Resurrection — Meaning in the Bible
Rising from the dead to life. The Gospels record that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day; the New Testament teaches a future resurrection of the dead.
What it means
All four Gospels report the empty tomb and appearances of the risen Jesus. Paul lists witnesses and calls the resurrection of central importance. Matthew 28:1–10Luke 24:1–12John 20:1–181 Corinthians 15:3–8
Before Easter, Jesus raised others, such as Lazarus, who later died again. Resurrection in the full sense is rising to a new, lasting life, which Paul contrasts with the body that is sown. John 11:38–44John 11:251 Corinthians 15:42–44Daniel 12:2
Key passages
- Daniel 12:2 — Many who sleep in the dust will awake.
- John 11:23–27 — "I am the resurrection and the life."
- Luke 24:1–12 — The empty tomb.
- Acts 2:22–32 — Peter proclaims the resurrection at Pentecost.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1–58 — Paul's longest teaching on resurrection.
Original language
ἀνάστασις anastasis
Greek · Strong’s G386 · gloss: “resurrection”
The Greek word for resurrection, "standing up again". John 11:251 Corinthians 15:12
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
Resurrection means coming back to life after dying. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead, and his friends found the tomb empty. Luke 24:5–7
Study further
- John 11:1–44 Lazarus raised.
- Luke 24:1–49 The risen Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1–28 Why it matters.