Jesus Rose to Give Us Life
Can we be certain that Jesus rose from the tomb to live forever? Many people would answer “no.” Either the evidence is not compelling enough, or it denies science, or it is only a fable. Some people have declared that the disciples stole Jesus’ body and claimed that He rose.
Note that the Gospels of Matthew and John were written by people who were witnesses. They saw Jesus alive after His death. St. Luke also interviewed people who saw the risen Jesus. St. Paul speaks about the 500 people who saw the risen Jesus in Galilee. Though many in the ancient world ridiculed the resurrection story, they could not dispute the witness of the apostles and others who saw Jesus alive.
Why is Jesus’ resurrection important? Because it declares that death did not defeat Jesus. Jesus gave Himself over to death in order to pay the punishment of all sins. Had He remained in the tomb, we would have no assurance that the ransom for sin had been paid. But God raised Jesus to life to declare that the ransom is paid in full. By rising to life, Jesus proclaims His victory over sin and death. He promised to give that victory to us: “Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). Jesus lives to guarantee that this promise is true.