The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the crux of the Christian faith. On scientific and educational television programming the resurrection is one of the most controversial and highly debated subjects. Redbook Magazine of August 1961 conducted a survey of seminary students who were training to be pastors and found that “fifty-four percent rejected the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.” One must wonder what the rate of unbelief is today.
The apostle Paul said, “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Cor. 15:14); but Paul continued as a die-hard follower of Jesus Christ and never ceased to fervently preach Christ’s resurrection. What motivated Paul to cherish the belief in a seemingly impossible occurrence as the resurrection? The answer is eye-witness sightings and testimony of the resurrected Lord - the most powerful of which was Jesus’ appearance to Paul himself (Acts 9:3-5).
Numerous individuals in the Bible testified to having seen Jesus risen from the dead. One excellent reference is 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, which shares how Jesus was seen by over five-hundred people afterwards. The apostle Peter stated, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16). Many first century Christians, unlike us, had the benefit of first-hand sightings of Jesus raised from the tomb.
I find it amusing to watch television shows claiming the truth about Jesus’ resurrection; and then watching the “scholars” spend the entire time debunking the “myth.” One major argument used is that Jesus’ disciples removed His body and hid it. This argument is as old as the resurrection itself!
Matthew said the elders gave a large sum of money to the soldiers guarding the tomb, and told them to say to the people, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept” (Matt. 28:12, 13). Matthew said, “This saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day” (Matt. 28:15). This argument is reported even until our own time, and it began with the soldiers being paid to spread a falsehood. When you hear this argument used by “scholars,” keep in mind that it is nothing groundbreaking. It is rooted in unbelief and is an attempt to divert one’s attention from the miracle of the resurrection.
The resurrection is about hope - the hope of forgiveness and release from sin. The Bible says sin will be punishable by spiritual death and eternal separation from God (Isaiah 59:2; Rom. 6:23a); and when forgiven, rewarded with eternal life (Rom. 6:23b). When Jesus died and was buried, He took on Himself the punishment for our sins; and in the resurrection, He demonstrated His power over sin and death.
The Bible says that if we believe in His resurrection we will be forgiven of sin and receive eternal life (Rom. 10:9). If we do not believe in the resurrection we are without hope! Paul said, “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Cor. 15:17, 18). There is no hope of an afterlife without a belief in the resurrection - no hope for ourselves or for our loved ones who have gone before. The key to entering heaven after we die is to believe in Jesus’ resurrection!