The effect of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Published on: Author: tmcmill4@uoregon.edu

From the readings in White on Orality, Memory, and Performance scholars have inferred that when telling stories about Jesus that the story tellers had a basic outline but improvised the details according to the performer and the audience. The texts were primarily always meant to be heard never read. Knowing this when analyzing the telling of Jesus stories the writers would have an outline of Jesus’ actions but the details would be different depending on who was reciting and regurgitating the events that transpired. I believe that the core message of these traditions is the reassurance of resurrection after death if and only if you believe God resurrected Jesus. I also believe the core message falls in line with the Christian belief that if Jesus’ followers believed that God had resurrected him (Jesus) then they themselves, family, and friends would be resurrected by God through their faith. In relation with the Christ Hymn and its effect on early Christian engagement with Jewish scriptures the Jews were waiting for a warrior like God to save them from Roman rule. In Philippians it conveys a sense of the humbleness of God and how Jesus came to serve people, not be a warrior king on the earthly plane. Not only did Jesus come to serve but also he wanted to set an example for the Jews on how to live their lives in humility and obedience to God. I believe that the Jesus resurrection has a lot in common with the Greco-Roman heroes, that when heroes would do heroic deeds for the gods and either die admirably, or have Zeus or another god find the hero worthy the hero would become a god himself and live forever. There are also key three elements of the Greco Roman religion that relates to the resurrection of Jesus. In that we that Jesus words such as “messiah,” “savior,” and “son of god” are not synonymous. All three depending on who is interpreting the written work have different meanings. The second is that the Jesus resurrection story speaks to the frailty of man and how powerful the Jesus figure must be if he is able to conquer death. Finally going along with oral tradition and the passing down of the tales of Jesus oral performance, memorization, and ritual go hand in hand. The purpose that the Christ Hymn played in the Christian community was one of power giving the community faith in Jesus. In the 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 passage it says that Jesus had the power and wisdom of God and if Jesus had the power and wisdom of the most powerful being in existence then Jesus could do anything he pleased, that includes resurrecting his believers after they die.