"The idea behind the word resurrection is clearly of renewal and revival," said Ken Anderton. 'We recognise this principle in passages like Ezekiel 37:11-12 where Israel is represented complaining 'our bones are dried up'; then the prophet speaks of her 'having her graves opened', leading to us today speaking of Israel as a modern miracle of resurrection many of us have witnessed."
Bodily resurrection too is no difficulty for an omnipotent Creator. Resurrection is merely a re-creation of those with past experience of life.
The resurrection of Jesus is well attested. By the evidence of the guards at the tomb who reported the body missing; by the priests who offered the guards a bribe to spread the rumour that the disciples had stolen the body; by the clear fact that nobody was ever able to produce the corpse afterwards; by the behaviour afterwards of previously timorous and disillusioned apostles who suddenly were seen confidently preaching Jesus and prepared to endure persecution rather than deny it (Acts 4:15-21).
The facts of Jesus' resurrection are remarkably strong. His repeated predictions of his death and resurrection, although not believed at the time by his followers, were nonetheless recognised by the rulers who took the precaution of setting a guard. The removal from the cross by two members of the great Jewish Council was only after the centurion's sword thrust in the Lord's side and Pilate's satisfaction that the body was dead. After three days in a cold tomb, the risen Lord was seen by Mary, by Peter, on two occasions by the assembled disciples, by two disciples who met him on the road to Emmaus, and Paul finally adds the very weighty evidence that on one occasion Jesus had been seen by above 500 persons at once, many still alive when he wrote 1 Corinthians 15:6.
Many believers today take assurance from Jesus' own words (John 5:28) that another resurrection will assuredly come when believers asleep in the graves will also be raised to meet their Lord.