Of all the truths presented in Scripture, none is more central to Christianity than the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without this pivotal event, the Christian faith would not exist. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian message, the ultimate demonstration of Jesus’ victory over death, and the foundation of hope for eternal life.
The Bible declares that Jesus’ resurrection was not merely symbolic but literal. His rising from the dead provides the promise that all who trust in Him will one day also rise to live in a new heaven and a new earth. This truth emboldened early Christians, making them unafraid of martyrdom, as death no longer held any power over them. In other words, death now holds no sting for a Christian!
Evidence for the Resurrection
The Empty Tomb
Even from the earliest days, critics of Christianity tried to dismiss the resurrection as a fabrication. Second- and third-century writings from Jewish authorities, who strongly opposed the Christian movement, accused the disciples of stealing Jesus’ body from the tomb. Ironically, these accusations confirm a key fact: the tomb was empty.
The Jewish leaders’ intense efforts to locate Jesus’ body highlight their desperation to disprove the resurrection and stop the spread of Christianity. Yet, no body was ever found. As theologian Paul Althaus noted, “The resurrection proclamation could not have been maintained in Jerusalem, the location of Jesus’ death and burial, for a single day, for a single hour, if the emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned.”
The reason for the empty tomb is simple and profound: Jesus had risen!
Eyewitness Accounts
Following His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days teaching and interacting with His disciples and many others. On one occasion, He appeared to a crowd of over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6). These eyewitnesses became bold witnesses of the resurrection, proclaiming what they had seen and heard despite persecution and even death.
The Gospels record that the first witnesses to the resurrection were women—an astonishing and countercultural detail. In a society where women were not allowed to testify in court, inventing a story in which women were the first to discover the empty tomb would have been unthinkable. Furthermore, the Gospels portray the disciples as initially skeptical of the resurrection. If the story had been fabricated, why depict themselves as doubting and fearful? These details lend strong credibility to the authenticity of the accounts.
The Birth of the Church
The rapid growth of the early Christian church provides further evidence of the resurrection’s reality. The resurrection gave the early believers a compelling and unshakable foundation for their faith. Without it, there would have been no reason for them to risk their lives, endure persecution, and boldly spread the message of Jesus.
Fulfilled Prophecy
The resurrection of Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament and explicitly predicted by Jesus Himself. Passages such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 16:10 point to the Messiah’s victory over death. Jesus repeatedly told His disciples and Jewish leaders that He would rise on the third day (Mark 8:31, Matthew 12:40). These fulfilled prophecies are among the dozens that confirm the divine nature of Jesus’ mission and His resurrection.
Conclusion
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just an extraordinary claim; it is a historically supported event that changed the course of human history. The empty tomb, eyewitness testimonies, the countercultural details of the Gospel accounts, the explosive growth of the church, and fulfilled prophecies all provide compelling evidence for the truth of the resurrection.
For believers, the resurrection is the ultimate source of hope. It is the promise of life beyond death, the assurance that sin and the grave have been defeated, and the cornerstone of a faith that proclaims: “He is risen indeed!”