Who Cares About the Resurrection?

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.
Jesus Christ

The New Testament gospel is quite straight forward:

The kingdom of God is at hand.
God’s anointed one, the flesh-and-blood-man Jesus, has defeated death by his own death and resurrection. This is an event that happened in history.
This resurrection is available to all who put their faith (trust and loyalty) in Jesus.
There is a coming judgment where the wicked will be cast out of the kingdom of God.
All of this will happen within the first generation of Jesus followers.

The linchpin of this gospel is the resurrection of Jesus. Without that, there is no gospel.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (NRSV)

It would seem, then, that the best way to convince someone to embrace Jesus would be to convince them of the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is an event that happened in real history; therefore, it is falsifiable.

For now, let’s ignore the New Testament’s eschatological expectations (No. 5 above) and assume the kingdom is still at hand, and that there is still a future resurrection and judgment. The role of the evangelist remains valid and important. What is the message of evangelists most heard today?

In my own experience, I usually hear two messages (or a combination thereof):

If you don’t put your faith in Jesus, you will die in your sins and go to hell. If you do trust Jesus, you will go to heaven.
If you give your life to Jesus, you will have purpose and meaning in your life.

But never do I hear: “Jesus Christ, a flesh-and-blood man, rose from the dead, and I can prove it (or at least sufficiently convince you of it).”

Again, it would seem that convincing people of Jesus’s resurrection would be a far more effective method of converting people to Christianity than the other two messages provide. Why don’t modern evangelists focus on Jesus’s resurrection then?

Many evangelists assume the resurrection rather than argue for it. Especially in Western societies, the resurrection of Jesus is an already familiar idea. It sits in the corner and is almost ignored. The evangelist often skips over it and jumps directly to the more familiar message—forgiveness of sins, salvation, heaven, purpose, escape from hell, etc. The resurrection remains a foundational background rather than the subject in the foreground.

I am currently reading Dale C. Allison’s The Resurrection of Jesus. It is clear from the book that convincing someone that a first-century man literally rose from the dead is a demanding intellectual task. To do so requires a deep dive into ancient sources, the dating of texts, eyewitness testimony, empty tomb traditions, Paul’s experiences, historical methodology, and the probability of miracles. Most evangelists are not trained historians, and many in their audiences are not interested in detailed historical discussions. It is easier to ask, “Do you feel empty?” or “Do you need forgiveness?” than to spend hours examining historical texts—which, in the end, will probably not be that convincing. Allison admits that the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is insufficient on its own.

A shift occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Whereas early Christianity focused on Christ’s victory over death, his resurrection, and the kingdom of God, modern revivalists shifted the focus toward a personal relationship with Jesus, inner transformation, individual salvation, and personal testimony. The modern new believer is more likely to exclaim, “Jesus changed my life,” rather than, “God raised Jesus from the dead and the age to come has begun!”

Many Christians have only a vague understanding of resurrection. If you ask the average churchgoer, “What happens when you die?” they will most likely respond, “Believers go to heaven when they die. Non-believers don’t.” Resurrection is not prominent in modern Christian thought, and therefore is not prominent in evangelism.

Finally, fear and personal benefit are more persuasive. A modern person can be more easily convinced to fear judgment and hell, and to hope for meaning and purpose, than to be convinced of a 2,000-year-old historical claim, which is extremely difficult to believe.

The simple fact is that the Christian gospel evolves to match its time and place—it is a cultural artifact.

Maybe then it is not so surprising that most who believe in Jesus’ resurrection, however exactly they understand it, have as little need for modern historical criticism as birds have for ornithology. When Christians, on Easter Sunday, greet each other with the acclamation, “Christ is risen,” the expected answer, “Christ is risen, indeed!” is not a statement about investigative results. … Although ignorance should not be the mother of devotion, true religion nevertheless involves realms of human experience and conviction that cannot depend upon or be undone by … historical doubts, probabilities, and conjectures…
Dale C. Allison, The Resurrection of Jesus, page 365

The Interpretive Method of New Testament Authors

Typological Interpretation (or Typology):

Definition: Typology involves seeing OT events, figures, or institutions as “types” (patterns or foreshadowings) that prefigure or are fulfilled by Christ, the church, or other NT realities. The NT author interprets the OT text as pointing to a greater fulfillment in Jesus or the Christian community.
Example: In Matthew 2:15, Hosea 11:1 (“Out of Egypt I called my son”) originally refers to Israel’s exodus but is applied typologically to Jesus as the true Israel who recapitulates and fulfills the nation’s story.
Characteristics: Typology assumes historical correspondence and escalation, where the OT event is real but finds a deeper, often messianic, significance in the NT.

2. Pesher Interpretation:

Definition: Pesher (from Hebrew, meaning “interpretation”) is a method where OT texts are applied directly to contemporary events or figures, often with an eschatological (end-times) focus. This was common in Jewish exegesis, notably in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and is used by NT authors to show how OT prophecies are fulfilled in their time.
Example: Matthew 2:17–18 applies Jeremiah 31:15 (Rachel’s weeping) to the Bethlehem massacre, treating the OT text as prophetically fulfilled in Jesus’ era.
Characteristics: Pesher often reads OT texts as cryptic predictions that find their true meaning in the present, sometimes stretching the original context.

3. Midrashic Interpretation:

Definition: Midrash (from Hebrew, meaning “to search” or “expound”) is a Jewish interpretive method that creatively elaborates on OT texts to draw out moral, theological, or allegorical meanings. NT authors, especially Paul, use midrashic techniques to apply OT texts to new situations.
Example: In 1 Corinthians 9:9–10, Paul uses Deuteronomy 25:4 (“Do not muzzle an ox”) midrashically to argue for supporting Christian ministers, extending the law’s principle beyond its literal meaning.
Characteristics: Midrash often involves allegory, analogy, or recontextualization to make the text relevant to a new audience.

4. Allegorical Interpretation:

Definition: Allegory treats OT texts as having hidden or symbolic meanings that point to spiritual truths, often beyond the literal sense. While less common in the NT than typology, it appears in some instances, particularly in Paul’s writings.
Example: In Galatians 4:21–31, Paul allegorizes the story of Hagar and Sarah (Genesis 16–21) to represent the old and new covenants, respectively, a clear departure from the historical narrative.
Characteristics: Allegory seeks deeper, symbolic meanings, sometimes detaching from the original context.

5. Fulfillment Citation:

Definition: This term is used specifically for NT quotations introduced with phrases like “this was to fulfill” (common in Matthew) or “as it is written.” It reflects the NT authors’ belief that OT texts find their ultimate purpose or completion in Christ and the church, even if the original context was not explicitly prophetic.
Example: Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 (“the virgin shall conceive”) as fulfilled in Jesus’ virgin birth, despite its original context as a sign for King Ahaz.
Characteristics: The focus is on Christological fulfillment, often reinterpreting non-prophetic texts as messianic.

Chart of Some NT Reinterpretations of OT Passages

NT Reference	OT Source	OT Context	NT Usage	Shift in Meaning	Method
Matthew 2:15	Hosea 11:1	God’s historical deliverance of Israel from Egypt, called His “son.”	Jesus’ return from Egypt, fulfilling Israel’s role.	Historical event becomes a typological prophecy about Jesus.	Typology/Fulfillment Citation
Matthew 1:23	Isaiah 7:14	Sign for King Ahaz about a child named Immanuel, born to a young woman.	Jesus’ virgin birth, using Septuagint’s “virgin.”	Historical sign becomes a messianic prophecy.	Pesher/Fulfillment Citation
Matthew 2:17–18	Jeremiah 31:15	Rachel’s mourning for Israel’s exile, with hope for restoration.	Bethlehem infants’ massacre.	Historical lament reframed as a fulfilled tragedy.	Pesher/Fulfillment Citation
Matthew 3:3	Isaiah 40:3	Preparing a way for God’s deliverance of Israel from exile.	John the Baptist preparing for Jesus.	Exile restoration prophecy fulfilled in John’s ministry.	Pesher
John 19:36	Psalm 34:20 (possibly Exodus 12:46)	God’s protection of the righteous or Passover lamb regulations.	Jesus’ unbroken bones at crucifixion.	General protection or ritual rule becomes a specific prophecy.	Typology/Fulfillment Citation
Acts 15:16–18	Amos 9:11–12	Restoration of Israel’s kingdom, dominance over Edom.	Gentile inclusion in the church, using Septuagint’s “mankind.”	National restoration becomes universal salvation.	Pesher
Romans 9:25–26	Hosea 2:23, 1:10	Restoration of Israel after judgment, called “my people.”	Gentiles becoming God’s people through faith.	Israel’s restoration extended to Gentiles.	Midrash/Typology
Romans 10:6–8	Deuteronomy 30:12–14	Accessibility of the Torah for obedience.	“Word of faith” in Christ, accessible through faith.	Torah’s accessibility becomes salvation through Christ.	Midrash
1 Corinthians 9:9–10 / 1 Timothy 5:18	Deuteronomy 25:4	Law against muzzling an ox while treading grain.	Material support for Christian ministers.	Agricultural law reinterpreted for human laborers in ministry.	Midrash/Allegory
2 Corinthians 6:16–18	Leviticus 26:12, Ezekiel 37:27, 2 Samuel 7:14	God’s covenant presence with Israel or Davidic king.	Church as God’s temple and people, including Gentiles.	Israel/Davidic promises applied to the church.	Pesher/Midrash
Galatians 3:16	Genesis 12:7	Promise of land to Abraham’s descendants (plural).	“Offspring” as Christ, the singular heir.	Collective promise narrowed to Jesus.	Midrash/Typology
Galatians 4:21–31	Genesis 16–21	Historical narrative of Hagar and Sarah, Abraham’s sons.	Allegory of old (law) and new (faith) covenants.	Family story becomes allegory for law vs. faith.	Midrash/Allegory
Hebrews 1:5	Psalm 2:7	God’s adoption of the Davidic king at coronation.	Jesus’ eternal divine sonship.	Royal coronation becomes Christ’s divinity.	Typology/Fulfillment Citation
Hebrews 10:5–7	Psalm 40:6–8	Obedience over sacrifice in personal worship.	Jesus’ incarnation and sacrificial death.	General worship statement becomes messianic prophecy.	Midrash/Typology
1 Corinthians 15:54–55	Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14	God’s future defeat of death or taunt against death.	Christ’s resurrection defeating death.	General/judgmental texts become resurrection triumph.	Pesher

Notes on the Chart

Columns:
- NT Reference: The NT passage where the OT is quoted or alluded to.
- OT Source: The specific OT verse(s) or passage(s) referenced.
- OT Context: The original meaning or historical setting of the OT text.
- NT Usage: How the NT author applies the OT text.
- Shift in Meaning: How the NT usage differs from or expands the original OT meaning.
- Interpretive Method: The primary method(s) used (typology, pesher, midrash, allegory), based on the definitions provided earlier.
Interpretive Methods:
- Typology: OT events/figures as patterns fulfilled in Christ or the church.
- Pesher: OT texts as prophecies fulfilled in the NT era.
- Midrash: Creative elaboration to draw out new theological meanings.
- Allegory: Symbolic reinterpretation, often detaching from the literal sense.
- Fulfillment Citation: OT texts seen as completed in Christ, often with “this was to fulfill” phrasing.