The Resurrection of Jesus

Have you ever thought about the Easter story? Like, really thought about it? People around the world gather to commemorate a man, who also happened to be God, rising from the dead. The more familiar we are with the story, the less it shocks us, but perhaps we need a little shocking! The resurrection of Jesus is a wild claim.

If it is true, it changes the story of history. And if it is not, it ruins the church.

Though the cross decorates our churches, the power of the gospel is the empty tomb. Without Christ’s resurrection, our faith is empty, and we are still in our sins. This doctrine is not an extra piece of the gospel story. As theologian Alan Richardson declared, “Christianity is a religion of miracles, and the miracle of Christ’s resurrection is the living center and object of the Christian faith.”

The book of Acts shows us how the early church viewed Jesus’ miraculous return. Peter talked extensively about the resurrection in Acts 2, his sermon at Pentecost. If the apostles and early church would fight for such a doctrine, we should be asking ourselves: Why does this matter so much? What did Jesus’ resurrection practically accomplish?

Scholar Ralph Earle provides one answer to this question: “The resurrection of Jesus proved that his sacrifice for sins had been accepted. The whole redemptive scheme would have fallen apart without it.”[i] If we consider how the apostles treated the resurrection, this theory makes a lot of sense. The disciples of Jesus believed His claims to be God, but the resurrection confirmed it. They were witnesses to a miracle—a miracle that changed their lives.

The resurrection matters because Jesus’ triumph on the cross finished the work of our salvation. His death atoned for it. His rising proved that sin and death have no power over the life-giving God, no power over Jesus, and no power over us. Though we will still die on this earth, our life in Christ begins now. Because of Christ’s victory, we go from life to life. One day we, too, will “rise again” to join Him in glory.

Respond

Return to the letter you wrote about Jesus on Day 1. Revise it according to what you’ve learned about Jesus this week. What discovery especially fills you with hope for your life or the future?

[i] Henry, Basic Christian Doctrines, 141–42.

Was this plan helpful? We adapted this plan from Every Woman a Theologian: Know What You Believe. Live It Confidently. Communicate It Graciously. by Phylicia Masonheimer. Check it out for more.