RedemptionSample

What happened after Jesus died?

After three days, Jesus rose bodily from the dead, leaving an empty tomb behind him.

What does the resurrection of Jesus mean? We know that his crucifixion paid for our sins, but what about his resurrection? What does it accomplish, and why does it matter?

Is Jesus’ resurrection just dramatic proof that Jesus is God—that he is who he said he is? Or is it just what had to happen for Jesus to go to heaven after he died? 

There’s some misunderstanding about the resurrection because there’s some misunderstanding about the crucifixion. After all, what did the crucifixion actually accomplish? 

James 1:15 tells us that idolatry—that is, putting things before God—leads to sin, and sin leads to death. So, if Jesus’ crucifixion dealt with sin, and if sin leads to death, then it makes sense that Jesus’ crucifixion signaled a victory over death. But how?

It works like this: if the power of death resides with sin, and if sin has been defeated, then death has had its power stripped away.

This is why death cannot hold Jesus. This is why the tomb couldn’t contain him. Because he’d conquered sin and thus conquered death. That’s what the resurrection means. It’s evidence that the cross worked! God raising Jesus from the dead shows that sin and death have been defeated once and for all.

And that defeat of death doesn’t just apply to Jesus, it’s true for all those who put their trust in Jesus! One day, when Jesus returns, death will be swallowed up altogether, and Christians will live with Jesus forever.

Spend some time today and thank God for raising Jesus from the dead.