Who Raised Jesus From The Dead?
For Christians it is of no doubt that Jesus indeed rose from the dead after being dead for three days. But who exactly is responsible? Did Jesus himself have the power to raise himself from the dead or did God alone raise him from the dead? Let's see the answer:
Here are a couple of verses that don't directly identify who raised Jesus from the grave, but do imply that he was risen by something other than himself:
Here are a couple more verses that do directly identify who raised Jesus from the dead; being God the Father:
As you can see, these are a lot of verses. But before we add these all up, let's examine some other scriptures.
Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
This scripture is often used by trinitarians in an attempt to prove that the holy spirit as a third person also participated in the Resurrection of Jesus. But this is just as obscured as the scripture that's used to "prove" that the holy spirit (as a separate third person) is God (Acts 5:3-4). There is honestly no basis for such a theory, and it seems that whenever they come across a passage with the word spirit in it; they coin it with the trinity. But this verse doesn't say, "The Holy Spirit raised Jesus," it says, "the Spirit of him." Whose spirit is Paul talking about? Obviously from the context, it's the spirit of God which is synonymous with the power of God. This has nothing to do with a third member of a triune God; it is talking about the very power of God. The parallel to this would be 1 Corinthians 6:14 "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power."
You can already imagine how trinitarians and the oneness group would use this verse to prove that Jesus is God; since God raised him and yet he is saying he will raise himself. But it's quite simple actually to find out what Jesus is referring to here. The Jews had no idea what in the world Jesus was talking about, they had thought that he was referring to the actual temple, and so began to question how he would do so if it took such a long time to build it in the first place. But the writer two verses down reveals what he was talking about, "But he spake of the temple of his body." There you have it! Jesus was talking specifically about his own body.
And it continues with, "When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." Even in the next verse it's still implied that Jesus was risen by something other than himself. The simple "solution" here is not that Jesus rose himself from the dead by his own power, but he rose himself from the dead by getting up and walking out of the tomb. He rose his body, hence, I will raise it up."
Hold on a second, haven't I been rambling on in this note that Jesus did not have the power to raise himself from the dead? Yet here is a scripture that proves me wrong! Am I being deceptive? Absolutely not. This too has a simple "solution," so to say. Notice the first words, "No man taketh it from me." But wait, wasn't it men who did take it? It sure was, the Jews who accused him and the Romans who crucified him. So anyone who says anything about men killing or crucifying Jesus, I then could pull out this scripture and say no, you are wrong, Jesus said that no man could have taken it from him. I would probably be given a weird look. But it's true, I could, and it would be silly, so also it's silly to use this to say that Jesus did indeed have the power to raise himself from the dead, when the rest of the majority of scripture says otherwise.
Does this mean Jesus lied? No, it means that you have misunderstood this verse. The point that Jesus is making in his reference to power, is that he is doing this out of his own free will. He has a choice in the matter, and he's choosing to die and also to take his life again as the Father has promised him. So it is not that Jesus has the power to raise himself from the dead, it is that he has the power to choose. This is made clear by the last words, "This commandment have I received of my Father." And even looking up the Greek word used here for, "power," one of the definitions is actually about the power of choice. Of course literal power is also one of it's definitions, but the reason I would rule that out is because, it doesn't take divine power to die, that's something anyone can do. It makes more sense that Jesus is referring to his free will.
I can already imagine the trinitarians and the oneness who are reading this rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at my "distortion and twisting" of the scriptures to fit my own doctrine. But here's my appeal to them. Just think; adding all the scriptures that I provided above come out to 31 bible verses. You do the math, 31 > or < 3? You always must lean on where the evidence leads. But I do have one more scripture and I think this one pretty much hits the nail on the head:
Hebrews 5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared."
Would you look at that. Jesus, who is said to have the power to raise himself from the dead is pleading to God to save him from death. Honestly what does this tell you? What I see is that Jesus needed the Father, he could not do it on his own.
... All the evidence points to the Father that raised him from the dead.
Here are a couple of verses that don't directly identify who raised Jesus from the grave, but do imply that he was risen by something other than himself:
- Matthew 16:21 "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
- Matthew 17:23 "And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again."
- Luke 9:22 "Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."
- Romans 4:25 "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."
- Romans 6:9 "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him."
- Romans 7:4 "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
- Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
- 2 Timothy 2:8 "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel."
Here are a couple more verses that do directly identify who raised Jesus from the dead; being God the Father:
- Acts 2:24 "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."
- Acts 2:32 "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."
- Acts 3:15 "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."
- Acts 4:10 "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole."
- Acts 5:30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree."
- Acts 10:40 "Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly."
- Acts 13:30 "But God raised him from the dead."
- Acts 13:34 "And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David."
- Acts 13:37 "But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption."
- Acts 17:31 "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
- Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
- Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
- 1 Corinthians 6:14 "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power."
- 1 Corinthians 15:15 "Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not."
- 2 Corinthians 4:14 "Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you."
- Galatians 1:1 "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)"
- Ephesians 1:20 "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."
- Colossians 2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
- 1 Thessalonians 1:10 "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
- 1 Peter 1:21 "Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."
As you can see, these are a lot of verses. But before we add these all up, let's examine some other scriptures.
Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
This scripture is often used by trinitarians in an attempt to prove that the holy spirit as a third person also participated in the Resurrection of Jesus. But this is just as obscured as the scripture that's used to "prove" that the holy spirit (as a separate third person) is God (Acts 5:3-4). There is honestly no basis for such a theory, and it seems that whenever they come across a passage with the word spirit in it; they coin it with the trinity. But this verse doesn't say, "The Holy Spirit raised Jesus," it says, "the Spirit of him." Whose spirit is Paul talking about? Obviously from the context, it's the spirit of God which is synonymous with the power of God. This has nothing to do with a third member of a triune God; it is talking about the very power of God. The parallel to this would be 1 Corinthians 6:14 "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power."
John 2:19 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
You can already imagine how trinitarians and the oneness group would use this verse to prove that Jesus is God; since God raised him and yet he is saying he will raise himself. But it's quite simple actually to find out what Jesus is referring to here. The Jews had no idea what in the world Jesus was talking about, they had thought that he was referring to the actual temple, and so began to question how he would do so if it took such a long time to build it in the first place. But the writer two verses down reveals what he was talking about, "But he spake of the temple of his body." There you have it! Jesus was talking specifically about his own body.
And it continues with, "When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." Even in the next verse it's still implied that Jesus was risen by something other than himself. The simple "solution" here is not that Jesus rose himself from the dead by his own power, but he rose himself from the dead by getting up and walking out of the tomb. He rose his body, hence, I will raise it up."
John 10:18 "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
Hold on a second, haven't I been rambling on in this note that Jesus did not have the power to raise himself from the dead? Yet here is a scripture that proves me wrong! Am I being deceptive? Absolutely not. This too has a simple "solution," so to say. Notice the first words, "No man taketh it from me." But wait, wasn't it men who did take it? It sure was, the Jews who accused him and the Romans who crucified him. So anyone who says anything about men killing or crucifying Jesus, I then could pull out this scripture and say no, you are wrong, Jesus said that no man could have taken it from him. I would probably be given a weird look. But it's true, I could, and it would be silly, so also it's silly to use this to say that Jesus did indeed have the power to raise himself from the dead, when the rest of the majority of scripture says otherwise.
Does this mean Jesus lied? No, it means that you have misunderstood this verse. The point that Jesus is making in his reference to power, is that he is doing this out of his own free will. He has a choice in the matter, and he's choosing to die and also to take his life again as the Father has promised him. So it is not that Jesus has the power to raise himself from the dead, it is that he has the power to choose. This is made clear by the last words, "This commandment have I received of my Father." And even looking up the Greek word used here for, "power," one of the definitions is actually about the power of choice. Of course literal power is also one of it's definitions, but the reason I would rule that out is because, it doesn't take divine power to die, that's something anyone can do. It makes more sense that Jesus is referring to his free will.
I can already imagine the trinitarians and the oneness who are reading this rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at my "distortion and twisting" of the scriptures to fit my own doctrine. But here's my appeal to them. Just think; adding all the scriptures that I provided above come out to 31 bible verses. You do the math, 31 > or < 3? You always must lean on where the evidence leads. But I do have one more scripture and I think this one pretty much hits the nail on the head:
Hebrews 5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared."
Would you look at that. Jesus, who is said to have the power to raise himself from the dead is pleading to God to save him from death. Honestly what does this tell you? What I see is that Jesus needed the Father, he could not do it on his own.
... All the evidence points to the Father that raised him from the dead.
God alone raised Jesus from the dead by His own power.
Amen.
Amen.
