Resurrection is a common occurrence

Paul says Christianity lives or dies on the Resurrection (1 Cor. 15:14,17). Yet, why would it be of any consequence since the Widow at Nain's son, Jairus's daughter, Lazarus, and many others rose before Jesus? By the time he rose this was a rather common occurrence. I would think it would have been met by a resounding yawn rather than surprise followed by: So what else can you do. Adam's act of coming into the world as a full grown adult is more spectacular.

Biblical Errancy Pamphlets by Dennis McKinsey Pamphlet 1 Q10.

(1 Cor 15:14-17 NIV) And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. {15} More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. {16} For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. {17} And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

Well he is right on one thing, the resurrection is the crucial and pivotal event for Christians:

(2 Tim 2:8-9 NIV) Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, {9} for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.

(1 Cor 15:3-4 NIV) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, {4} that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

A list of people coming back to life in the bible is as follows, it is hardly a common event, most would say it is a miracle.

• Samuel and the medium of Endor 1 Sam 28:7
• Elijah and the son of the widow from Zarephath 1 Ki 17:22
• Elisha and the son of the Shunammite 2 Ki 4:35
• Body touched Elisha's bones, 2 Ki 13:21
• Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration Mat 17:3
• Matthew's many holy people Mat 27:52
• Widow's son at Nain, Luke 7:14
• Jairus, daughter Luke 8:55
• Lazarus, John 11:44
• Tabitha, Acts 9:40
• Eutychus, Acts 20:10

The majority of these are resuscitations not resurrections. The people would have died a natural death. If they had not died they would still be alive today. They were in the same body as the body they had when they had died.

• Elijah and the son of the widow from Zarephath 1 Ki 17:22
• Elisha and the son of the Shunammite 2 Ki 4:35
• Body touched Elisha's bones, 2 Ki 13:21
• Widow's son at Nain, Luke 7:14
• Jairus, daughter Luke 8:55
• Lazarus, John 11:44
• Tabitha, Acts 9:40
• Eutychus, Acts 20:10

This leaves three special cases.

• Samuel and the medium of Endor 1 Sam 28:7
• Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration Mat 17:3
• Matthew's many holy people Mat 27:52

Samuel's appearance from the grave was neither a resurrection or a resuscitation. Saul was using a medium to summon the spirit of Samuel from the grave.

(1 Sam 28:11-16 NIV) Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" "Bring up Samuel," he said. {12} When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" {13} The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the ground." {14} "What does he look like?" he asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. {15} Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" "I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do." {16} Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?

In the case of the transfiguration of Jesus in which both Moses and Elijah appear, it is a very short appearance. They appeared in glorious splendour, so it is likely that they had a new body.

(Luke 9:29-35 NIV) As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. {30} Two men, Moses and Elijah, {31} appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. {32} Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. {33} As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) {34} While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. {35} A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."

In all likelihood Matthews holy people who were raised to life, was a resurrection, but little is known about them.

(Mat 27:50-53 NIV) And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. {51} At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. {52} The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. {53} They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

What makes the resurrection of Jesus special?

Firstly he repeatedly predicted it:

(Mark 8:31 NIV) He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

See also Mark 9:31, 10:34, Luke 18:33 and John 2:19, see Three days and three nights, or on the third day ?

Secondly, he seems to have a new body, if he had been resuscitation after the crucifixion he would not be able to walk from Jerusalem to Galilee.

(Mat 28:5-10 NIV) The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. {6} He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. {7} Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." {8} So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. {9} Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. {10} Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Not only did he tell his disciples to go to Galilee but to a mountain there. It could be a hill, but if you have been to Galilee the hills around the lake are pretty high.

(Mat 28:16 NIV) Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

He was able to walk seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus, quite a feat for someone who had a spear through his side a few days earlier.

(Luke 24:13 NIV) Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

In fact he was so fit he wanted to travel further:

(Luke 24:28 NIV) As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther.

The two disciples recognised Jesus, and went back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples. Jesus then appears to them, they think that they are seeing a ghost, but Jesus had flesh and bones. He even ate broiled fish with them.

(Luke 24:36-43 NIV) While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." {37} They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. {38} He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? {39} Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." {40} When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. {41} And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" {42} They gave him a piece of broiled fish, {43} and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He could walk through locked doors.

(John 20:19 NIV) On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

In fact he did it again a week later

(John 20:24-29 NIV) Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. {25} So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." {26} A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" {27} Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." {28} Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" {29} Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

His departure from this world is recorded twice by Luke.

(Luke 24:51 NIV) While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

(Acts 1:9-12 NIV) After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. {10} They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. {11} "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." {12} Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city.

See Tekton on this and more here