NT Wright on the Resurrection: History, Theology & Why It Still Matters with Tom Wright and Mike Bird

Ask NT Wright Anything

Premier Unbelievable

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, History

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Welcome to a special Easter edition of Ask NT Wright Anything, where we dig into the historical and theological foundations of the resurrection of Jesus. New Testament scholar Mike Bird joins Tom Wright to raise some tough questions - like why, historically speaking, resurrection is such a radical claim, and whether it can be anything more than a statement of faith. Tom responds by exploring how early Christians understood the resurrection not as a metaphor, but as the bodily vindication of Jesus as Messiah. He highlights the Jewish context, the use of Scripture like 2 Samuel 7, and how this shaped the Church’s understanding of Jesus’ identity, God’s love, and victory over death. This is part one of a two-part Easter conversation. In the second half - free for now but shortly available exclusively to subscribers of Ask NT Wright Anything - Tom continues his seminar with Mike and explores the implications of the resurrection for the Church today and Christian mission. 👉 Head to AskNTWright.com for more details and to subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ask NT write anything is sponsored by Logos. Start going deeper in the Bible with a free trial at logos.com
0:07.3	slash NT. Well, hello and welcome to a special Easter episode of Ask NT Write Anything.
0:18.4	Christos Anesti, I say to you. Tom, Christos Anesti to you.
0:23.2	Aritha's Anesti.
0:25.0	This is where I'm going to show off because every Easter I like to recite the liturgy of St. John Chrysosum, who said, Christos Anesti, Eknakron, Thanaton, Thanatopatis, katois, and tois, minas in zon, caris, amenos.
0:41.5	I could have been, I could have been a deacon in the Greek Orthodox Church
0:45.6	if I can sing Greek like that.
0:47.7	But that's Greek, for Christ has risen,
0:51.7	trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the grave.
0:57.6	For me, that's what I think about in Easter, Tom.
1:01.1	Tom, what do you think about for Easter?
1:03.3	Is it, I know, Easter bunnies, nice eggs?
1:08.2	Bunnies and eggs aren't really where it's at for me.
1:10.4	I think particularly of the privilege I've had of being part of one or two communities
1:15.2	where they do the whole thing in the dark and they start off in a church with only one
1:21.7	candle for somebody to read bits of the Old Testament by and then to move outside
1:26.5	where there's a bonfire and the Easter fire
1:29.7	is lit, and then you light the pascal candle from that, and you process into the church or
1:35.0	the cathedral, whatever it is, with the deacon singing, Christ is risen, and so on. And that
1:43.8	well, actually sings the light of Christ, and you respond, thanks be so on. And that will actually sing the light of Christ and you respond,
1:47.0	thanks be to God. And then the great proclamation of the gospel. Those moments are very special.
1:54.2	And when I've done baptisms and confirmations on Easter morning, I've always had the sense that
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