Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE CLIMAX OF JESUS' MISSION §18.5
in the tradition and gave the tradition its essential shape. 177 (4) Several of the appearances
were very personal in character and gave the tradition the character of
personal testimony. Some of these (to Peter and James in particular) did not become
church tradition until later or never. In these cases eyewitness testimony
was not formulated in such a way as to become communal tradition.
18.5. Why 'Resurrection'?
Analysis of the history of the tradition only takes us so far — to first reports formulated
as tradition. It does not explain the terms used, terms which defined the
tradition as 'resurrection' appearances. We can be confident that there was a visual
and auditory element to these seeings. That the seeing and hearing was a
seeing and hearing of Jesus was a matter of doubt for some who shared the experience,
but that memory of doubt has been retained in a tradition where no such
doubt remained. That Jesus was alive, despite crucifixion and burial, was an understandable
conclusion to draw from the experience. But why 'resurrection'?
Why was the further conclusion drawn, and why did it become the core interpretation,
that God had raised Jesus from the dead?
The question arises for two reasons. First, because there were other categories
which one would expect to have appealed to the disciples. Second, because
'resurrection' had a limited reference, that is, to what was expected to take place
at the end of time, prior to the final judgment. 178 Both aspects require elucidation.
a. Why Did the First Witnesses Conclude That God Had Raised
Jesus from the Dead?
Had they simply wanted to affirm his vindication or the vindication of his message,
179 they could have done so in other ways. Here, as in chapter 15, we need to
take note of the options open to them.
(1) Translation or rapture. The most prominent examples in this category
were Enoch (Gen. 5.24) and Elijah (2 Kgs. 2.11-12). They had been translated or
raptured to heaven and remained there with the possibility of returning to earth.
As already noted, there was considerable speculation current at the time of Jesus
177. 'We may reckon that the appearances of Jesus were talked about immediately after
they happened' (Lüdemann, Resurrection 38, his emphasis).
178. See above, § 17.6b.
179. So particularly Marxsen, Resurrection (see below, §18.5d).
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