What Is Meant By The Term 'Resurrection'

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What Is Meant By The Term ‘Resurrection’

The term ‘resurrection’ has several similar meanings. In the Collins English Dictionary resurrection is defined as: 1. a supposed act or instance of a dead person coming back to life; (under Resurrection) 1. the rising again of Christ from the tomb three days after his death; 2. the rising again from the dead of all men at the Last Judgment”.

        In the Bible the Greek word for resurrection is ‘anastasis’ which means standing again or raised to life. It comes from the Greek word ‘anistēmi’ which means to arise or to stand up again. The Greek word, ‘ĕgĕirō’ which means to rouse or waken, is used for when Lazarus rose from the dead. The words are slightly different, as anastasis is when a person who has died comes back to life whereas ĕgĕirō signifies that a person is roused from sleeping. However, ĕgĕirō can also mean the person is roused from death. The difference between the two words, anastasis and ĕgĕirō, is important as it proves that Lazarus resurrection was hardly as incredible as Jesus’.  In John’s Gospel is the story of how Lazarus was “raised from the dead”. This phrase is rooted from another Greek word, ĕxĕgĕirō which means to resuscitate. This helps to mark a distinct difference between Jesus’ resurrection and Lazarus. If Lazarus was resuscitated, brought back to consciousness, then he did not truly die. It can be proved that Jesus’ resurrection was not resuscitation as Jesus had a sword thrust into his side so he must have died.

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 Lazarus and many others were raised to life but this does not imply that they will never die again. Jesus, however, who is still alive today and will never die because he did not have a beginning as he always was. This is clear from John 1:1 which says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. There are other differences such as when Lazarus came back to life he was unable to free himself as his feet and hands were tied together. Jesus’ body was also wrapped the same way but he ...

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