“He Saw and Believed…”: An Exegetical Study of the Resurrection Narrative in the Gospel According To John 20:1-31.

Abstract

Rev. Dr. George Ossom-Batsa The resurrection of Jesus is very essential to the Christian faith because it constitutes the foundation of the gospel proclamation. Its significance is further testified by the fact that all the four evangelists devoted portions of their gospels to the passion and resurrection narrative. This research investigates John 20:1-31 to analyze the role of the resurrection account in the Fourth Gospel and its relevance for contemporary Ghanaian Christianity. The study attempts to look at what message John intends to communicate to his readers using the narrative critical method. The narrative critical method attempts to understand the intention and accomplishment of an author by analyzing the compositional structural elements of the text. It is relevant for this study because it focuses on the effect of the text on the reader, therefore making possible the contextualization of the message in the contemporary Ghanaian Christianity in general and the Dangme‟s in particular. The study explores how the evangelist organized the narrative in order to guide his reader to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. It also examines how the experience of the disciples at the tomb formed the basis of their faith and informed their proclamation (20:31). The thesis establishes that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was a turning point in the life of the disciples who hitherto were in doubt. The study revealed that Thomas‟ Christological profession of faith in the risen Jesus (My Lord and my God) brought the gospel to its climax, thereby increasing the faith of the believer. The research also brought to light the eschatological connotations of the resurrection. It revealed that the resurrection appearances ignite the faith of the believer not only in anticipating his own resurrection, but even more in having assurance in the infallible Word of God. Again the study found the import of Jesus’ resurrection, not in the historical verification of it, but more importantly in the faith experience it brings to the believer. In contextualizing the resurrection within the Osudoku community, the researcher discovered that the resurrection concept does not have a direct bearing on the community. Nonetheless, the idea is implicitly demonstrated among the people. This is expressed through their proverbs, songs, parables and preparations made for the dead to cross over to the afterlife. It is hoped that the research will contribute to the ongoing debate on the subject matter and offer some more insights. In addition, it will help deepen the Christian understanding of the resurrection of Jesus and also to enlighten believers on the biblical perspective of Jesus‟ resurrection and its relevance for contemporary understanding of Christian identity.