As regular as the Easter season itself Prof. Vermes has an article in the British press about the resurrection.There is nothing new in the Times piece, but his conclusion is markedly encompassing.
Neither positive nor negative reasoning leads anywhere because the Resurrection of Jesus cannot be compared with events belonging to history. There is one phenomenon that may lead us out of this maze: the transformation of the Apostles. It was not because of the apparitions of Jesus. What catapulted them into action was Pentecost, the metamorphosis achieved by the inward experience of the Spirit. Pusillanimous men became spiritual warriors. The charismatic potency imparted to them by Jesus and the recollection of His powerful teaching resulted in mighty words and deeds. They felt their master close to them: He rose in their hearts. This is the historical element in the Resurrection saga.
