Grammar of the resurrection

What kind of seminarian would I be if I did not occasionally impart some of my learning on you, the reader?

I have been thinking lately about the subtle yet important difference between saying, "Jesus rose from the dead" and "Jesus was raised from the dead" For those of you familiar with English grammar, this is a difference between the active and the passive. If you consult with your Bible, you will find that the New Testament writers were clear, "Jesus was raised from the dead." (See Romans 4:25, 6:4, 2 Timothy 2:8)

This is important because, as a church, we quite often speak of how Jesus overcame death and the grave. However, I think it is important to remember that Jesus did not raise himself from the dead. God raised Jesus. This keeps us from focusing too much upon one member of the Trinity to the neglect of the others.