The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most important event in human history. It is the pivotal moment that demonstrates Jesus’ divinity and confirms the truth of Christianity. There are several reasons why Christ’s resurrection is so vital:
1. It validates Jesus’ claims about himself
During his earthly ministry, Jesus made remarkable claims about his identity. He claimed to be the divine Son of God (John 10:30), the promised Messiah (John 4:26), and the only way to the Father (John 14:6). If Jesus remained dead after the crucifixion, we would have no reason to believe these audacious claims. However, the fact that God raised him from the dead demonstrates that Jesus truly is who he said he is. As the apostle Paul stated, “[Jesus] was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Jesus’ resurrection authenticates his declarations of divinity.
2. It demonstrates Jesus’ power over death
In his earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly displayed authority over sickness, demons, nature, sin, and death itself. By raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45), Jesus demonstrated his power over death. However, Lazarus ultimately died again. Jesus’ own resurrection displays his permanent victory over death. Because he conquered death once for all, he has removed its sting and offers eternal life to those who follow him (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). The resurrection proves Jesus’ power is supreme.
3. It signifies God’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice
On the cross, Jesus offered himself as a perfect and final sacrifice for sins, dying in the place of sinners (Romans 5:6-8; 1 Peter 2:24). The resurrection shows that God the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. As Paul explains, “[Christ] was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). The raising of Christ from the dead was the receipt, demonstrating that his payment for sins was sufficient and complete. His resurrection guarantees the eternal redemption of all who trust in him.
4. It provides a prototype of the future resurrection
Christ’s resurrection also serves as the prototype and guarantee of the future resurrection of all believers (1 Corinthians 15:20). Just as he rose from the dead with an incorruptible resurrection body, those united to him by faith will also be resurrected when he returns (1 Thessalonians 4:14-16). The basis for the Christian’s hope of eternal life is Christ’s victorious resurrection. As Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
5. It validates the truth of Christianity
Paul goes so far as to say that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then the Christian faith is futile and without foundation (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17). Thankfully, we have sure evidence that he has indeed been resurrected. The explosive growth of the early church in the face of intense persecution is difficult to explain without the reality of the resurrection. Much of the New Testament was written within a generation of the resurrection. The Christian faith spread rapidly across the Roman world precisely because eyewitnesses proclaimed the resurrected Christ.
6. It gives Christians hope of their own resurrection
Christ’s resurrection proves that those who trust in him will also rise from the dead to eternal life. Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). The apostle Paul writes that Christ is the “firstfruits” of the resurrection, guaranteeing that all those who belong to him will be resurrected as well (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The hope of the believer’s future resurrection springs from the reality of Christ’s past resurrection.
7. It assures believers they are justified
Paul also argues that Jesus “was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). This means that Christ’s resurrection seals the justification of the believer before God. Because our sinless substitute paid our penalty and rose again, we are declared righteous before God. His resurrection assures us of God’s pardon.
8. It gives the Holy Spirit to believers
Christ explained that he must die, rise again, and ascend to the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers (John 16:7). Because Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven as a resurrected man, the Holy Spirit could be given to unite believers to him and empower them for ministry (Ephesians 1:19-20).
9. It motivates Christians to deny ungodliness
The truth that we serve a risen Savior prompts us to turn away from sin and toward righteousness. As Paul states, “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). His resurrection life produces new life in us. The resurrection motivates believers to live holy lives by God’s grace.
10. It gives meaning to the Christian’s trials and sufferings
Because Christ conquered the grave, Christians can find purpose in present sufferings. Present trials are temporarily, while future glory is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17). The resurrection sustains Christians amidst grief, poverty, sickness and persecution. As Paul testified, “that I may know [Christ] and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11). Christ’s resurrection gives meaning to our trials as we identify with him.
In summary, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is vitally important for many reasons. It vindicated him as the divine Son of God and Messiah. It displays his power over sin and death. It demonstrates God’s acceptance of his sacrifice for sin and points ahead to the future resurrection of all who believe. The risen Christ sends the Holy Spirit to indwell believers and motivate us to live righteously. We can joyfully suffer for Christ today because we are guaranteed resurrection and eternal glory with him tomorrow. The resurrection is the divine seal authenticating the truth of Christianity and applying Christ’s redemptive work to our lives. It is arguably the most significant event in history, providing undeniable testimony that Jesus is who he claimed to be: the resurrection and the life.