JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS THE RESURRECTION?

It has been said that the resurrection of Jesus is the central triumph of His life, the Gibraltar of the Christian faith, and the Waterloo of infidelity. It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ that was the ultimate miracle proving him to be the Son of God. “…and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). If Christ was not raised from the dead, then his death on the cross was meaningless.

The legitimacy of the Christian faith revolves around the truthfulness of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. To disprove the resurrection of Jesus is to disprove Christianity: “And if Christ is not risen, your faith if futile; you are still in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:17). The resurrection is foundational to everything we believe as Christians. Simply put, if the tomb was not empty then Christianity is.

The Bible teaches that Jesus literally died, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead and now lives forever, never to die again. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore…” (Revelation 1:18). Paul made it clear in I Corinthians 15:3-4 – “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received:  that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…”

If you take the resurrection out of the Gospel, then there is no Gospel (“good news”). There are three historical essentials of the gospel: 1) Christ died on a cross for our sins. 2) He was buried. 3) He rose again from the dead on the third day—just like he said. (Luke 18:31-32.)

There is an age-old question: Job 14:14: If a man dies, will he live again?” The Bible answers this question with an emphatic YES! Every human being who has ever lived will one day experience a bodily resurrection and stand before God on Judgment Day. Jesus spoke clearly about this in John 5:28-29 - “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

The resurrection is the foundation of our hope and the judgment is assured by it. When Jesus returns for the second time, the saved will be raised and will be given a body suited for eternal glory in the presence of God. The lost will be raised also, and given a body suited for endless punishment and suffering in the lake of fire. Acts 17:31 – “He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

You know him as Old Henry, one of the greatest short story authors in American history. His real name was, William Sydney Porter. His last words to his nurse before he died were these, “Mary, pull up the shades, I don’t want to go home in the dark.” I don’t want you to go home (die) in the dark either. When that stone was rolled away and the light of heaven infiltrated that tomb, it wasn’t so Jesus could see, but so we could.-Steve