Week 5: Resurrection

Resurrection and the Gospel

For a lot of my life, I think I did not recognize the resurrection as a vital part of the Gospel. I understood the Gospel as focused on Jesus's atoning death and my way to gain salvation. The resurrection was an add-on. It was kind of a nice way to conclude the story. Yet, the more I studied and fell in love with scripture, I began to see the resurrection of Jesus everywhere!

At the same time, some amazing scholars and authors began to call on the church to see the resurrection again as central to the Gospel of Jesus. Today's scripture reading is a little longer than some of the previous days. We will read from the resurrection narrative in Luke 24 and then the gospel sermons preached throughout Acts. These two books of the Bible, Luke and Acts, are interconnected and written by Luke. In fact, I like to refer to them as The Gospel Part 1 and The Gospel Part 2.

As you read through all of these passages, pay special attention to the importance and role of the resurrection in the good news of Jesus.

Why is the resurrection vital to the Gospel?

What does the resurrection bring for Jesus's disciples?

How does the resurrection challenge the powers of the world?