Brad Alles

We’ve already seen that the Bible is a reliable document, accurately copied and transmitted through the centuries. Armed with this information, what can we know about that first Good Friday and Easter Sunday? Jesus did die; there is sufficient evidence for that both inside and outside of the Bible. Jesus’ tomb was indeed empty; His enemies wouldn’t have stolen the body, nor would have the disciples. Jesus’ disciples and others saw Him and interacted with Him after the resurrection; all of the apostles except John would die a martyr’s death for this knowledge.

Historian Carl Braaten says, “Even the more skeptical historians agree that for primitive Christianity…the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was a real event in history, the very foundation of faith, and not a mythical idea arising out of the creative imagination of believers.” In addition, Sir Lionel Luckhoo, the “world’s most successful lawyer” according to the Guinness Book of World Records, conducted his own research for several years before proclaiming, “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

Since Jesus’ resurrection was a real event in history, and not a mythical idea, does this affect the rest of us? The answer is yes. As stated earlier, all worldviews need to answer fundamental questions of origin, purpose, and destiny. In other words, where did we come from, why are we here, and what happens when we die? Christianity has answers to all of those questions with solutions that fit reality and the world around us. We live in a designed world of both physical and moral order that has decay and death in it; the Creation and the Fall into Sin account for that. We live with a desire to find meaning in our lives, and yet even our accomplishments fail to fill a void that only God can fill; Jesus Christ satisfies that longing, bringing us back into a harmonious relationship with God since by faith in Him our sin is removed.

We live with death all around us; because of human’s sin, death entered the world. And it was because of human’s sin that Jesus Himself entered the world. Born in a lowly stable, the God of this universe took on human flesh and lived perfectly among us, fulfilling the righteousness that His law requires. Then Jesus willingly went to the cross, paying the punishment for our sins so that we may be set free. Jesus was raised from the dead. We will be raised too. There is hope in the midst of suffering and death. Jesus has conquered our biggest fear—death.