One of the greatest mysteries embodied in our Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus. What is “resurrection”?

First of all, it was not a resuscitation. Anyone resuscitated has to die again. Secondly, it was something more than “immortality of the soul”.

“This means that something happened to Jesus’ corpse — something radically, fundamentally different from what was believed to have happened to the bodies of all the other people who have ever died.”

” —-the resurrected Jesus has a transformed body. Although it is the same body, it now possesses new, extraordinary qualities. For example, in his resurrected body, Jesus can walk through walls, veil his presence, and appear when and how he will.” Sometimes we refer to that phenomenon as a “glorified” body, a body that has been supernaturally transformed. In the reports of the resurrection, there are some differences regarding Jesus’ appearances. But to then say that these discrepancies invalidate the reports is like saying that differences in eyewitness reports of the sinking of the Titanic is decisive proof that the Titanic never sank.

 
We believe that Jesus’ resurrection was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. For instance, the so-called “sign of Jonah” was an allusion to Jesus’ rising from the dead on the third day (Matthew 12:38-41; Luke 11:29-32). When Jesus asked, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13-20), Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 
Simon Peter was beginning to see the human Jesus more clearly; he was beginning to penetrate the mystery of the Incarnation. Peter was looking at the man but beginning to see God. The same Lord is looking at us — and into us — and asking, once again, “Who do you say that I am?”