The word ‘resurrection’

Sometimes language falls short of being able to express realities which transcend human experience. This is what happened to the disciples, and the first Christian believers, who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus.

Besides this word itself - which was comprehensible for Hebrews but repudiated as absurd by the Greek world - it was necessary to come up with another linguistic term from the period which would convey this revolutionary concept somewhat better. One of these words was "glorified" (doxa). The evangelist John uses this term a number of times do describe what had happened to Jesus. (John 7:39; 12:28; 13:31-33) That is to say, Jesus passed from this world into the presence of the Father. He thus transcended human materiality.

Another word was "exalted" (hypsoo). God exalted the master to his own right hand, above all power and authority on earth ad in heaven (Acts 2:33; 5:31; Philippians 2:9). For the resurrection, the term "living" (zoe) was also used. Jesus is the Living one, who has entered Life in its fullest sense, the life of God (Acts 1:3; 25: 19; Rom 14:9; 2 Cor 13:4; Rev 1: 18; 2:8). This is not biological life (bios) but the divine life of the human being in God's presence.

Finally, in the vocabulary relating to the resurrection we find the word Kyrios (Lord). Jesus is Lord of Life because the Father raised him from the dead. It is from this term that "the Day of the Lord" (Kyriakon) is derived, which is the origin of the words Kirche, Church, the Dies Dominica, and thus our own word "domingo".

Be all this as it may, no term in human language is sufficient to adequately express the greatness of the resurrection, which has consequences for every man and woman. This event demands a response from every human being.