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One year during the late fall, a mother asked her little boy what he wanted for Christmas as they walked through a department store. The little boy began to think while the woman pushed the cart along. Of course, there were some toys and gadgets on his list, yet he decided to go out on a limb and speak from his heart. The boy looked up at his mother, and said, “I want my dad to come back.” Unfortunately, the boy’s father had been murdered a few years ago. “I’m talking about something I can actually do,” the mother replied. “Not the impossible.”

Of course, the child knew dead people don’t return, and his mother only reaffirmed that fact. It doesn’t take a brilliant mind to recognize that once a person dies, any chance for a second act is over. Simply put, dead men do not rise and walk. Yet, that is precisely what Jesus of Nazareth did. He conquered the grave.

For the past 2,000 years, people have sought to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is false.

After all, the Christian faith rests and falls on this very event. In fact, the Apostle Paul, before his physical encounter with the risen Christ, was a staunch enemy of anyone who dared follow Jesus. He said that anyone preaching and exercising faith in Christ is wasting their time “if Christ has not been raised” because “if in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 19).

Have you personally considered the importance of the resurrection? Are you one who just believes it didn’t occur and it’s merely a feel-good story invented by ancient folks? What if the evidence drives you to another conclusion? When you are wrong about something, do you have a desire to find the truth? See where the evidence leads you.

A Real Person

Aside from the Bible, there are extrabiblical works that attest Jesus Christ was a Jewish man who died by crucifixion under Roman rule. These works were produced by Josephus, Tacitus, and Serapion among others, not to mention, the Jewish Talmud. Even the most skeptic non-Christian New Testament scholars, most notably Bart Ehrman, will tell you that Jesus actually existed.

Eyewitnesses

Shortly after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His followers on numerous occasions, even appearing to 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). His disciples touched and talked with Him, even going as far as eating with Him in His glorified state (Luke 24:36-43). In the hours that followed Christ’s death, the disciples walked away confused, sad and frightened. However, days later, they proclaimed the resurrection with an uncanny joy and boldness.

You may have seen fanatics die for something they believe to be true over the course of history, but no one willingly dies for what they know is a lie! The writers of the Gospels all say that women witnessed the empty tomb first. In Jewish culture, testimony by a woman was invalid, yet the text insists that’s what happened nonetheless. In the case of the disciples, they were willing to face horrible deaths and exile. Why?
Because of what they saw, heard and touched following that first Easter Sunday. As the Apostle Peter stated, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).

Where’s the Body?

The religious leaders of the land went to great lengths to make sure none of Jesus’ supporters would take His body. They employed Roman soldiers to guard the tomb, which had a gigantic rock with a tight seal in front of it. Despite it being a blatant lie, the leaders paid the soldiers to say the disciples came and took the body on their watch (Matthew 28:11-15). This also points to the reality that the body of Jesus was actually gone. The religious group would have produced the dead body in lightning fashion if there was one to bring forth. Yet they couldn’t.

A Second Wind

Some propose that Jesus didn’t actually die on the cross. They would have you believe that He later was revived after some rest and cooler temperatures in the tomb, also known as the Swoon Theory. Jesus was beaten and scourged almost beyond recognition, to the point He could not finish carrying His own cross (Luke 23:26). His back was ripped open and He lost a large amount of blood during His torture. His side was pierced by a highly trained soldier, which resulted in a mix of blood and water coming out (John 19:31-34), a medical indication of death by asphyxiation. Given the extent of His condition, it is highly doubtful Jesus would’ve had the strength to break through grave cloths containing about sixty-five pounds of spices.

Hallucinations

Some opponents believe the post-resurrection appearances were just hallucinations on the part of Jesus’ followers. However, hallucinations tend to be very specific to an individual person experiencing one at a given time. In other words, multiple people don’t have the same exact delusion at the same time let alone five hundred!

Conclusion

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a moment in history that every human must weigh to determine whether they believe it to be true. Jesus rose from the dead, proving that He was God in human flesh, and therefore you can trust what He says.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

“Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).

The Gospel accounts were written so that you may believe that Christ is the Son of God.

True belief in Him is more than just a confession of the facts, but rather a full trust in His atoning work at Calvary. The resurrection proved Christ’s identity. Putting your faith in Christ will not be a mindless blind act or silly waste of time. Your eternal destiny depends on what you do with the person of Christ.

As C.S. Lewis aptly concluded, Jesus Christ can only be liar, lunatic or Lord. The historical evidence and internal witness of changed lives points to the latter option. You can trust in Christ’s promise of eternal life. Repent and believe. The Lord is at hand.

If you’ve placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s important that you let someone know and find a Bible-believing church.

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