By Nick Bibile
What was the central truth of the apostles' preaching? What fueled the miraculous growth of the early church? What was the driving force that carried the gospel throughout the world?
The answer to all these questions is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
"He is risen!" was the triumphant proclamation of the first Christians, and they carried that message to the ends of the earth.
As Dr. Walter Martin wrote:
"Unless we accept what the Scriptures teach about the resurrection, the entire Christian message virtually disintegrates. The whole preaching thrust of the apostolic age was based upon the fact that one quiet morning in an obscure garden, man had vanquished his most feared enemy, the vaunted dark angel of death. Satan had defeated the first Adam in a garden ages before, and with his victory there commenced the reign of sin and death over mankind. But now in God's appointed time and plan Satan met the last Adam in still another garden, and death was swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely essential to the Christian faith. This is why the Apostle Paul devoted an entire chapter—1 Corinthians 15—to the subject. Paul declares:
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (1 Corinthians 15:14)
And again:
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17)
The bodily resurrection of Christ separates biblical Christianity from all false religions and counterfeit cults. Groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and many other religious movements deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If you remove Charles Taze Russell from Jehovah's Witnesses, the movement remains. Remove Muhammad from Islam, and Islam remains. Remove Buddha from Buddhism, and Buddhism remains. But remove Jesus Christ from Christianity, and Christianity ceases to exist.
Christianity is centered on the person of Christ—His life, character, death, and resurrection. Other religions primarily focus on the teachings of their founders. Christianity proclaims not merely a teacher but a risen Lord. We do not follow a dead Savior, but a living Savior who has conquered death.
To understand the glory of the resurrection, we must first understand the two states of Christ:
His State of Humiliation
His State of Exaltation
The resurrection shines most brightly when viewed against the backdrop of His humiliation.
Christ's humiliation began at His birth. The eternal Son of God entered the world not in a palace but in a manger. Throughout His earthly life He endured poverty, rejection, suffering, temptation, and sorrow. His humiliation reached its climax at the cross, where the Lord of Glory was crucified between two criminals.
Let us turn to Philippians 2:6-11.
These verses describe the incarnation of Christ.
The eternal Word who was with God and was God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1,14). Christ did not cease to be God, but He took upon Himself a true human nature.
As a man He experienced hunger, fatigue, temptation, suffering, and death. He willingly submitted Himself to the limitations of human life.
Jesus taught:
"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12)
No one demonstrated this truth more perfectly than Christ Himself.
He left the glory of heaven and was born in a manger.
He left the worship of angels and took upon Himself the form of a servant.
He who created the oceans washed the feet of His disciples.
He exchanged the crown of heavenly glory for a crown of thorns.
Though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor.
Galatians 4:4 tells us that Christ was "born under the law."
Humanity had broken God's law and stood condemned before a holy Judge. Because God is righteous, He cannot overlook sin. The penalty of sin is death, and all mankind stands guilty before Him.
Yet Christ willingly took our place.
He fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf (Matthew 5:17). He became legally responsible for His people, bearing the curse and punishment that we deserved.
Between Philippians 2:8 and Philippians 2:9 lies a period of profound tension—the three days Christ spent in the grave.
Jesus had repeatedly declared that He would rise again on the third day.
If He did not rise, His claims would be false.
If He remained in the tomb, His promises could not be trusted.
The disciples were devastated. Their hopes seemed shattered. Fear and confusion filled their hearts.
Jesus had said:
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
Humanity was enslaved to sin and separated from God. We owed a debt we could never repay.
On the cross, Christ bore the full weight of that debt.
Every sin of His people was laid upon Him.
He suffered agony, shame, and divine judgment in our place.
The ransom had been paid.
But one question remained:
Would the Father accept the sacrifice?
Would the ransom be approved?
The answer would come on the third day.
Philippians 2:9 begins Christ's exaltation.
Matthew records the glorious scene:
"There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men." (Matthew 28:2-4)
The answer from heaven was clear:
YES! Christ is risen!
The resurrection was the Father's public declaration that the sacrifice had been accepted.
The debt had been paid.
The ransom had been received.
Death had been conquered.
Sin had been defeated.
Those who trust in Christ are no longer enemies of God but children of God.
In John 20 we read the beautiful account of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb.
She came early in the morning while it was still dark and discovered that the stone had been rolled away.
Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw that it was empty.
Yet Mary remained outside weeping.
The angels asked her:
"Woman, why are you crying?"
She replied:
"They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put Him."
Her words reveal her deep love for Christ.
Then Jesus Himself appeared, but she did not recognize Him. In the dim light she assumed He was the gardener.
But everything changed when Jesus spoke one word:
"Mary."
Immediately she recognized that familiar voice.
How many times had the Lord called her by name?
There is something deeply personal about the Savior's call.
The Good Shepherd knows His sheep, and He calls them by name.
Jesus then said:
"Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (John 20:17)
These words are rich with gospel truth.
Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the only begotten Son.
We, however, were alienated from God because of our sin.
Romans 8:7 tells us that our minds were hostile toward God.
Yet Christ came to reconcile sinners to the Father.
Jesus said:
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24)
The single grain died.
Through His death and resurrection, many sons and daughters were brought into God's family.
Hebrews 2:9-10 declares:
"In bringing many sons to glory..."
We who once fell short of God's glory (Romans 3:23) are now brought into His glory through Christ.
That is why Jesus could say:
"My Father and your Father."
"My God and your God."
The resurrection made reconciliation possible.
The risen Christ now calls believers His brothers and sisters.
As Hebrews 2:11 says:
"He is not ashamed to call them brothers."
The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine.
In a similar way, the gospel transforms sinners into saints.
Murderers, thieves, adulterers, tax collectors, and rebels can be made new through Christ.
The resurrection itself is a miracle.
And every conversion is evidence that the risen Christ is still at work.
Our Savior is not dead.
He is alive.
As Dr. Walter Martin famously said:
"I have good news for you. I have read the end of the Book—and we win."
After His resurrection, Jesus possessed a glorified human body.
His identity remained the same. The disciples recognized Him, and Thomas was invited to touch His wounds:
"Put your finger here; see My hands." (John 20:27)
His body was still truly human, yet glorified.
It was no longer subject to weakness, aging, pain, suffering, or death.
Unlike Lazarus, who was raised only to die again, Christ rose with an immortal body.
He is the firstfruits of the resurrection to come.
The resurrection was the work of the Triune God.
"God has raised this Jesus to life." (Acts 2:32)
"I lay down My life... and I have authority to take it up again." (John 10:17-18)
"The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead..." (Romans 8:11)
All three Persons of the Trinity participated in the resurrection.
The resurrection was God's stamp of approval upon the work of Christ.
It demonstrated that Christ had perfectly fulfilled every demand of the law.
Paul writes:
"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17)
Because Christ has been raised, believers can know that their sins are truly forgiven.
On the cross, our sins were charged to Christ.
Through faith, Christ's righteousness is credited to us.
Paul writes:
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
The resurrection publicly vindicates Christ's righteousness and assures us of our acceptance before God.
Peter writes:
"He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3)
Because Christ lives, believers possess spiritual life.
See also Romans 6:4 and Romans 8:11.
Paul triumphantly declares:
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)
Death remains an enemy, but it is a defeated enemy.
For the Christian, death is no longer a prison door but an entrance into the presence of Christ.
The resurrection assures us that Christ's work of salvation is complete.
It guarantees His power to save, preserve, and ultimately glorify His people.
The risen Christ is Lord of all.
As Philippians 2:10-11 declares:
"At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christianity. It proves that Christ is who He claimed to be, that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father, that our sins are forgiven, and that death has been conquered.
Because Christ lives, believers have hope.
Because Christ lives, sinners can be reconciled to God.
Because Christ lives, the gospel continues to transform lives.
And because Christ lives, all who trust in Him will one day rise with Him in glory.
He is risen indeed!
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