To be a Christian is to embrace some pretty challenging beliefs. And I’m not just talking about the nature of God, or that Jesus is both human and divine. There’s one belief that we hold that is especially difficult, but one upon which our entire faith stands or falls:
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
But why does the resurrection matter so much? Simply because with out the resurrection, Christianity isn’t worth believing.
Where did the belief in a resurrection come from?
The belief in a resurrection from the dead for God’s people is one that developed over time as God gradually revealed throughout the Old Testament. By the time of Jesus, it was generally accepted that, on the Day of the Lord, the dead would rise, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting judgment.
But when it came to the Messiah, the long-awaited Rescuer of God’s people, the idea that he would have to die to rescue his people was unheard of. The Messiah was a king, the Son of David, who would lead them to victory. So when the Messiah actually showed up, they didn’t recognize him. He more closely resembled the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 than a conqueror.
Jesus was a humble man about whom there was seemingly nothing special, at least as far as outward appearances were concerned. And he kept talking about how he was going to be “handed over to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, mistreated, and spat on. They will flog him severely and kill him.”
But death wouldn’t be the end. Instead, he said, “on the third day he will rise again.”
Jesus’ followers didn’t understand what he was talking about. Even the teachers of the Law, those who were supposed experts in the Scriptures, didn’t seem to get it either. But this is what happened during the Passover all those centuries ago: Jesus was arrested. He was mocked and beaten. He was crucified. And he was dead, and his tomb was sealed.
The first witnesses on the first Easter Sunday
But on the first day of the week following his death—the third day—the tomb was found empty (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-9). Jesus’ body was gone.
A group of women—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome—were the first to find the tomb empty. An angel spoke to them asking, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” before issuing the command: “Go and tell his disciples.”
And tell them, they did. In fact, Mary Magdalene was likely the very first to see the risen Jesus alive in the flesh. But she wasn’t alone in seeing him. Hundreds more saw Jesus after his resurrection. Many of them were still alive when Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, roughly 30 years after the events of that day.
Doubts about the resurrection
But even so, that didn’t stop alternate explanations for the empty tomb from springing up. Perhaps Jesus’ disciples—a ragtag group of fishermen and social outcasts—had overpowered the trained guards who stood watch over the tomb. Maybe people were so overcome by grief that they had a mass hallucination—something that defies the extremely private nature of hallucinations. Or maybe Jesus wasn’t really dead, but only very badly injured.
Despite all of these alternatives stretching credulity to its breaking point, they still circulate today. But what if the best explanation is the simplest—that Jesus really did rise from the dead?
Why does the resurrection matter?
Because here’s the thing: if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then Christianity has nothing to offer. It is worthless, and everyone who believes the gospel is a blasphemer. And if you think I’m overstating, that’s actually what the Bible itself says in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19.
The reason Paul was so emphatic on this point is that he and the other Apostles knew that Jesus’ death was the atoning sacrifice needed to pay for our sins (1 John 4:10). And more than that, his resurrection was the proof that he actually did it: that he saves “completely those who come to God through him” because he is alive (Hebrews 7:25 NET).
So is this hard to believe? Absolutely. It’s a miracle, after all—the power of God breaking into the world in a profound way. But as you continue to explore this truth for yourself, I hope that you will see how important it is.
Because Jesus is alive, sin no longer has the last word. Because Jesus is alive, death has no sting (1 Corinthians 15:55). And because Jesus is alive, all who believe are alive in him.
This article features a companion video for my book, Faith Simplified: What We Believe and Why We Believe It. To learn more about the book, or order your copy, visit faithsimplifiedbook.com.
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