The Christian faith was born out of the proclamation that Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead. While many skeptics dismiss this claim as unhistorical, the resurrection remains the capstone belief for Christians worldwide. The scales of truth and evidence tip in the Christian’s favor.

Jesus’ strongest critics rightly challenged Him, saying, “If you truly are who you claim to be, prove it with a sign.” To summarize Jesus’ response in Matthew 12:38-42: “I will give you one sign—My resurrection from the dead.” Ultimately, everything hinges on this: If Jesus did not rise from the dead, He would be a false prophet, unworthy of our devotion, and no rational person should follow Him. However, since He did rise, His resurrection validates His bold and extraordinary claims, not to mention His masterful teaching. This reality deeply impacted the first Christians and continues to challenge us today. At the core of the Christian Gospel is the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus tells us in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Because of that, the cross is transformed from an ignominious symbol of death and torture to a triumphant symbol of glory … and Calvary comes through again and again because of the risen Christ. 

Imagine a world without the resurrection—no Easter, no victory over death. What if the most extraordinary event in human history had never happened? How different would history be? How different would our lives be?

Without the resurrection, Jesus would have been just another teacher, His promises unfulfilled, His mission incomplete. Hope would have died with Him, and faith would have no foundation. But because He did rise, everything changes—history, eternity and our own lives. His resurrection is the ultimate proof of God’s power, love and promise of new life.

So, how does the reality of the resurrection shape your life today?

These are questions the Apostle Paul himself pondered in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19: 

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

Paul affirms that the Christian faith rests upon the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything we believe is worth nothing if Jesus Christ is not alive. And if Jesus Christ is not alive, then Easter is a myth, and the Bible is a myth, and preaching the Gospel holds no power. 

However, Paul drives the point home in 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

With these words, he declares the resurrection as an undeniable reality—not just an idea or a fable, but a fact. Jesus’ resurrection is the first of many, a promise that those who belong to Him will also rise. It is the foundation of our faith, the guarantee of eternal life, and the ultimate victory over sin and death and hell.

Because He’s Alive

Jesus lives! And because He lives, this life is just the beginning and something far better is coming. He has conquered death. Therefore, we have hope. Death, sin, sorrow and hell itself are defeated. 

The hope we have as believers is essential for life. What oxygen is to the lungs, hope is to the soul; it is an anchor for the soul. Hope is the lifeline that steadies us in every storm and secures us in every crisis. 

Hope is a certainty, the security that because of the resurrection, our future as believers is in His hands. Because Jesus is alive, we have this incredible hope and future. Our certain and sure hope is in Christ and Christ alone. 

When our future may seem uncertain, when our dreams seem to die, when we feel life is spiraling, we can trust in a Savior who is alive and who keeps His promises. 

Sadly, many people are living in death because of a separation from God. Many are lost and grieving and depressed, with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Many have questions that might not be answered this side of eternity. 

But in the resurrection, through that hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, we ultimately get the answer to everything we need in life. The answer is the resurrection.

The resurrection means that our sins have been buried and carried away and we are made alive in Christ. The resurrection means that we now have a purpose for our lives—we’re not just existing.

For the believer, there is an expected end that we will be with Christ forever. Because of Easter … because Jesus is alive … we don’t expect a hopeless end. Because we place our trust and future in the nail-scarred hands of the risen Redeemer, we expect an endless hope! ©2025 Jack Graham

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.

Jack Graham is senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. His preaching is shared worldwide through PowerPoint Ministries via television, radio and online platforms. He is also host of Pray.com’s podcast Bible In A Year with Jack Graham.