Jesus did not raise Himself from the dead

Trinitarians often claim that Jesus raised Himself from the dead by His own power based on two passages which are both badly misinterpreted, John 2:19-22 and John 10:17-18. These are given as proof both for the doctrine of “hypostatic union” (that Jesus was fully divine and fully human simultaneously) and that the dead are conscious and active.

The first problem with this claim is that there are a host of Scriptures which flatly contradict it, all claiming that the Father raised Jesus from the dead: Acts 2:24,32; Acts 3:15; Acts 4:10; Acts 5:30; Acts 10:40; Acts 13:30; Rom. 6:4; Rom. 8:11; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:19-20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess 1:10; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:21.

The second problem is that when these two “proof texts” are examined closely, they fall apart. They make no such claim that Jesus raised Himself from the dead. That idea is being forced upon them, not derived from them using sound interpretive principles.

John 2:19-22 (NASB)
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will RAISE it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He WAS RAISED from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

a. The Greek word translated “raise” in vs. 19 is the normal Greek verb meaning to get up from a sitting or lying position or lifting up an object. In the vast majority of instances in Scripture this word does not refer to resurrection. It only refers to resurrection when followed by the genitive clause, “from the dead.” This text only says that Jesus would get up (and walk out of the tomb), not that He would give life to His dead body.

b. In vs. 22 John wrote: “After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.” The verb translated “was raised” is in the passive voice. This requires that Jesus was raised from the dead by someone or something else, apart from His own action. If He raised Himself from the dead the middle voice would have been used.

John 10:17-18 (NASB)
17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life SO THAT I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have AUTHORITY to lay it down, and I have AUTHORITY to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

a. Vs. 17 Jesus said that He lays down His life so that He might receive it again. This points to His intention, not to the power to perform it, and it implies a single act or choice. By choosing to submit to execution by the Romans He was also choosing to be raised from the dead by the Father who promised this to Him. When Jesus “laid down His life” it is clear that He did not kill Himself but was executed by Roman soldiers. Consequently, when He received life again it does not imply that He was the power behind His own resurrection, or that He made the choice to arise while He was dead.

b. Vs. 18 speaks only of “authority” (exousia) granted to Him by the Father to make this singular choice, to submit both to execution and to resurrection. Scripture is clear that Jesus made this singular choice in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:41-42; Heb. 5:7-9). His choice was based in part on the Father’s promise to Him recorded in Psalm 16:7-11, quoted and applied to Jesus in Acts 2:23-32.