The Resurrection of Jesus

After Jesus died on the cross and was buried in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb, the religious leaders remembered Jesus' prediction that He would rise after three days. They secured the tomb with a guard and seal, thinking they could prevent any deception. But human guards and Roman seals were no match for the power of God. Early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, a violent earthquake shook the ground as an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so terrified they shook and became like dead men.

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to anoint Jesus' body, wondering who would roll away the heavy stone for them. When they arrived, they found the stone already rolled away and the tomb empty. Inside, they saw a young man dressed in white sitting on the right side. He said, 'Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, "He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you."'

The women were trembling with astonishment and fear, but also filled with joy. They ran to tell the disciples, but when they reported what they had seen, the disciples did not believe them—their words seemed like nonsense. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. John arrived first and saw the linen burial cloths lying there but didn't go in. Peter went straight into the tomb and saw the burial cloths and the face cloth folded separately. Then John also went in, saw, and believed. Yet they still didn't understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb weeping. Looking inside, she saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been. They asked why she was crying, and she replied, 'They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put him.' Turning around, she saw Jesus standing there but didn't recognize Him, thinking He was the gardener. When Jesus spoke her name—'Mary'—she immediately recognized Him and cried out, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus told her not to hold on to Him, for He had not yet ascended to the Father, but to go tell His brothers He was ascending to 'my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'

That same evening, the disciples were gathered behind locked doors, afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly Jesus appeared among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' He showed them His hands and side, and the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Jesus commissioned them: 'As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' Then He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'

Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared. When the others told him they had seen the Lord, he declared, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.' A week later, Jesus appeared again while Thomas was present. He invited Thomas to touch His wounds, saying, 'Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas responded with the greatest confession of faith: 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'

Over forty days, Jesus appeared to His disciples many times, giving convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to over five hundred believers at once, to James, and to all the apostles. On the road to Emmaus, He explained how all the Scriptures testified about Him. He ate fish to prove He wasn't a ghost, and He opened the disciples' minds to understand the Scriptures. Before ascending to heaven, He commanded them to make disciples of all nations and promised to be with them always. The resurrection changed everything—proving Jesus is the Son of God, validating His claims, defeating death, and offering eternal life to all who believe.