The Meaning or Motive of The Resurrection

Extract

We have used the two words ‘motive ‘and ‘meaning’ ‘; although in the matter of the Resurrection the two words have but one meaning.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a deliberate act of the will of Jesus Christ. Now when we ask, What does X (a human being with a will) mean by doing this or that? ‘we are asking, ‘What is the motive of X in doing this or that?’

We must first say that Jesus Christ did not rise again in order to prove that He is God. When we reflect a little we begin to see that his Resurrection by itself could not prove that he is God. Even Catholics allow themselves to be confused in this matter. Thus they sometimes say ; ‘But if Jesus had not risen he would not have been God.’—Granted; because he had prophesied that he would rise from the dead. Clearly if he had not kept his word of phophecy he would not have been God.

But the fallacy misleading even some Catholics is the quite common fallacy ‘that what is necessary is also sufficient.’ Thus we cannot argue : ‘If a being has not two eyes it is not a man. But this being (a dog) has two eyes, therefore it is a man.’ So, too, we cannot argue : If Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead he would not have been God. But he has risen from the dead. Therefore he is God.’