(a) Narrate the Synoptic account of the Resurrection of Jesus, bringing out the role played by the women.
(b) In what two ways is the Resurrection significant to the Christian faith?
Explanation
a) After the Sabbath, towards dawn on the first day of the week, Marry Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb to anoint Jesus with spices. There was an earthquake, as an angel rolled away the stone covering the tomb and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning. For fear of him, the guards trembled and froze up like dead men. The women were wondering who would roll away the stone for them, but when they looked up, they saw that it had been rolled away already. When they entered, they saw a young man in dazzling white who told them not to be amazed for he knew they were looking for the crucified Jesus. "He has risen, he is not here ,see the place where they had laid him. Go and tell Peter and the others that he had gone to Galilee ahead of them they should go there to meet him. They fled from the tomb with fear and joy to inform his disciples, but, the disciples disbelieved them. On their way, Jesus met them and hailed them. Jesus asked them not to be afraid but to go and tell his disciples to meet him in Galilee.
(b) Significance of the Resurrection to the Christian Faith are:
(i) The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian belief. To christians, the resurrection is an assurance of Christ's victory over sin and death.
(ii) Christ's resurrection day became for christians the day of the Lord, the day of Salvation. Hence, the shift away from the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) to the christian's first day of the week, Sunday — a day of devotion to God; the most memorable day.
(iii) At baptisrri, christians die to sin, but with Christ's resurrection, christians rise in faith with Christ.
(iv) Death is not the end of life; it is a transition to a new phase of life, eternal.