Jesus’ Resurrection: New Testament Testimonies

What is at stake in the church’s confession that Jesus Christ is risen?

In Jesus’ Resurrection: New Testament Testimonies, David P. Scaer—Professor Emeritus at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, and a leading Lutheran scholar of the Gospels—brings decades of teaching and scholarship to bear on this central article of the faith.

Rather than beginning with speculative reconstructions of a “historical Jesus,” Scaer returns to the New Testament witness itself. He examines the public crucifixion, the empty tomb, the proclamation of the third day, and the appearances of the risen Christ—testing modern critical theories against the claims of the Gospels and Paul. Engaging figures from Reimarus and Bultmann to contemporary critics such as Bart Ehrman and Gerd Lüdemann, he shows where these arguments fail to account for the character and coherence of the biblical text.

For Scaer, the resurrection is not a secondary doctrine but the foundation of the church’s confession, shaping Christology, proclamation, and Christian hope.

In this volume, readers will:

• Examine the New Testament testimony to the resurrection in its historical setting
• Engage major critical approaches to the “historical Jesus” and their limits
• Consider the theological significance of the resurrection for the church’s confession
• Gain resources for preaching, teaching, and defending the faith

Written for pastors, seminarians, and serious students of theology, this volume reflects Scaer’s longstanding contribution to Lutheran scholarship—drawing readers back to the apostolic witness and the church’s enduring confession that Jesus Christ is risen.