Historical, biblical, and confessional testimony come together to address modern skepticism about Jesus' resurrection--and to show why the New Testament witness to the empty tomb still stands.
From Enlightenment rationalism to contemporary scholarship, critics have challenged the claim that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. In Jesus' Resurrection: New Testament Testimonies, David P. Scaer--Professor Emeritus at Concordia Theological Seminary and a leading Lutheran scholar of the Gospels--guides readers through these debates with clarity and care.
Rather than speculating about a reconstructed "historical Jesus," Scaer returns to the New Testament sources. He examines the public crucifixion, the empty tomb, the "third day" proclamation, and the appearances of the risen Christ--testing modern theories against the claims of the Gospels and Paul. Along the way, he engages figures such as Reimarus, Bultmann, Bart Ehrman, and Gerd Lüdemann, showing where their arguments diverge from the biblical text.
This study demonstrates that the resurrection is not a peripheral doctrine but the center of Christian confession--shaping how the Church understands Christ, the Trinity, and the hope of salvation.
Readers will:
- Trace how modern criticism has challenged the resurrection
- Examine the unified witness of the Gospels and Paul
- Evaluate alternative explanations in light of Scripture's claims
- See what is at stake for Christology and the Church's confession
- Gain clarity for preaching, teaching, and faithful witness
Written for pastors, seminarians, and thoughtful Christian readers, this work combines careful historical analysis with a clear confession of the risen Christ. Scaer shows why the resurrection cannot be reduced to myth or metaphor--and why it remains the foundation of Christian theology and life.
