Easter Sunday is upon us – the day we commemorate our Lord and Saviour rising from the grave, thereby overcoming sin and death. It is the most venerated season in the Christian calendar, as it celebrates the most significant event in history – Jesus’ resurrection. Today, as we reach the end of our look into Jesus’ journey in Jerusalem and the cross, we will look at the significance of his resurrection and the reason many people refer to this as ‘the greatest day in history’.
The Crux of Christianity
In his first letter the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul states:
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:14-19 (NIV)
We often hear that Jesus died for our sins. It may be easy for this truth to overshadow our perception of the significance of His resurrection. As Paul writes above, if Jesus did not in fact rise from the dead, then we are to be pitied more than anyone else, since our faith would be futile!
If Jesus did not in fact rise from the dead, then all His promises to us are void. If He Himself, as God incarnate, could not overcome death, then what hope do we have? Death would be the only truth which would remain absolute, its grasp the only certainty in life. If the sting of death has not been lifted, then the ‘wages’ of sin will remain ever before us, thus dooming us to a cruel inevitable march towards death from which there is no reprieve nor hope. If Christ in fact did not rise and assume His role as King of Kings, then what hope of final justice remains? None – justice would be but a notion in order to maintain civility, rooted firmly in what is considered ‘right’ at the time. If Christ is not risen, then what of the martyrs across nearly two millennia, who gave up their lives to reach those who have not heard the Gospel? They can only be remembered as misguided fools. If Christ is not risen, then as Paul says, we truly are to be pitied.
Christus Victor
Yet, we celebrate as on this day, nearly two thousand years ago, the tomb was found empty. Not only so, but over 500 witnesses consisting of both his contemporaries and detractors testified to seeing the risen Christ[1]. Over the course of the last two thousand years, Jesus still continues to reveal himself, changing lives and inspiring people to pursue the ‘upward call’ of his love by sharing the Good News of His resurrection. And, because of his resurrection, the Gospel is indeed Good News. The Lord’s Good News is this: Jesus is alive and He has conquered the grave. In His death, He paid the price for our sin by satisfying the righteous requirements of God’s law, taking on God’s wrath due to us on Himself. Through His resurrection, we can boast: Christus victor! Our King is victorious, as he did in fact overcome sin and death and in so doing, His promises to us stand assured.
In light of his victory, we invite you to consider one of His promises to us:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:26 (NIV)
Know that the Conquering King invites us to join him today in eternal life. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life starts with knowing the source of life intimately in relationship. We rejoice, because we can know our risen King as we have been known by Him. We rejoice, because we will one day see Him face to face. We rejoice, because His promise to wipe each tear from our eye and death to be no more are assured because He Is Risen. Though Jesus’ journey sees him now seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father, His mission on earth has not come to an end. He invites us to journey with Him in relationship and to invite others to join this epic journey of being known and knowing the lover of our souls.
[1] As the scope of this article focuses on the significance of the resurrection, we would refer you to resources from SJ Swadimass, Lee Strobel or William Lane Craig for a more detailed study of the historicity of the resurrection.