fact that the Messiah had first to fulfill the role of the Suffering Servant. And only after this should he be glorified.

Perhaps the most remarkable of these prophecies is found in the prophet Isaiah. More than 500 years before the Messiah was rejected, suffered, and then died, all these events were vividly described in the Old Testament: “... He was wounded for our sins, and tormented for our iniquities; the punishment of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed.” Isaiah then says that he was “cut out of the land of the living” and buried. And then we read the wonderful words: “He will look at the feat of his soul with contentment...”. Thus, according to Isaiah, the Messiah had to die. Therefore, Jesus' death did not prove that he was not the Messiah, it proved that he was. When both travelers realized this, the women's story about the Resurrection seemed plausible to them. He removed the cause of their despair and filled them with new hope.

But they still did not understand that their random companion was Jesus. However, it was not bad that they understood the objective fact that the Old Testament announced the death of the Messiah. How did they finally recognize him?

They recognized him only when they invited him to their house, and he performed some action there that told them everything. And this was an action familiar to the close circle of his first students. While eating a simple meal with them, Jesus broke bread with them - that’s when they recognized him! This detail of his behavior was a sign of his true essence. They had seen Jesus break bread before, such as when he fed the Lord, and there was something about the way he did it that was unique to him, something that made him immediately recognizable.

We all know from the experience of living in a family and communicating with friends that each person has his own characteristics that make him recognizable in any situation. And it was precisely because of this feature that the disciples knew that it was Jesus. It turned out to be decisive evidence for them. No impostor would ever think of imitating such a small detail of behavior.

The issues discussed in this article certainly deserve the time and attention we have devoted to them. The last word on the Resurrection and its evidence will be given to Professor Norman Anderson: “The empty tomb, then, is the real rock on which all rationalistic theories of the Resurrection are dashed.”