ý

Key beliefs in Catholic ChristianityJesus’ death and resurrection

Catholic Christianity is one of the many branches (denominations) of Christianity, which share many key beliefs. All Christians believe the Bible a sacred text. Catholics also respect the authority, leadership and teaching of the Pope.

Part of Religious StudiesCatholic Christianity

Jesus’ death and resurrection

Each of the four in the gives an account of the events that led to Jesus' death by , and his .

Visual representation of the Easter story.

Mark's gospel reports that after Jesus was betrayed by his disciple and friend, Judas Iscariot, Jesus was arrested in the . He was put on trial by the high priests and found guilty of .

He was taken to see Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who was responsible for deciding who could be put to death. Pilate wanted to release Jesus and presented him to the crowd in the hope that they would want him to be freed.

However, they chanted crucify him (Mark 15:13) because they were heavily influenced by the religious leaders who wanted Jesus to be executed. Pilate was therefore pressured into sentencing Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus was and crucified at the site of Golgotha on the day that Christians know as Good Friday.

Image caption,
Hill of Golgotha in Jerusalem, Israel

On the cross above his head a sign was attached that mockingly read “King of the Jews”.

Jesus suffered on the cross for over six hours and called out My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34).

Mark's gospel states that the sky then turned dark, and darkness fell over the land for the last three hours of Jesus' life.

At the moment when Jesus died, the temple curtain ripped in two, which Christians understand to be a sign from God to show that Jesus’ death had for the sins of humanity.

Resurrection

After his death, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and placed into a rock tomb with a heavy stone covering its entrance. Jesus’ death teaches Christians that God is with humans even when they die.

When his female followers, including , visited the tomb the Sunday after his crucifixion, they saw that the stone had been rolled away from its entrance. Inside, Jesus’ body was missing.

In the garden surrounding the tomb, there appeared a man dressed in white. The women pled with him to return Jesus’ body, but the man explained that he was Jesus. Mary Magdalene returned to the disciples to tell them the news that Jesus had risen from the dead. Christians call these events the resurrection of Jesus.

Why do you look for the living amongst the dead? He is not here; he has risen!
Luke 24:5–6

Jesus is mentioned in the as appearing many times over the next 40 days.

Ascension

Jesus greeted and blessed his disciples 40 days after his resurrection. He then to Heaven.

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Luke 24:51

The resurrection and ascension of Jesus prove to Christians that he is the Son of God. His overcame sin and offers humans hope of eternal life.