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It Really Happened

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most crucial aspects to the foundation of the Christian faith. It is talked about and alluded to on a daily basis, and we even have a holiday to celebrate it (Easter). So many people ask “did it all really happen?”

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Revelations 1:17-18 (NIV)

Should we take these words seriously? Doesn’t it just mean that Jesus rose from the dead in a spiritual manner, so that He would live on through in the memory of His disciples? Is it really this important to take it all so literally?

The answer is: Yes. The apostle Paul puts it like this:

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:19 (NIV)

That is why we will look at what happened before the resurrection, and what the outcome is.

The death and resurrection were predicted

The Old Testament is a part of the Bible that has been written and completed around 450 years before Christ was born. There are numerous places in which the birth, death, and resurrection have been predicted.

Many parts of the Old Testament talk about the everlasting reign of Jesus Christ, as can be read in Psalm 89:4-5, for example.

Jesus Himself talked about His own death and resurrection to His disciples. Even though they didn’t understand at the moment, they understood what He was talking about after it all had happened.

The death and resurrection was real

Jesus’ resurrection did not go unnoticed. 

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of who are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NIV)

Paul says that the death and resurrection (and the purpose of it) are the most important things that he, as a teacher, wants to tell people about. Furthermore, it appears as though Jesus did not only show Himself to His disciples, but also to five hundred other people, all at the same time! While Paul wrote this, most of those people were still alive (in case someone wanted to verify this story).

The death and resurrection sound throughout eternity

The effect of the resurrection of Jesus Christ will never stop existing. 

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:11 (NIV)

Because of the fact that Jesus’ body rose from the dead, death has been conquered. He now has a resurrected body that can never fall ill or die again.

Because of the fact that Jesus’ body rose from the dead, we will also be raised from the dead when He returns. And we will be with Him for all eternity. There will be no more death, no more pain, no sickness, no sins, and no sorrow. What a wonderful future we have!

Bible book: Revelation Keywords: Easter, Faith, Resurrection

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