The fact of Christ’s resurrection is exceedingly well attested. It was necessary that it should be beyond dispute, since it lies at the very basis of our holy faith. But showing Himself to men like Thomas, and bidding them to put their fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust their hand into His side, He gave to men the most absolute proofs of His resurrection and received from the most competent witnesses the most assured evidence that no deception had been practiced. 

Our apostle gives a summary of those appearances: “He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). 

The witnesses were men who had nothing to gain by giving their evidence, but everything to lose—they were unlearned, utterly unfitted to found or promulgate an impostor. Their evidence was so clearly borne out by the absence of the body of Christ from the tomb that it was found necessary to invent an impossible story to account for that absence. The eyewitnesses were just the right men to hand down such a transaction to future faith and history. Our Lord, to put the matter beyond controversy, took care to appear many times and to numerous companies.

So clear is the evidence of Christ’s resurrection that when Gilbert West—a celebrated infidel—selected this subject as the point of attack, he was so startled with the abundant witness to the truth of this fact, that he expressed himself a convert. He has left a most valuable treatise entitled “Observations on the Resurrection of Christ.” 

You may ask the question, “Why is it that the resurrection of Christ is of so much importance?” Upon it we have said that the whole system of Christianity rests. For, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain … Ye are yet in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17). The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection. 

And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here. For, “If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). If Christ is not risen, then we shall not rise. But if He is risen, then they who are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their flesh shall surely behold their God. The silver thread of resurrection runs through all the blessings, from regeneration onward to our eternal glory, and binds them together.  

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), known widely as the “Prince of Preachers,” was pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for 38 years. This article is adapted from a sermon preached April 20, 1862. Work is in The Public Domain.

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version.

Photo: Alamy