Significance of Jesus' resurrection Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The significance of Jesus's resurrection is a topic which has inspired a number of scriptural interpretations. Because the Biblical and historical accounts are few and not particularly detailed, opinions have varied widely through time.
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2 Juridical View 3 Christus Victor
3.2 Analogies Illustrating the Christus Victor View
4 First Man View3.3 Christus Victor in Contrast to the Juridical View |
Liberal View
The Liberal view, typically held by Liberal Christians and Non-Christians, holds that Jesus was not resurrected in the body, but that belief in his resurrection stemmed from either fraud or wishful thinking on the part of his followers. The only use of the resurrection story in this view is an analogy or parable, to gain spiritual understanding.Juridical View
The Juridical view, which many Christians consider to be the Orthodox view, emphasizes God as Judge. The view holds that mankind had fallen into God's disfavor through sin, and God was therefore required, in his Justice, to damn all of mankid. However, God did not wish for all mankind to go to hell. God therefore sent his Son, who was sinless, to take the sin of the world on his shoulders, so that anyone who accepted the gift of Jesus's act could be freed from the consequences of his sin, without violating God's judgment. Analogies Illustrating the Juridical View
This view of Jesus's resurrection is analogous to the Jewish Day of Atonement, by which the sins of the Israelites were put onto a flawless scapegoat, who was then released into the wilderness, taking the sins of the people with him.Christus Victor
The Christus Victor view, to which a minority of Christians ascribe, holds that Jesus was sent by God in a covert operation in order to defeat Death and Satan. Because of his perfection, Jesus was immune from death; but, because of his voluntary death, he passed away, went to hell, battled Satan and Death, and arose victorious, breaking open the gates of Hell, so that the dead were no longer bound to sin, but were free to rejoin God through Faith. Analogies Illustrating the Christus Victor View
A Modern story illustrating the Christus Victor view include Gandalf the Grey in Lord of the Rings, who fell into the pit fighting the demon, defeating the demon, and arose again, as Gandalf the White. Another story is the story of Neo in the Matrix, who was killed by the Matrix, but came back to life through a kiss by Trinity, with the newfound power to defeat the Matrix from the inside.Christus Victor in Contrast to the Juridical View
In contrast to the Juridical view, the Christus Victor model emphasizes a spiritual battle between good and evil. Whereas the Juridical View requires Christians to believe that God voluntarily punished the "wrong man," for sins we committed (a gross injustice), instead of merely forgiving us (which he had the power to do), the Christus Victor model struggles with no such paradoxes. Man was in the power of Satan, and God, through Jesus, broke us out of Satan's power. Also, Christus Victor permits a Christian to believe that Jesus defeated Sin and Death for all mankind, whether or not they hear of Jesus, allowing non-Christians to go to heaven as well. With this view, however, comes the contraversial opinion that Satan has real and tangible power in the world, which draws God's omnipotence into question.