On that Good Friday, Jesus died a horrible death as a sacrifice for our sins. While on the cross, God the Son paid for our sins with his on sinless life. The heart of the gospel is that Jesus Christ did not die a martyr's death, but he overcame death by God the Father raising him from the dead. A Muslim who had converted to Christianity was asked why he converted and his response was: "If you come to a fork in the road would you ask the man who is dead for directions? Or the man who is alive? His point was that all other religious leaders, including Muhammad, died and stayed dead. Jesus died only to be raised to life as he said he would. The death and resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of Christianity. Therefore, if the resurrection of Jesus is true, then there is no possible way to overstate its importance. If it is untrue, then the Christian faith is a pointless: "if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17 NLT)
Consider briefly with me the evidence for the resurrection. First, the legal evidence. The tomb that Jesus was buried in was empty. If Jesus wasn't alive, all his critics had to do was present his body! Matthew 28:11-15 proves that his body could not have been stolen. The tomb was surrounded by Romans who knew that it meant the death penalty for them if the seal of the tomb was broken.
Secondly, the historical evidence. Christ's disciples were radically changed. Peter who had denied Christ earlier now became courageous and fearless. Historians write that the same Peter who had denied Christ the night before his death, was crucified on a cross upside down because he was now (post resurrection) unwilling to deny his Lord. Throughout the book of Acts we see the spread of Christianity and the preaching of Jesus being raised from the dead. The message of Jesus spread through out the world and persecution of Christians grew as well. Would people be willing to die for something the knew was a lie?
Also, in Matthew 28 we read that women were the first to see Jesus after his resurrection. At that point in time, women could not testify in court, they would only hurt the case for the resurrection. If the disciples were promoting a lie they would have never have chosen this way to build their case.
The resurrection of Jesus assures us of God's forgiveness. It was God the Father's stamp of approval that he had accepted Jesus' death as a sacrifice for our sins. Assurance of salvation would be prideful if it depended on our good works and behavior. However, our assurance is not based on us but on Jesus and what he did for us.
The resurrection of Jesus assures us of God's power. Can God really change people? Can God really meet our needs? Can God really heal the sick? Can God really do anything? If he can raise the dead we can rest assured with him all things are possible!
The resurrection of Jesus assures us of God's ultimate triumph. Whatever you are facing today you can face with courageous faith and hope because of the resurrection of Jesus:
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT)
May God bless you this Easter with a greater understanding of His love and power in your life.
