Focal passage: Matthew 28:1-15
The Apostle Paul wrote these words about resurrection, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:12-14).
In other words, if the resurrection of Jesus Christ did not occur, Christianity is just another empty religion. However, this is not the case, as we see in our focal passage: Jesus was raised from dead and is alive and well (Matthew 28:1-15).
Can you imagine arriving at the tomb with Mary and hearing the angel say, “… I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said.” (Matthew 28:5-6)? How exciting that must have been for those early followers of Jesus!
Did you know there are over three hundred verses about the subject of Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament? In their book, Immortality – The Other Side of Death, Gary R. Habermas and J.P. Moreland, write about the importance of the resurrection. They describe the resurrection as a sign for unbelievers (Matthew 12:38-40) as well as the answer for the believer's doubt (Luke 24:38-43).
The resurrection also validates that Jesus' teachings are true (Acts 2:22-24). It is the drive behind evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20) and a believer's power to live the Christian life (Romans 6:4-14, 8:9-11; Phil. 3:10).
The resurrection even addresses the fear of death (John 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58) and is a model of the believer’s resurrection from the dead (Acts 4:2; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
I don’t think importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ can ever be overstated.
It radically changed the early disciples’ lives and it can radically change our lives today. It is by far the greatest event ever to occur in our world and we should thank God every day for it!