1. What is going on in each picture?

2. Learning objective
- To explore the events occurring after Jesus crucifixion: The burial The resurrection The resurrection appearances The ascension

3. The burial of Jesus Mark (15:42-47)
42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.
44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.
46So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James saw where he was laid.
Task: Write a brief eye witness account of the events

4. The significance of the burial
Crucifixion was not only a means of execution it also served as a warning to others, for this reason it was customary to leave the bodies of those crucified on the cross to rot and be eaten by animals. Therefore it would only have been Pilate who could authorise the release of Jesus’ body.
Jewish law taught that bodies should be buried as soon as possible on the day of death, and given that the Sabbath was about to start, there was even greater urgency to get Jesus’ body into a tomb.
Jesus’ family are unlikely to have been able to gain access to Pilate so it was an important member of the Sanhedrin who approaches him. This was risky, he could have been seen to be sympathising with the rebellious Jews, but Pilate agreed. Possibly he wanted Jesus’ body out of the way quickly to avoid any further trouble.
Before Pilate will release the body he calls for the Roman officer responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion and only when he is happy that Jesus has died does he hand him over to Joseph.
Task: What evidence is there to suggest that Jesus definitely died.

5. The resurrection (Mark 16:1-8)
1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" 4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' " 8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Task: Write a brief eye witness account of the events

6. Did the resurrection happen?
This is the most important story in the whole Gospel. Christianity is built up around a number of beliefs, all of which hang on Jesus’ resurrection. It is no surprise therefore that alternative explanations for the resurrection of Jesus have been presented. The two most common of these are that:
Jesus survived the crucifixion and was able to walk out of the tomb himself.
His body was stolen by the disciples, intent upon making it appear that Jesus has risen from the dead.
Each of these has their own issues.
Firstly, many have questioned the possibility of someone surviving something as brutal as crucifixion. On top of this Jesus was beaten before he was crucified. It was also common for legs to be broken during crucifixion to stop people from lifting their weight on the cross. This would have made it even less likely for Jesus to walk away. As we say last lesson, Pilate called the Roman Officer responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion to check he was truly dead.
As for the second suggestion, the key issue here is why would the disciples have felt the need to steal Jesus’ body. His resurrection is important today, but at the time no-one expected the Messiah to return to life, so why should they be so intent upon risking their own deaths, when so little was to be gained?

7. Did the resurrection happen?
There is no physical evidence of the resurrection. We have the accounts from the Gospels though, of which Mark’s is the shortest. Sexist as it may sound, if Mark were making the story up, we would have gone for more reliable witnesses to the resurrection than women. The fact of the matter is that at the time, women were not considered to be reliable in court and their testimony was not as valuable as that of a man. So the fact that Mark does record women as finding the empty tomb, actually suggest it is historically accurate.
Furthermore, Many of the disciples are willing to die for their belief in the resurrection though, and one must question whether this would be the case if they had faked it. Though not solid evidence, it does add weight to the claim that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead.

8. Did the resurrection happen?
Task: complete the following table with evidence.
The resurrection did happen
The resurrection didn’t happen

9. What happened after the resurrection?
Jesus stayed around for 40 days and made a number of appearances. This is one account: John 20: Jesus appears to His disciples That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw his the Lord! Task: Using evidence, what does this story tell us about Jesus’ resurrected body.

10. The ascension (Luke 24: 50-53)
‘When he had led them out of the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple praising God.’
Task: Write a brief eye witness account of the events

11. The ascension
Gospels record that He ascended (rose up) to his father in heaven. There are different understandings of what this means. Some Christians believe that Jesus physically ascended to heaven in a literal sense. Others believe that the description of Jesus physically rising up to heaven are just meant to be symbolic, showing that Jesus’ time in human form was over. Both understandings include an acceptance of Jesus’ spirit at work in the world. (Holy Spirit) Task: Why is the Holy Spirit at times described in the New Testament as the ‘Comforter’