Through the experience of the disciples and witnessed in the writings of Christian origins, the resurrection of Jesus enters history. To show the meaning of this experience, the disciples of Jesus use the language of biblical tradition and the Jewish environment. In the first testimonies of Christian writings it is stated that Jesus "is alive”, "appeared" (to somebody), "was raised", "ascended" (to heaven), "entered into glory " (of God). The experience of meeting disciples with Jesus after his death is the basis of their belief in the resurrection from the dead. Faith in the Risen Jesus is embedded in faith in the living God, who frees his people from Egypt and saves him. In the covenant relationship, the Lord promises to the faithful and righteous a long and happy life on earth (cf. Dt 5:11 30, 15-20).
It is not unusual to see a reluctance of faith in our God of when you experience death and the misfortune. Illness, persecution and death can seem to break or prove ineffective the vital relationship with God. However, in Psalms, the cry of the righteous appeals to God's fidelity shows: "You will not abandon my life in the underworld, nor will you let your faithful see corruption. You will point me to the path of life, full joy to your presence, endless joy to your right. "(Ps 16,10, cf. 49,16, 73,23-24). In the biblical tradition, God does not abandon in death, but takes with him.
In the second century BC, there is a voice to the hope of the just and the martyrs who have fallen for the Law of "resurrection" (Dan 12: 2-3; 2Mac 7: 9,23). The Pharisees assume and spread faith in the resurrection of the dead at a mass level. In the environments of the first century AD, the hope of resurrection was connected with the events of recent times. In this climate the faith of the disciples strengthens in the risen Jesus. Faced with the premature and violent death of John the Baptist, it is about his resurrection from the dead, placing it in relation to the activity of Jesus: "John the Baptist has risen from the dead and for this reason (Jesus) has the power to do wonders "(Mk 6,14; 6,16; cf Mt 14,2; Lk 9,7). The image of the persecuted and killed prophet, legitimized by God with resurrection, is present in biblical and Jewish traditions. The disciples of Jesus would have interpreted his death based on the model of John the Baptist, the martyred prophet raised by God.
The disciples who encounter risen Jesus do not say that he is the prophet of recent times but recognize him as Christ, the Son of God and the Lord. In this respect, the experience of the disciples of Jesus has no correspondence in the story of John the Baptist, or of any other prophet-martyr of Jewish tradition. In the story of visiting the tomb, the figure of the angel interpreter appears. Two angels reveal the meaning of the tomb of Jesus and interpret his ascension to heaven. These expressive models of do not deplete the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. It is embedded in the dynamics of the kingdom of God, which he proclaimed and made present with his activity before his death. The proclamation of the kingdom of God, made by Jesus in Galilee, is accomplished in the fidelity his death in Jerusalem.
With the resurrection of Jesus his announcement of the kingdom of God receives final confirmation. The poor, the sinners, the sick and the excluded, to whom he has promised release, forgiveness and life, can rely on God's powerful action that has saved him from death. Since Jesus is human, him being released from death is interpreted as God being close to every human being. Risen Jesus, presenting himself to the disciples, calls them "my brothers," and announces them full communion with the Father. The meaning of the resurrection of Jesus is related to the revelation of the new face of God and of the human being.
In the encounter with the disciples, the risen Jesus restores, at a new and different level, the vital relationship of the time before his death. This proved that Jesus is alive, and also refers to his last meal with the disciples when, with the gesture of broken bread and the shared chalice, he interprets and anticipates the gift of his life to fulfill the hope in the kingdom of God. The word of Jesus, leads the disciples to recognize his identity. The disciples realize that the Risen Lord is Jesus himself who has announced the kingdom of God and died on the cross. The encounter with Jesus, acknowledged as the "Lord", throws new light on his earthly mission and his death. The resurrection of Jesus is key to interpreting the trust of the "righteous" persecuted and the hope of martyrs, who have faced death relying on God's fidelity. In this sense, Jesus' death and resurrection are part of God's plan. Resurrection of Jesus as victory over evil and death gives full and last significance to the promises of God, which accompany the story of Israel, from Moses to the prophets.
The re-established communion between risen Jesus and his disciples opens them to the universal mission in his name. Risen Jesus resumes the mission that he inaugurated with the proclamation of the kingdom of God. The mission of the disciples is no longer limited to the "house of Israel," but is addressed to all peoples, because the Risen Jesus is constituted as a Lord. With this continuity, he speaks to the disciples and of the Gospel through the believing community. His presence and the gift of the Holy Spirit guarantee the fidelity of the disciples who speak in his name.
This is the "permanent sign" of the resurrection of Jesus. The open and empty tomb is an ambivalent sign that needs the announcement: "Jesus is risen, he is not here" (Mk 16: 6). Those who accept the announcement that Jesus is the Lord do not meet him except in the testimony and the word of his messengers. From now on, the sign of the resurrection of Jesus is the community of believers in Jesus Christ, the crucifix that God raised from the dead.
Those who receive the word of Jesus experience the forgiveness of God as reconciliation and overcome evils. In the community of believers in Jesus, one can meet the Lord and establish with him the vital communion that lasts beyond death. Believers in the resurrection of Jesus recognize that he is alive, present and active in human history beyond his death. They proclaim that Jesus is the glorious Lord who makes present and active the Lordship of God in the world. This faith implies a new lifestyle in mutual relations and facing the world. Those who believe in Jesus risen from the dead live in anticipation of the fulfillment of God's plan of human history. They don’t operate for a world condemned to death being inevitable, but find strength through a new belief, where the life of God is alive.