Did Jesus raise himself from the dead?

“This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.” John 10:17-18

The question of whether Jesus raised himself from the dead is a complex one that has been the subject of much discussion and debate within the Christian tradition. While some people may argue that Jesus had the power to raise himself from the dead, the majority of Christian scholars and theologians believe that Jesus’ resurrection was not a self-directed act, but rather it was a miraculous event that was brought about by God.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified on the orders of the Roman authorities and died on the cross. However, on the third day after his death, Jesus was resurrected and appeared to his followers in a series of appearances that are recorded in the Gospels. These appearances were seen as confirmations of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

While the idea of a self-resurrection might seem appealing to some, it is not a belief that is supported by the teachings of Christianity. In the Christian tradition, Jesus is seen as fully human and fully divine, and his resurrection is understood as a divine act that was brought about by God’s power and grace.

What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say about Jesus raising himself from the dead?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. According to the Catechism, the resurrection of Jesus is a historical event that demonstrates God’s power and love for humanity.

Here is what the Catechism says about Jesus’ resurrection:

“The resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross:

‘If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.’ (1 Corinthians 15:14)

The resurrection is an object of faith in the strict sense, which Christ himself proclaimed: ‘It is I who raise the dead and give them life.’ (John 5:21; 6:39-40) The apostolic preaching entails the proclamation of ‘Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.’ (1 Corinthians 15:20)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 638)

According to the Catechism, the resurrection of Jesus is not a self-directed act, but rather it is a miraculous event that is brought about by God’s power. The Catechism teaches that the resurrection of Jesus gives believers hope for their own resurrection and eternal life, and it is a central doctrine of the Christian faith.

“Christ’s Resurrection is an object of faith in that it is a transcendent intervention of God himself in creation and history. In it the three divine persons act together as one, and manifest their own proper characteristics. The Father’s power ‘raised up’ Christ his Son and by doing so perfectly introduced his Son’s humanity, including his body, into the Trinity.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 648