I have been discussing an apocalyptic understanding of Jesus’ resurrection.  For the earliest followers of Jesus, coming to think that Jesus was raised from the dead provided both a confirmation and an elaboration of their understanding of the end times.  Prior to Jesus’ death they had come to think that they were living at the end of the age and that God was soon to bring history to a climactic end through a cataclysmic act of judgment; this final event in history would involve a resurrection of all those who had died to face judgment.  When these disciples came to think that Jesus himself had been raised, they naturally concluded that the resurrection had begun.  Jesus was the first to rise; he had been exalted to heaven; he himself was to return to earth as the powerful Son of Man to raise all people from the dead.  All this would happen very soon. As it turns out there were other apocalyptic lessons that could be drawn from Jesus’ resurrection.  One of the most interesting – [...]