A newly released DVD video depicts in stunningly realistic computer animation the story of the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, based from the New Testament Gospels.

The DVD "Jesus Alive Again: An Easter Meditation" was produced by Emmy Award-winning 3D illustrator and animator Ray Downing of Studio Macbeth, widely known for his 2010 History Channel show and DVD "The Real Face of Jesus," WND reported.

"The entire script, every word, of my new DVD, 'Jesus Alive Again,' is taken from Scripture," Downing told WND.

"We took all four Gospels of the New Testament and we put them side-by-side to choose the passages necessary to tell the story," he said. "We track what happened to Jesus through his passion and crucifixion, thorough his resurrection, and through the 40 days after the resurrection when he appeared to the Apostles risen from the dead."

Downing emphasised the importance of directly quoting the words of the New Testament evangelists.

"I wanted the words written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John 2,000 years ago to speak to the people of today through my film, relating directly their experience of seeing Jesus after the resurrection," Downing said.

"I think Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are telling us today exactly what those seeing the risen Jesus saw and why they were astounded by the experience. I'm not sure the evangelists knew fully to make of it, but I'm certain they were telling the truth."

Through the writings of these four evangelists, the resurrection of Jesus becomes an "empirical event, on the same level as scientific observation," Downing said.

In making the movie, Downing said he used the techniques he first developed in 2010 to animate the 3D image of the face and body seen in the crucified man in the Shroud of Turin.

"I thought it appropriate this Easter to present the words of the gospel narrative without embellishment or commentary and visualise what the apostles saw using our 3D portrait of Jesus based on the Turin Shroud image," he said.

"Jesus Alive Again" shows famous scenes mentioned in the Bible, such as Jesus breaking the unleavened bread at the Passover dinner he celebrated with the Apostles on Holy Thursday and again after his resurrection.

There is also the scene in which Jesus invited the Apostle Thomas to touch his risen body and to feel his wounds from the crucifixion.

In the course of the 25-minute DVD, Downing takes the viewer through the events of Christ's last 40 days on earth so realistically that it is sometimes hard to remember it is computer-generated animations, not actors shot on location.