The risen Christ at the center

Christianity stands or falls on whether Jesus rose bodily from the dead. Scripture is unambiguous: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

But this is not a bleak “if.” It is a bright certainty: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). The gospel is historical, public, and testable—and it calls for life-long allegiance.

Earliest testimony: the core proclamation

The earliest Christian preaching centers on the death, burial, resurrection, and appearances of Jesus. Paul preserves what he had received as the church’s foundational confession: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).

This creed predates Paul’s letter and reaches back to the first years after the crucifixion (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:5–8; Galatians 1:18–19). The Gospels record the same news with independent detail and sober realism (Matthew 28; Mark 15–16; Luke 24; John 20–21).

- Christ died for our sins (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:3)

- He was buried (Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42)

- He was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4; Luke 24:7)

- He appeared to many eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5–8)

The empty tomb: public and testable

The tomb was found empty outside Jerusalem, where the events were easily verified or falsified. The angel’s message was simple, historical, and triumphant: “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:6).

Hostile authorities spread a counter-claim immediately, paying the guards to say, “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep” (Matthew 28:13). Fabricated explanations arise when facts will not go away.

- Discovered by women, whose testimony held little weight in that culture—an unlikely invention (Luke 24:1–10)

- Tomb publicly known (Joseph of Arimathea’s) and in the city where preaching began (Mark 15:42–47; Acts 2)

- No venerated grave of Jesus in the first century, unlike revered tombs of other leaders

- The theft story admits an empty tomb even as it tries to explain it away (Matthew 28:11–15)

Eyewitness appearances: varied and repeated

The risen Jesus appeared to individuals and groups, indoors and outdoors, in Jerusalem and Galilee, by day and by night. He invited them to see and touch: “Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).

The appearances culminated in confession and worship: “Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28). The encounters were physical, personal, and persuasive.

- To Cephas (Peter) and then the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:5; Luke 24:34)

- To more than five hundred at once, many still alive as Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 15:6)

- To James, then to all the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:7)

- To Paul, an enemy turned witness (1 Corinthians 15:8; Acts 9)

- To Mary Magdalene and other women (Matthew 28:9–10; John 20:11–18)

- On the Emmaus road and in a locked room (Luke 24:13–49; John 20:19–23)

- By the Sea of Galilee and on a mountain in Galilee (John 21; Matthew 28:16–20)

Transformed lives, courageous witness

The disciples fled in fear during the arrest and crucifixion (Mark 14:50). Weeks later they proclaimed the resurrection boldly in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus had been executed (Acts 2:22–36; 4:10–12). Something happened that changed everything.

Former skeptics became leaders. James, once an unbelieving brother, became a pillar (John 7:5; Galatians 1:19). Paul, a persecutor, became an apostle (Acts 9; 1 Corinthians 15:8). As Paul later told a king, this was “not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26).

- Fearful fishermen became fearless preachers (Acts 4:13–20)

- Worship shifted to the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2)

- Baptism and the Lord’s Supper anchored believers in a crucified-and-risen Lord (Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26)

- Devout monotheistic Jews worshiped Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:9–11; John 20:28)

- Many suffered and died rather than deny what they saw and proclaimed (Acts 5:29–32; 2 Timothy 4:6–8)

Alternative explanations fall short

Naturalistic theories struggle to account for all the data together—empty tomb, multiple appearances, transformed witnesses, and the rise of the church in Jerusalem.

- Theft by disciples: Guards, severe penalties, and transformed ethics weigh against a hoax (Matthew 27:62–66; 28:11–15)

- Wrong tomb: The burial was public and the location known (Mark 15:47; Luke 23:53–55)

- Hallucinations: Group appearances across settings, plus the empty tomb, resist this (1 Corinthians 15:6; Luke 24:36–43)

- Apparent death: Roman executioners, the spear thrust, and a sealed tomb rule out a failed resuscitation (John 19:33–35; 19:38–42; Matthew 27:60–66)

- Legend: The earliest creed predates the Gospels and arose within years, while eyewitnesses were alive (1 Corinthians 15:3–8; Luke 1:1–4)

- Purely “spiritual” resurrection: Jesus ate and could be touched; “a spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39)

Prophecy fulfilled, promises kept

The resurrection stands on the promises of God. David foresaw, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay” (Psalm 16:10), fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 2:25–32).

Jesus repeatedly promised His rising. He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). He tied it to Jonah: “so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40), and then declared, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and in His name repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations” (Luke 24:46–47).

- Psalm 16:10 fulfilled in Christ (Acts 13:34–37)

- Isaiah 53 anticipates death and prolonged days (Isaiah 53:10–11)

- Jesus’ temple saying explained after the resurrection (John 2:21–22)

- The “third day” theme woven through the Gospels (Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:7)

What the resurrection secures and supplies

The resurrection is not only a past event; it is a present power and a future hope. “He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

We remember and proclaim a risen King in our mission: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David” (2 Timothy 2:8). We are empowered for witness—“you will be My witnesses … to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)—and we pursue “the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).

- Assurance that the cross accomplished salvation (Romans 4:25)

- The Spirit’s power for holy living and bold witness (Ephesians 1:19–20; Acts 1:8)

- A living hope of bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20–23; 1 Peter 1:3)

- Confidence that Jesus truly is Lord and Judge (Romans 1:4; Acts 17:31)

Sharing the case with clarity and warmth

We give reasons with reverence and love. “But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Keep the case simple, memorable, and centered on Christ. Invite hearers to check the facts and to heed the gospel call.

- Start with the early creed (1 Corinthians 15:3–8)

- Point to the empty tomb in Jerusalem (Matthew 28; Acts 2)

- Summarize the eyewitness appearances (Luke 24; John 20–21; 1 Corinthians 15)

- Note the transformed lives and the birth of the church (Acts 2–5; Galatians 1)

- Show fulfilled prophecy and Jesus’ own predictions (Psalm 16:10; Luke 24:46–47)

- Call for response: confess and believe “that God raised Him from the dead” (Romans 10:9)

Hold fast to a living hope

The risen Christ anchors our endurance and energizes our labor. Because He lives, our faith and work are not wasted.

So we abound in the work of the Lord, knowing, as Scripture says, that “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). And we keep proclaiming, “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

The timeline is tight. Jesus’ death and resurrection occurred around AD 30. Paul’s conversion followed within a few years (Acts 9), and his first Jerusalem visit was “after three years” (Galatians 1:18–19).

The creed Paul received (1 Corinthians 15:3–5) likely dates to within five years of the events. 1 Corinthians was written in the mid-50s, while many eyewitnesses were still alive (1 Corinthians 15:6).

- Cross and resurrection: c. AD 30

- Paul meets Cephas and James: c. AD 33–36 (Galatians 1:18–19)

- 1 Corinthians written: c. AD 53–56

- Gospels composed within living memory, drawing on eyewitness testimony (Luke 1:1–4)

- Women as first witnesses

All four Gospels report women discovering the empty tomb (Matthew 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–11; John 20:1–18). In the first-century context, this is an unlikely fiction and points to authenticity.

The women’s presence also fits the pattern of Jesus honoring the lowly and overturning expectations, consistent with the Gospels’ portrait of His ministry.

- Mary Magdalene named across accounts (Matthew 28:1; John 20:1)

- Women report to the apostles, who initially doubt (Luke 24:10–11)

- The first appearance to Mary Magdalene in John (John 20:11–18)

- Burial and tomb customs

Jesus was laid in a rock-hewn tomb by Joseph of Arimathea, a respected council member (Mark 15:43–46). This places the burial in known, high-profile hands.

The details of linen, spices, and a stone correspond to first-century practice (Mark 16:3; John 19:40–42). These concrete markers refute vague, legendary haze.

- Public burial under the eyes of friend and foe (Mark 15:47; Luke 23:53–55)

- A large stone sealed and guarded (Matthew 27:60–66)

- No later veneration of a gravesite for Jesus

- Medical finality of crucifixion

Roman execution ensured death. The scourging alone was brutal; crucifixion ended in asphyxiation and shock. The spear thrust confirmed it: “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34).

A severely wounded man could not unseal a guarded tomb, appear triumphant, and inspire worship as the Lord of life.

- Professional executioners certified death (Mark 15:44–45)

- Burial in linen wrappings and spices (John 19:38–42)

- The guard and seal preclude tampering (Matthew 27:65–66)

- Assessing group appearances

The appearances include large groups (1 Corinthians 15:6) and repeated meetings. Group hallucinations do not account for shared, multi-sensory experiences synchronized across locations and times.

The appearances also persuaded skeptics like James and enemies like Paul, pointing to an external reality, not wish fulfillment.

- Varied settings: road, room, shore, mountain (Luke 24; John 21; Matthew 28)

- Physical interactions: touching, speaking, eating (Luke 24:39–43; John 20:27)

- Long enough span to test and confirm (Acts 1:3)

- Textual coherence of the resurrection accounts

Differences in detail reflect independent witnesses, not collusion. The accounts fit together in an interlocking way that bears the marks of authenticity.

One example: John notes the “cloth that had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a separate place by itself” (John 20:7), which complements Luke’s emphasis on the empty tomb and angelic message (Luke 24:2–7).

- Independent emphases: Jerusalem then Galilee scenes (Luke 24; Matthew 28)

- Names, places, and customs consistent with first-century Palestine

- Early, careful investigation by Luke (Luke 1:1–4)

- Outside corroboration

Non-Christian sources attest to Jesus’ execution under Pontius Pilate and the early spread of the movement (Tacitus, Josephus, Pliny). They do not prove the resurrection but confirm the basic setting.

The church’s explosive growth in the face of hostility makes best sense if the earliest proclamation was compelling and grounded in events.

- Executed under Pilate (cf. Tacitus, Annals 15.44)

- Early, widespread worship of Christ as God (cf. Pliny, Letters 10.96)

- Jewish acknowledgment of an empty tomb via the theft claim (Matthew 28:11–15)

- From resurrection to the canon

The risen Christ vindicated the apostles’ message and ministry (Acts 2:32; 4:33). God bore witness “by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will” (Hebrews 2:4).

The New Testament writings arise from this eyewitness, Spirit-empowered foundation and call us to the same Lord (2 Peter 1:16–21).

- Apostolic preaching anchored in resurrection (Acts 2–3; 10:39–43)

- Authority tied to seeing the risen Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1)

- The Spirit seals and spreads the message (Acts 5:32)

- Sunday as a historical marker

The first Christians gathered on the first day because Jesus rose on the first day (Matthew 28:1; John 20:1). This shift among Torah-shaped Jews is remarkable.

Meeting, giving, and breaking bread on Sunday are fingerprints of resurrection faith (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).

- The Lord’s Day as identity marker (Revelation 1:10)

- Weekly liturgical remembrance of the risen Lord (Acts 20:7)

- Embedded in earliest church practice (1 Corinthians 16:2)

- Resurrection and the shape of Christian hope

Scripture promises a bodily resurrection like His—glorified, imperishable, Spirit-animated (1 Corinthians 15:42–49). The empty tomb is the down payment of new creation.

Our ethics flow from this hope. We live steadfastly now because the future is secure, and we pour ourselves out because what we do in Christ lasts (1 Corinthians 15:58).

- Christ the firstfruits; then those who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15:20–23)

- Union with Christ in death and life (Romans 6:4–5)

- Final renewal of creation in His presence (Revelation 21:1–5)

The case is strong and the gospel is true. Therefore, remember, proclaim, and live the risen Christ—“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead” (2 Timothy 2:8).