On the first day of the week following Jesus’ crucifixion, the Bible records a world-changing event. It was like a nuclear explosion in history’s timeline: Jesus rose from the dead. Then, as now, not everyone believed that such an unprecedented and impossible event could have occurred. But the Biblical report addresses this understandable skepticism in two important ways. First, the tomb was empty. If the disciples had fabricated the resurrection, the easiest way to disprove the claim would have been to produce the body. Second, multiple eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances challenge the theory that someone stole His body. Sightings by many individuals, at different times, undermine the notion of a hoax or conspiracy. While these do not prove the resurrection to the unconvinced, they offer credible evidence that cannot be easily dismissed.
Even in the first century, doubters existed. Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, addressed the resurrection’s central role in Christian faith. He summarized the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:4, stating plainly: “He was raised on the third day.” Yet some still denied the concept of resurrection. To them, Paul reasserted the facts and made a striking concession: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17). For Paul, there was no gospel without resurrection – no merely honorable, dead teacher. The resurrection was God’s definitive declaration that Jesus had conquered sin and death, and that His people would likewise follow Him into new life. “Encourage each other with these words,” Paul urged (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
“Friday’s here, but Sunday’s coming!”—this modern phrase captures the revolutionary message echoed throughout the Bible: “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20). After the four Gospels, the rest of the New Testament describes Jesus as conqueror, firstborn among many, intercessor at the right hand of God, high priest beyond the veil, and returning King. All these titles point to a living, risen Christ – a transformed God-man, recognizable yet gloriously different in body and capacity. According to 1 Corinthians 15:43, Jesus was “raised in glory… raised in power,” and Scripture promises that His followers will be raised in the same way – immortal, incorruptible, and never to die again (1 Corinthians 15:52).
The Resurrection of Christians
If we follow the Bible’s grand narrative – that God loves and saves humankind – then the resurrection of those God saves is its natural climax. If Jesus rose from the dead, then all for whom He died will also rise. Yet, the idea of resurrection -new life after death – is so miraculous that it appears only sparingly in the Old Testament, and in the New, only in select passages. When Jesus was challenged by the Sadducees (who denied the resurrection), He didn’t argue logistics but pointed to the character of God – “not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mark 12:26–27).
If the Bible were organized by modern readers’ priorities, the question of life after death would receive an entire volume. Instead, Scripture offers clarity without exhaustive detail. What the New Testament teaches is this:
- Jesus rose as the “firstborn from among the dead” (Colossians 1:18). Unlike others who were temporarily brought back to life – such as the widow’s son in Luke 7:11–16, Jairus’s daughter in Matthew 9:18–26, or Lazarus in John 11 – Jesus was raised by God’s power and did not die again. His resurrection demonstrates eternal life – God’s most profound promise.
- Between death and the final resurrection, the “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) experience conscious joy in the presence of God. Jesus described it as a place prepared for His followers (John 14:2–3), and Paul longed to be “with Christ” (Philippians 1:23). Though often described as “sleep,” this state is not inactive but peaceful and filled with anticipation. To be “in Christ” is to be covered by His sacrifice and counted among God’s redeemed – destined for restoration, wholeness, joy, and communion.
- At Christ’s second coming, the dead in Christ and those still alive will be transformed and receive resurrection bodies like His (Romans 8:11; Philippians 3:20–21). This final resurrection will mark the renewal of all creation, the reconciliation of heaven and earth, and the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom. The veil between the seen and unseen will be removed, and God’s people will live together forever in perfect love, peace, and glory.
The resurrection of Christ is the central event of history and the foundation of Christian hope (1 Corinthians 15:17). The Bible assures us: all who trust in God through faith in Jesus will one day rise with Him. However, this future hope does not permit passivity or indifference. It encourages and inspires us to walk with Jesus daily.
The resurrection is not an excuse to withdraw from the world’s problems. On the contrary, Paul ends his teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 by urging believers to live purposefully: “Therefore… be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Jesus Himself taught, “We must work while it is day, for night is coming” (John 9:4). The resurrection looks forward to a future hope but it gives purpose to the present, motivating loving, thoughtful, and diligent service to God and others.
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