Did Jesus Raise Himself from the Dead?

On the March 31, 2023 episode of The Briefing podcast, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary asserted:

Jesus did not raise Himself from the dead. Jesus did not merely raise or rise from the dead. The biblical formula is clear. The Father raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus was raised. Jesus did not resurrect Himself. He was resurrected. It is the faithfulness of the Father recognizing the faithfulness of the Son in which it is the Father who raises the Son from the dead....

We can confuse people by the way we speak, as in the distinction between the right way, which is saying the Father raised the Son from the dead, and the wrong way saying that Jesus raised Himself from the dead. That is not the way the Bible reveals the truth to us.

It is certainly accurate to say that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This is evident in Acts 2:32, 3:15, and other passages. However, it is also biblically and theologically accurate to say that Jesus raised Himself from the dead for three reasons: saying that Jesus raised Himself from the dead is consistent with what Jesus Himself teaches in John 10:17-18; saying that Jesus raised Himself from the dead is consistent with the way that personal agency is attributed to both Father and Son in creation, and saying that Jesus raised Himself from the dead is consistent with the doctrine that "the external works of the Trinity are undivided" (opera Trinitatis ad extra indivisa sunt).

Jesus Said that He Would Raise Himself from the Dead

In John 10:17-18, Jesus teaches:

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

Because Jesus taught, "I lay down my life that I may take it up again... I have authority to take [my life] up again" [emphasis added], we see that the statement 'Jesus raised Himself from the dead' is consistent with His own teaching.

Personal Agency is Attributed to Both Father and Son in Creation

The fact is: there is teaching from Jesus consistent with the statement 'Jesus raised Himself from the dead' alongside statements that make it clear that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This fact is consistent with how personal agency is attributed to both Father and Son in creation. Genesis 1:1 tells us, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," and the Church has always considered "God" in Genesis 1:1 to have personal reference to "God the Father Almighty," as confessed in the Apostles' Creed. On the other hand, Colossians 1:15-16 tells us:

15 [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [emphasis added]

We see the same thing in both creation and the new creation inaugurated by the resurrection of Christ. In creation, we see that God the Father creates AND that all things were created by Christ; in the resurrection, we see that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead AND that Jesus took up His own life from the dead.

The External Works of the Trinity are Undivided

In Credo Magazine (Volume 10, Issue 3, 2020), Scott Swain (President of Reformed Theological Seminary) describes the ancient doctrine known as inseparable operations (opera Trinitatis ad extra indivisa sunt):

Because God is one, God’s wisdom, love, and power are one. Therefore, the distinctions between the persons of the Trinity in their external works are not distinctions of agency. They are distinctions in mode of agency. The Father acts through the Son by the Spirit. The Son acts from the Father through the Spirit. The Spirit acts from the Father and the Son. But in each instance we are talking about one singular divine agency because we are talking about three persons who are one undivided God. [emphasis added]

Saying "Jesus raised Himself from the dead" is consistent with the doctrine articulated above. We cannot image that God the Father was active in the resurrection and that God the Son was merely a passive receptor of the Father's resurrection power. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Undivided from the Father, according to His divine nature, Jesus raised Himself from the dead.

Conclusion

It is good to regularly say "the Father raised the Son from the dead." This phrase is consistent with how the New Testament often presents the resurrection. However, it is NOT an error to say, "Jesus raised Himself from the dead." Saying "Jesus raised Himself from the dead" is consistent with Jesus' own teaching, with how the Bible presents both the Father and Son acting in creation, and with the doctrine of inseparable operations. The preacher who, seeking to honor Christ, says "Jesus raised Himself from the dead" should not think that he has made a theological error, nor should he feel embarrassed.