I believe in the Resurrection of the body.

"The term 'resurrection of the flesh,' however, is not well chosen.  When we Germans hear the word Fleisch, we think no farther than the butcher shop.  Idiomatically we would say 'resurrection of the body.'  However, this is not of great importance, as long as the words are rightly understood."
Large Catechism, Apostles' Creed, Article III.

"Fourthly, concerning the doctrine of the resurrection, Scripture testifies that precisely the substance of this our flesh, but without sin, shall arise, and that in eternal life we shall have and keep precisely this soul, although without sin.  If there were no difference whatsoever between our corrupted body and soul on the one hand and original sin on the other, then it would follow, contrary to this article of our Christian faith, either that our flesh would not rise on Judgment Day and that in eternal life, instead of this essence of our body and soul, we should have another substance or another soul since we there shall be without sin...."
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article I, Original Sin.

I struggled with this one.  I had to spend a lot more time in the Book of Concord than I thought I would.  What the quote of Martin Luther in the Large Catechism says to me is that the contributors to The Lutheran Confessions took it as self-evident that Jesus rose bodily from the dead, and that we will as well.  The Apostles' Creed says that we believe in the resurrection of the body, so they did believe it.  Imagine. 

The Scripture reference for this is Luke 24: 36-43.  In this resurrection appearance, the apostles think Jesus is a spirit after his resurrection.  First Jesus tells them he is "flesh and bone".  Then to prove it, he eats a piece of fish in their presence.  Given the lengths to which Jesus went to demonstrate that he was bodily raised, and given the clarity of The Apostles' Creed that we believe in "the resurrection of the body," it may seem odd to post on the topic of whether Jesus bodily rose from the dead, and that we will as well.  But Gnostics are alive and well in the world today.  (Gnostics believe that physical is "bad" and spirit is "good" so there is no bodily resurrection for Jesus or for us.)  And each year at this time of year Drs. Crossan and Borg of The Historical Jesus Movement (and The Jesus Seminar) gain notoriety and money by selling the conclusion that despite what the confessors found self-evident, somehow Jesus did not bodily rise from the dead. 

Most of the topics I have raised in this blog come from actual "discussions", either face to face or digitally.  The discussion last week was a proposition that there is no evidence for The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is something we have to just accept on "blind faith" because there is no evidence.  Two years ago, after reading Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" and Josh McDowell's "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict," I wrote a closing argument (rebuttal summary) in the hypothetical case to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead.  As a disciple of C. S. Lewis, obviously I am convinced that there is evidence for our belief that The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical fact, in the sense that it actually occurred in history.  (I have that presentation on DVD BTW.)  It is not surprising that The Historical Jesus proponents would deny a bodily resurrection, since they also deny the divinity of Christ.  The post earlier on the divinity of Christ came from a discussion at a leadership event in which a pastor shared that he did not believe that Jesus is God because Dr. Crossan had demonstrated that he is not.  Really?  These heresies go together.  And they both have the same intent: an attempt to set aside the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as The Way and The Truth and The Life.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in the history of history. It demonstrated that Jesus was exactly who he said he was, and that God keeps God's promises.  Don't allow the wild speculations of a handful of scholars steal your hope and joy this Easter season.  He is risen indeed.  And because he lives, we too shall live.

I believe in the resurrection of the body.