Easter marks the most important event in human history. Christians around the world gather to worship Jesus Christ in worldwide celebration over his resurrection. One of the most common greetings used at Easter is the responsive greeting, “He is risen!” to which others reply, “He is risen indeed!” But did Jesus really rise from the dead?

The adverb “Indeed” indicates surety. Christ rose from the dead. This is a statement of fact. It implies Jesus rose from the dead after dying on the cross. But how can we know?

Easter is a celebration, but its underlying premise is oxymoronic. Christians celebrate the fact that Jesus literally died. But not only did he die, he was brutally killed in the one of the most excruciating ways invented by humans. The cross, an instrument of terrible torture, became a symbol of hope. Through Christ’s death we now have life. But what life?

If you stop to reflect, our world is filled with death. We do not often think about death until is comes knocking at our door. We live as if we will always have tomorrow. But we do not. We have no guarantee of our time here on earth. A few years ago, on Easter Sunday, someone from my church left church and went to the local supermarket to buy groceries. On her way back from the grocery store she got in a car accident and died. No one expected her tragic death.

Her death brought new meaning to Easter for me as I performed her funeral a few days later. I wrestled with the truth of Christ’s resurrection. Further, I wrestled with his death and its atoning power over my sin. Death is not the end, because Christ ended it!

Last year the world experienced death at a massive scale. As of today, 2.85 million people are dead because of Covid-19. Our world health experts raced, and still are racing, toward a cure for the Coronavirus. But guess what? Covid-19 is only one of the plagues harassing our world. We all have one thing in common, we all will one day die (unless of course we are raptured).

Hope Unfounded? No!

Is the Christian hope unfounded? No! The Christian hope is built on the foundation of Christ’s resurrection. This is significant. Christians believe in something that seems unbelievable. For instance, Lee Strobel believes “the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best attested event of the ancient world.” Both fact and faith intersect at Easter.

Jesus’ resurrection, according to William Lane Craig, is supported by four historical facts:

• Jesus’ burial
• The discovery of his empty tomb
• His post-mortem appearances
• The origin of the disciples’ belief in his resurrection.

His argumentation follows as such:

• Fact #1: After his crucifixion Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea in a tomb.
• Fact #2: On the Sunday after the crucifixion, Jesus’ tomb was found empty by a group of his women followers.
• Fact #3: On different occasions and under various circumstances different individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.
• Fact #4: The original disciples suddenly and sincerely came to believe that Jesus was risen from the dead despite their having every predisposition to the contrary.

Historically speaking, there is plenty of evidence to support Christ’s resurrection from the dead. One may argue that you also have to believe these facts are true. But, it is here that faith comes in. Christians believe that Jesus indeed rose from the dead. Both from historical evidence, and from biblical evidence (1 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 6: 14; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 1 Corinthians 15:17). Assurance of Christ’s resurrection is founded in both fact and faith.

Hope Indeed

The hope of the gospel is not an offer for self-improvement. On the contrary, when a person comes to faith in Christ often times they suffer more than before. When the apostle Paul received his call to ministry, Christ told him he would suffer (Acts 9:16). Peter and John were thrown in jail and harassed (Acts 4:3). Many of Jesus’ disciples also died horrible deaths.

If Christ suffered on our behalf, should we expect less or no suffering? Indeed, we must not. Jesus said God sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). The difference is that those who belong to Christ are not hopeless. If you are a Christ follower, and understand the resurrection, you do not suffer as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

You see, the hope Christ followers have is related to his resurrection. Because Christ rose from the dead, we too will one day experience resurrection. Our faith is built on the truth of Christ’ perfect sinless life, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–5). His blood shed on the cross purchased our redemption and resurrection. As the old hymn goes, “Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” His resurrection marks the defeat of death, the devil, sin, and all that is evil.

If the resurrection did not take place, Christians believe in a lie. If that is the case, Christ “indeed” did not conquer death. Writing about the resurrection, the apostle Paul exclaimed, “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised” (1 Corinthians 15:13–14)

However, it is Christ’s resurrection that assures our own. It is his death that gives us life. Paul clarifies, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:2–22). We are made alive in Christ. Our life has been given meaning through Christ’s resurrection.

The truth I highlight in my recently published book is that this world is not our home. Thank God for that, because this world is filled with hopeless promises. The hope of the gospel is indeed a marvelous truth. It is the hope of life, eternal life, a future resurrected life. One day we will experience full fellowship with God in the presence of our resurrected Savior.

Christ is Risen, He is risen Indeed!

Let us live, share, and proclaim light has come to overcome darkness! Death is defeated (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)! The tomb is empty! Christ is enthroned on high (Acts 2:33), and one day every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11)