You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. Acts 3:15
Have you ever really thought about the death and resurrection of Jesus? Why does the resurrection even matter? Jesus was miraculously conceived. He was born of a virgin. He did not inherit the sin nature of an earthly father. He was completely without sin. Jesus lived the perfect life for us that we could never live. On the cross, he became sin for us. He suffered horribly. While the creation was mocking the Creator – as they spit on Him, and hurled insults at Him, and beat Him beyond recognition, on the cross, Jesus looked up to heaven and cried out, “Father, please forgive them for they don’t even know what they’re doing.” What kind of grace is that? What kind is love is that?
When, Jesus cries out the victorious cry, “It is finished. Into your hands, I commit my spirit,” a Roman centurion who was not a follower of Jesus but saw His love, saw His heart, saw His mercy, saw who He was looked on and said, “I didn’t believe before but I believe now. Surely, that man was no ordinary man. Surely, that man was the Son of God.”
Three days later, as they came to the tomb to prepare the body, they found that He was gone. The tomb was open and the huge stone was rolled away. Some said the Roman soldiers took the body. That theory falls apart when news of Jesus’ being seen begins to spread. The government would have liked to produce the body and show to the world that Jesus was dead.
Some say the disciples took and hid the body. Okay, how do they overpower the guards at the tomb? Why would Peter and Thomas and the other disciples question the women as to what had happened if they had taken the body? Why would they all suffer horrible deaths defending a lie? There was no personal motive for them. They all suffered extreme personal loss throughout their lifetimes – all to cheat the world into being a better place filled with hope.
Today, reflect on the resurrection of Jesus and how it affects your life.