The Question That Changes Everything

It's interesting how so many people who are unbelievers celebrate Easter. We have turned this time into getting candy from hidden eggs and taking pictures with the Easter Bunny, but Easter is the most important holiday to Christians. It’s not about the easter bunny and eggs. It centers on a real event in history: Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, rose from the dead three days later. If this is true, then everything God says about sin, judgment, and salvation is true. If not, Christianity falls apart. As Paul wrote, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17)

So at Easter, we are not just celebrating a feeling. We are facing the most important question anyone can answer: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

What Everyone Agrees On

When honest historians, whether they believe or not, look at the sources, they find more agreement than you might expect. They all agree:

1. Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate.

   His execution is reported in all four Gospels, in early Christian creeds, and in non‑Christian writers like Josephus and Tacitus. That remains unquestioned.

2. He was buried in a known tomb.

   Joseph of Arimathea, who was part of the Jewish council, placed Jesus’ body in his own new tomb, which was a public and known location.

3. On the third day, the tomb was empty.

   The tomb was empty, and those women were the first to find it. In that culture, women’s testimony was not highly valued, so this detail would not be made up to make the story more believable. Even the earliest Jewish response was not, “The tomb still has a body,” but instead, “The disciples stole the body,” which actually admits the tomb was empty.

4. Many people claimed to see the risen Jesus.

   The New Testament describes several appearances: to Mary Magdalene, Peter, the Twelve, more than five hundred believers at once, James, and finally Paul, who sums this up in 1 Corinthians 15. He wrote just a few decades after these events and basically says, “Most of these witnesses are still alive; you can check.”

5. The disciples were radically transformed.

   Before the crucifixion, the disciples ran away. Peter denied Jesus. They hid behind locked doors. But after, they preached openly in Jerusalem and faced beatings, prison, and even death for saying Jesus was raised from the dead. People might die for something they believe is true, even if they are wrong, but they do not die for something they know they made up.

The Empty Tomb and the Eyewitnesses

The empty tomb alone does not prove a resurrection, but it does raise the question: Where did the body go? There are several alternative theories that are laid out by skeptics:

• The theory of the wrong tomb does not work, since the tomb belonged to a well-known council member. Both friends and enemies could check its location.

• The theory that the disciples stole the body does not fit with their actions. These men, who ran away in fear, suddenly became willing to suffer and even die for something they knew was a lie?

• The theory that the authorities moved the body does not hold up, because Christianity began in the same city where Jesus was crucified and buried. If the authorities had the body, showing it would have stopped the movement immediately.

The reports of appearances are also hard to dismiss. Hallucinations are personal and not shared by groups at the same time and place. They cannot explain group sightings, and they do not turn scared people into bold leaders or explain an empty tomb.

The earliest Christian statement in 1 Corinthians 15 is important: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day … and that he was seen.” This summary is older than Paul’s letter and goes back just a few years after the crucifixion. Myths do not develop that quickly when eyewitnesses are still alive, and critics are watching.

When you put everything together, Jesus’ crucifixion, known burial, empty tomb, many eyewitnesses, and changed lives, the simplest and clearest explanation is the one the first Christians gave: Jesus was raised from the dead.

Why the Resurrection Is Not a Legend

Some people claim, “Ancient people were gullible; they just believed legends.” But the documents we have are firmly rooted in history.

• The Gospels are written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses, tied to real places, officials, and customs that archaeology repeatedly confirms.

• They include details that are embarrassing, like the disciples’ fear, failure, and doubt, women being the first witnesses, and people being slow to recognize Jesus after the resurrection. No one trying to make up a convincing story would invent these things.

• The Gospels do not sound like crafted fables. They even have small differences and distinct viewpoints, which is what historians expect from honest witnesses describing the same events.

The resurrection was not a later addition. It was central to the earliest Christian preaching. From the very beginning in Jerusalem, the message was: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” (Acts 2:32) The church did not gradually turn a teacher into a “risen Lord.” It began immediately because people were convinced they had met the risen Lord.

What the Resurrection Means for You

If Jesus really rose, Easter is not only about what happened to Him. It is also about what God is saying to you.

1. God has vindicated His Son.

   The resurrection is God the Father’s way of declaring that Jesus is who He said He was: the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the only Savior. He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25) The empty tomb is God’s receipt stamped over the cross: “Paid in full.” If Christ is still dead, you are still in your sins. If He is risen, forgiveness is real and available.

2. Death has been defeated.

   The resurrection is not simply a private miracle. It is the first sign of a greater harvest to come. As Paul writes, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) Easter means the grave is not the final word for those who belong to Him.

3. You must respond.

   The resurrection shows that Jesus is Lord. It is not enough just to admire Him. God “now commandeth all men everywhere to repent,” because He “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained,” and He has given assurance of this “in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

How to Answer Easter’s Question

So what do you do with a risen Christ?

The Bible’s answer is clear: repent and believe. Turn away from your sin and stop trying to rule your own life; trust in the crucified and risen Savior. Believe that His death paid your debt, His resurrection gives you new life.

Maybe you come to Easter with questions, doubts, or pain. The resurrection gives a solid foundation for hope. The God who raised Jesus from the dead is not asking for blind faith. He has acted in history, left evidence, and sent His Spirit and His Word to help you believe these truths.

Easter brings you face-to-face with a living Lord. What will you do with Jesus who died and rose? Because if Christ is risen, there is forgiveness for your past, strength for your present, and a sure hope for your future. That is a resurrection worth believing in and a Savior worth worshiping.