The resurrection of Christ is one of the most important events in the history of man.  The hope of redemption for the human race was resting on Jesus, not only tasting death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9), but also on Him being raised for our justification (Romans 4:25).

Can we be sure that Jesus was raised from the dead?  Yes, His empty tomb proves it.  Here are some indisputable facts:  Jesus lived in this world, died by crucifixion on a cross, and was buried in the tomb of a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph.  The question is, how is it that His tomb ended up empty?  An angel of the Lord tells us.

Matthew 28:5-6 (ESV)
⁵  But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶  He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Given the facts, the conclusion that Jesus was raised from the dead is the only one that makes sense.  Some have suggested that the disciples of Christ stole the body to make it look like He was raised from the dead, but that is illogical.  First, the disciples did not have the means to pull off such a heist.  The tomb was being watched by armed Roman soldiers.  Second, if the disciples had stolen the body, does it make sense that they would be so willing to suffer for a dead Savior?  No, concluding that the disciples stole the body of Christ is a desperate attempt at explaining away the empty tomb.

Others have said that Jesus did not die on the cross but just fell unconscious because of the torture He endured.  Thus, according to this theory, Jesus woke up in the tomb and left on His own.  They call this the “swoon” theory.  However, that theory collapses under the weight of scrutiny.  While Jesus was on the cross, the Jews asked Pilate if they could break the legs of Jesus, along with the two thieves who were with Him, to speed up their deaths so that they would not still be on the cross during the Sabbath.  Pilate gave them permission, but by the time they got to Jesus, He was already dead (John 19:31-37), proving the “swoon theory” to be false.  Besides, even it were true, He still would have had no way to escape the tomb, seeing that guards were watching it, as well as a boulder blocking the entrance of it.

Adding to the weight of proof for the resurrection is the conversion of Paul (Acts 9:1-19).  Why would a man change his life so drastically and quickly?  Paul went from one trying to destroy the church, to one of its greatest champions, almost overnight.   Did he lose his mind?  The evidence says no.  Was it an attempt to get rich?  No, there was no money to be gained in following Christ.  Maybe the motive for his conversion was popularity.  No, that does not make sense either, for the last thing Christianity was, was popular.  No one knew this more than Paul.  The only logical explanation for the conversion of Paul is the one he gave—he saw the risen Lord on the way to Damascus.

Jesus was truly raised from the dead, and His resurrection serves as one of the great bedrocks of Christianity.  Thank God He has risen.                    

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.