Resurrection of Jesus and his Ascension SS3 Christian Religious Studies (CRS) Lesson Note

THE RESURRECTION  (MATTHEW 28:1 – 8, MARK 16:1 – 6, LUKE 24:1 – 11)

Resurrection means coming back to life after death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was to show his victory over death. The account of the resurrection appears in all three synoptic gospels. They all stated that when the women disciples-Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James and Salome went to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus, they discovered that he had resurrected. 

Matthew reported that there was a great earthquake; angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat upon it. It was this angel that informed the women that Jesus had risen from the dead.

However, Luke and Mark did not report any earthquake. Mark reported that as the women were contemplating who would help them roll away the stone at the entrance of the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right side dressed in a white robe and they were amazed. He told them:

“Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him” (Mark 16:6)

The angel then directed them to go and inform his disciples to prepare themselves and meet him in Galilee. Mark added that the women left the tomb trembling and astonished and they could not say anything to anybody. 

Luke’s account was similar to that of Mark except that he added that as the women were perplexed over what happened to the body of Jesus, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. It was these men that informed them of the resurrection of Jesus. When the women told the news to the disciples, they did not believe them.