Why I Believe In The Resurrection of Christ
In AD 33, the most significant event in human history happened - Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world.
He died that we might live.
Not only did He die, but He rose again on the 3rd day.
The resurrection of Jesus forms the cornerstone of my faith as a Christian.
If the resurrection is not true, then as Paul the Apostle wrote “our faith is in vain and we are of all men most miserable.”
But he continued to say that Christ has indeed risen from the dead and became the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Corinthians 15
Before we go into the case of Christ’s resurrection, we should ask why did He have to die?
We have a problem of sin 😔
We see the evidence of sin in our lives. We have done things that we are not proud of and God has put in us a conscience to understand right from wrong.
“They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them” - Romans 2:15
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” - Romans 3:23
God is holy and just ⚖️
God cannot tolerate sin as He is holy.
“for I am the Lord your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy” - Leviticus 11:44
God has to judge sin as he is just.
“Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne.” - Psalm 89: 14
Just as a just judge would have to judge all offenses, God has to hold us accountable for our sins.
God is love ❤️
God is also a God of love and desires all of us to be saved.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God” - 1 John 4: 7
“since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” - 1 Timothy 2: 4
God sent His Son to be our substitute 🐑
Christ was sent to this world to die in our place. To be the perfect substitute for our sins.
John the Baptist could say “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved” - John 3:16
Love and Justice were reconciled at the cross ✝️
God’s love for us and judgment of our sins was reconciled in our Lord Jesus when He died on the cross for us.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8
I am free from my debt of sin not because of what I’ve done but because of what Christ has done on the cross.
I can say “we love Him because He first loved us” - 1 John 4:19
God raised Christ from the dead because His work is complete and conquered death 🙌
As Christ hung on the cross, between and earth, He cried a victorious cry “It is finished” - John 19:20.
Christ’s perfect work of dying for our sins was complete! After crying that cry of victory, He willingly gave up His life for us.
“No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father” - John 19:18
Christ not only died for our sins, but He was raised on the 3rd day, signifying Christ’s complete work and His victory over death.
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” - 1 Corinthians 15:26
I and millions of other Christians serve a living Saviour.
Because of what Christ has done on the cross, we can say “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" - 1 Corinthians 15:55
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16
The case for Christ’s resurrection is compelling. I’ll briefly touch on a few of them:
Jesus Christ did indeed die
Christ was a historical figure and many reputable historical scholars would agree that Christ did indeed live and die. So the next question would be “did he rose from the dead?”
The testimony of women
During Christ’s time, the testimony of women was not highly regarded.
If Christ’s story was invented then it would be an odd choice to use women as witnesses, as it would almost immediately be discounted.
But we read that it was the women who first discovered the empty tomb.
“Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of Jesus.” - Luke 24: 1 - 3
The empty tomb
Until this day, we cannot find the body of Christ.
The Jewish leaders knew that if they could prove the resurrection of Christ, then that would be the end of Christianity.
They were afraid that the disciples would steal His body that they asked Rome to have soldiers guarding the tomb.
“ ‘Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” - Matthew 27: 62 - 64
So we know that Christ was buried and the tomb was guarded by soldiers. Yet, we don’t have his body with us.
The change in His disciples
Perhaps the most compelling evidence can be seen in the change in the lives of the disciples of Christ.
We see the disciples changing overnight from a group of frightened individuals who abandoned their leader, to a group of men willing to die for their faith in Christ.
All the apostles besides John died gruesome deaths because of their faith.
What could have sparked such change in them?
Can I suggest that it is indeed because they have seen the risen Christ and were changed because of it?
Historical records of eyewitnesses in the Gospels
We have eyewitness accounts in the Gospels who saw Christ.
Paul wrote that Christ appeared to many and listed out the witnesses.
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.” - 1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 8
I think that the best explanation for these historical events would be that Christ did indeed rose from the dead!
I can lay hold on the confidence that Christ rose from the dead and I have a living hope in Him.
“Because I live you will live also” - John 14:19
When Christ was hanging on that cross, He died for your sins. Will you accept him as your personal savior?
Have a Blessed Easter!
“Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.” - Mark 16:6
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God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives.