The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, conquered death through His resurrection. Here’s a 9000 word explanation of what this means and why it matters:
Death is a universal human experience. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humanity has been under the curse of sin and death (Genesis 3:19, Romans 5:12). Every single person dies, and death brings separation, sorrow, and finality. But Jesus Christ came to earth to defeat death and redeem humanity from its power.
The whole narrative arc of the Bible points to Jesus’ victory over death. God created the world good, humans sinned and brought death, and Jesus came to restore life. The Old Testament foreshadows Jesus’ resurrection, and the New Testament records the historical event. This is the gospel message at the heart of Christianity.
Jesus predicted that He would be betrayed, crucified, buried, and resurrected (Matthew 16:21, Matthew 20:18-19). Even though His disciples didn’t understand at the time, everything happened just as Jesus said. He was crucified on a Roman cross and buried in a borrowed tomb. On the third day, He rose from the dead, leaving the tomb empty (Matthew 28:1-10).
The four Gospels record eyewitness testimonies of people who saw and interacted with the resurrected Jesus. He appeared to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18), other women who followed Him (Matthew 28:9-10), Peter (Luke 24:34), the twelve disciples (John 20:19-23), two men on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:13-32), ten of the apostles with Thomas absent (John 20:24-29), seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-14), to all eleven disciples before His ascension (Matthew 28:16-20), and to over 500 people, many of whom were still alive when the apostle Paul wrote about it (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Jesus proved He had conquered death by physically appearing to many people over a 40 day period before ascending to heaven.
Roman guards watched Jesus’ tomb specifically to prevent the disciples from stealing the body and claiming resurrection (Matthew 27:62-66). Yet they fled in fear when the angel appeared and the tomb was found empty. The religious leaders who orchestrated Jesus’ crucifixion had great motivation to produce His dead body once claims of resurrection began circulating. But they could not, because He had risen.
Some skeptics claim that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. But Roman soldiers were experts at execution and would not have mistaken a man still alive for dead. The details recorded in the Gospels make clear that Jesus did in fact die. A spear was thrusted into His side, with blood and water pouring out (John 19:34). The blood and water indicate rupture of the heart, which the medical journal Journal of the American Medical Association described as “clear evidence of death.”
Others suggest that Jesus’ disciples lied about the resurrection or hallucinated, but that goes against what we know about the apostles. They went from fearful and in hiding to courageous evangelists, risking persecution and martyrdom to share the gospel. What could account for such a radical transformation, other than Jesus miraculously and bodily appearing to them as a risen conqueror of death?
Jesus predicted His death and resurrection throughout His ministry:
– “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21)
– “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18-19)
– “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Luke 9:22)
– “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33)
These prophecies clearly indicate that Jesus knew what was going to happen and deliberately walked into death, because He had victory over it. His resurrection was the divine confirmation that His sacrifice for sins was accepted and that He had conquered death as He said He would.
The apostle Paul summarized the saving gospel message this way:
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
The good news of Christianity is that Jesus died for our sins so we could be forgiven, was buried, rose from the dead on the third day, and appeared resurrected to many eyewitnesses. This is the very heart of the Christian faith.
So what does it mean that Jesus conquered death?
1. Jesus’ resurrection proves His divinity. Rising from the dead requires supernatural power, which only God possesses. The apostle Paul wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection verifies that Jesus is the Son of God who took on human flesh.
2. Jesus’ sacrifice for sins is completed. Dying on the cross paid the penalty for sin, but rising from the dead displays Christ’s victory over sin and death. It confirms that God the Father accepted His sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. As Paul wrote, “[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
3. Victory over the grave. If Jesus stayed dead, death would be the final victor. But Jesus decisively triumphed over death through His resurrection, the firstfruits of all believers who will be raised when He returns (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Death has now lost its sting for those in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
4. New resurrection life. Not only will Christians be physically raised from death as Jesus was, but they also partake of His resurrection life now by faith. We can walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4), have power to live obediently (Romans 8:11), and experience victory over sin (Philippians 3:10).
5. Jesus’ lordship is established. God exalted Jesus to the highest place by raising Him from the dead (Philippians 2:8-11). The resurrected Christ now rules over all authorities, including death. He holds the keys of death (Revelation 1:18) and will destroy the last enemy of death at His second coming (1 Corinthians 15:26).
6. Redemption is completed. Jesus’ death and resurrection secured the full salvation of all who trust in Him. Forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to God, righteousness, sanctification, glorification, and every other blessing of redemption is attained by grace through faith in the risen Savior.
7. The hope of resurrection to come. Christ’s own conquest over death guarantees the future bodily resurrection of all who belong to Him. While believers who die are ushered immediately into His presence (Philippians 1:21-23), they await the future resurrection and glorification of their bodies at Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15:51-57).
8. The church is established. With Christ as the risen head and His people as the body joined to Him by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:19-23), the church has supernatural power, authority, and purpose. The book of Acts shows how Christ continued His ministry through His church empowered by the Holy Spirit.
9. The way to life is open. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) and “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). By His death and resurrection, Christ opened the way to eternal life and fellowship with God. All who believe in Him will pass from death to life (John 5:24).
10. All enemies are defeated. In addition to defeating death, Christ’s resurrection also achieved victory over Satan and demonic forces (Colossians 2:15), sin and its power (Romans 6:1-14), and judgment/condemnation (Romans 8:1,34). Every foe to human flourishing and redemption has been decisively triumphed over.
The historical reality of Jesus’ bodily resurrection is central to the Christian faith. Unlike other religions, Christianity uniquely proclaims victory over sin and death through the risen Son of God. Apparent defeat was turned to glorious victory. What seems like the end is only the beginning for those who put their trust in Jesus Christ.
This astounding miracle demonstrates Jesus’ power over all realms, including death. It vindicates Him as the Son of God, upholds the sufficiency of His substitionary atonement, verifies the promises of Scripture, and forms the foundation of the gospel message. All the blessings of salvation – for this life and the next – flow from Christ’s resurrection.
Though we still experience physical death now, believers have no reason to fear. We live in the triumphant light of Easter Sunday, not the shadows of Good Friday. Death has lost its ultimate power, for Jesus holds the keys to the grave. His resurrection shines the brilliant hope of eternal life to all who trust in Him.
The Bible frequently speaks of the unimaginable glories that await those who conquer through Christ:
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ means death is defeated, salvation is accomplished, the Savior reigns victorious, and wondrous eternal life awaits all who put their trust in Him. This is the glorious hope of every Christian.
Jesus’ own words give the final declaration that because He lives, we also will live through faith in Him:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).