Jesus Christ came back to life after his death on a cross. It is the greatest event in human history, with eternal implications for you. Have you considered this central claim of Christianity, that it actually happened? Or is Easter just a cultural event about bunnies, candy, and the dutiful visit to church?
Centuries before Jesus walked this earth, the prophet spoke in the voice of the coming Messiah, God the Son saying, “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay” (Psa. 16:10). So before Jesus died, the plan was already in place. They pierced Him to make sure He was dead. His followers buried His body. Then for three days they wondered in fear why the One who saved others could not save Himself. But Sunday was coming.
On that singular day, Jesus returned to life. He appeared to various people in different times and places. They saw, heard, and touched Him. He even made breakfast on the beach for them. Paul explains that Christ “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time… Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and…He appeared to me also” (1 Cor. 15:3-8). The disciples’ encounter with immortality so dramatically changed them that they risked imprisonment for “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2). They were not deceived. They had no reason to lie. They knew the Truth. They were motivated by love for their fellow man.
Jesus’ Resurrection matters because “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless” (1 Cor. 15:17). Those who dismiss this historic event as myth or metaphor are entitled to free thought, but such a view is not what the Bible portrays, nor would it have inspired those early believers. When Jesus arose from the dead, he fulfilled prophecy, validated his identity as God the Son, and claimed victory over sin and death. “He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man,” writes C.S. Lewis. “He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so.”
You have two ways to respond to this news. At your great loss you can ignore or dismiss the pivotal event in human history. At your great gain you can embrace it by repentance and faith. “Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die,” Jesus said. “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26).
The Resurrection vindicates Jesus’ claims of who He is and what He came to do. It is also a harbinger of your own resurrection to eternal life. He is risen!