Alive! Why the literal, physical and permanent resurrection of Jesus changes everything, forever

Jesus’ resurrection is of essential importance to Christianity: “… if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection is vital because it is the basis of three gargantuan foundation blocks of Christianity:

Credibility of the Bible

Matthew, Mark and Luke spend between a quarter and a third of their accounts focused on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and John a huge 42%. If Jesus’ resurrection is not real then the entirety of the gospel accounts, the source of our information about Jesus, become historically unreliable, therefore irrelevant. Acts and the letters that constitute the rest of the New Testament are built on the assumption that Jesus rose. If the resurrection did not happen then they are theologically and ethically redundant. And the final book of the Bible, Revelation, devoted to showing the enthroned Jesus ruling at the centre of heaven, becomes just a fable without the support of the resurrection. The entire creditability of the Bible is built on the resurrection.

Uniqueness of Christianity

A physical, literal, and permanent resurrection makes Jesus, and therefore Christianity, unique. Jesus’ resurrection is defeat, and not simply a delay of death. In the Old Testament we can read about Elijah, by hurling himself over a young boy, supernaturally bringing him back to life (1Kings 17). In the New Testament Paul, having literally bored a man to death (he dozed off mid-sermon and fell from his balcony seat!) brought him back to life (Acts 20). Yet in both cases the resurrection was not permanent. Elijah’s boy grew up, perhaps had family, career and life, but at some point he died again. It was delay not defeat. The same with Paul’s man, who no doubt went home greatly relieved, but at some point died again. Even when Jesus brought people back to life it was a delay not defeat. The widow’s son, the synagogue ruler’s daughter and his close friend Lazarus all died again (Luke 7, Mark 5, John 11).

But when Jesus came back to life he did not die again at some later date but ultimately, after 40 evidence-filled days, rose to heaven directly. It makes Jesus unique – even the most radical stories of resurrection are only delays of death. Mohammad, the founder of Islam, was born, lived, died and stayed dead. Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born, lived, died and stayed dead.  

Abraham, the father of Judaism, was born, lived, died and stayed dead. Jesus was born, lived, died and rose again. He, and therefore Christianity, are unique.

Centrality of Faith

Lastly, the resurrection is the fulcrum of faith. Paul says that an unwillingness or inability to believe in the literal, physical, and permanent resurrection of Jesus makes all other belief in Jesus (however orthodox) vain, futile, and pitiful (1Corinthians 15:17-19).

Jesus’ resurrection is vital for the creditability of the Bible, the uniqueness of Christianity, and the centrality of faith because of what it tells us about Jesus, and about Christians.

The resurrection tells us that Jesus wins

For two reasons death is the greatest obstacle to the success of Jesus’ rescue mission.

1. Death is the consequence of our sin; both our physical death (the natural consequence of the disease that our sin introduced) and also our spiritual death – a total separate from God and all that is good (the supernatural consequence of rebelling against our Creator). If Jesus is to defeat sin he must defeat the consequence of sin, death.
2. Death is the great champion of Satan. To defeat Satan Jesus must defeat death. 

And Jesus does defeat death:

“Then the end will come, when [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last (or greatest) enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1Corinthians 15:24-26)

Jesus’ defeat of death shows his victory over both sin and Satan. He is triumphant over sin and Satan because he is triumphant over death.

The resurrection tells us that we will win

Death steals from us: our life; our loved ones; and even our accomplishments which are quickly forgotten, memories lasting only a couple generations at most. Therefore we seek to evade this great enemy:

• By downplaying it, pretending it is not the end it truly is. This is behind theories of re-incarnation that make death into something less horrific than it actually is.
• By ignoring it through cultivating the perfect life now. Both capitalism (I will be wealthy, healthy and happy) and Marxism (we will be wealthy, healthy and happy) do this.
• By avoiding it through a medical obsession that determines that any standard of life is preferable to death

But Jesus transforms death from a foe to be frightened of, to a victory to embrace.

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23, 57)

The phrase ‘firstfruits’ is an agricultural term referring to the initial fruits that ripen at the start of the harvest season. If these were healthy and nutritious it meant the trees had not succumbed to disease, rot or drought. The firstfruit guaranteed the rest of the harvest would come. A farmer waited eagerly for these early fruits; once tasted he knew the full harvest was certain to arrive. So Christ is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Because he defeated death we will defeat death.

Here is an illustration. Imagine lounging at home watching your favourite football team. The score is equal in a crucial game. With minutes to go, your star striker traps the ball. He slides past the careless tackle of the defender. A shimmy of the hips and the goalkeeper is deceived. The ball streaks into the net – a winning goal. Your striker sinks to his knees, screaming ‘I’ve won’. Ten team mates, in matching strip, bundle on top of him, each crying in glee ‘we’ve won’. The stadium erupts, fans yelling ‘we’ve won’. You, at home are dancing in delight – ‘We’ve won, we’ve won’. Yet, you have not won really! The striker scored the goal, he won. But for all those aligned to him; whether on his team, in the stands, or you at home, his victory is your victory. Because he won you win. So it is with Jesus. He, the one, represents us, the all (at least those choosing his team!). His victory over death means we are victorious over death too.

Thanks be to God!

He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.