By: Stephen Amponsah & Papa Kwamina Ansah

Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous man to have ever lived. This is a massive statement, especially considering the population growth that has occurred since the time He walked the earth. Even as an infant, He brought joy to some (Matthew 2:9-11) and grief to others (Matthew 2:3). As a child, He amazed people with His wisdom (Luke 2:46-47), and as an adult, He was a blessing to mankind (Luke 2:52). His life, death, and resurrection have become the most controversial topics in history (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Many mistakenly assume that the controversy surrounding the resurrection began in the 21st century, but even the first century revealed this divide. The Sadducees and Pharisees, the largest Jewish sects during Christ’s time, both held the Scriptures in high regard, yet they disagreed on several matters, including the resurrection (Matthew 22:23; Acts 23:7-8), a debate that cannot be overlooked by serious students of the Bible.

The Bible is filled with accounts of individuals raised from the dead: the widow’s son brought back to life through prayer (1 Kings 17:22), the dead son of a Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:18-37), and a man restored to life after touching Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20-21). In the New Testament, Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:22-43) and Lazarus (John 11:1-45) from the dead. Even after Christ’s death and resurrection, the apostles performed similar miracles—Peter raised Tabitha (Acts 9:36-43), and Paul brought Eutychus back to life (Acts 20:7-12). All these people died and later rose to life again. Christ also died and resurrected. So, what makes Christ’s death and resurrection distinct? How significant is His resurrection in our lives and salvation?

The death and resurrection of Christ were foretold long before His birth (Isaiah 53:4-12), and Christ Himself spoke of His death and resurrection (Mark 8:31-32, 9:30-32), underscoring the supremacy and significance of these events. Unlike others, no one else predicted their own death and resurrection. Christ’s resurrection validates the prophecies concerning Him and is not a fantasy but was necessary to prove that He is the Son of God (Romans 1:3-4). His resurrection is the divine sign confirming that He was sent by God and that He is the Savior of the world.

The resurrection of Christ gives us a living hope, promising that we, too, will be raised from the dead and granted an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and will not fade away (1 Peter 1:3-5). According to 1 Corinthians 15:12-18, without Christ’s resurrection, our hope in Him would be futile. If Christ is not risen, then we are false witnesses, and the faith we profess is empty. Without His resurrection, our lives would be fixated on temporary things, governed by a completely different standard of morality. There would be no life after death, and we would all perish. Verse 19 even affirms that if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are the most pitiable of all. Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God, we too shall be raised by this same power (1 Corinthians 6:14). Through His resurrection, we have been united with Him; those who have been baptized have been buried with Christ and raised to a new life (Romans 6:4-6). Therefore, we must put away sin, not allowing it to reign in our mortal bodies, but rather strive for righteousness. Christ has become Lord through His resurrection and has defeated death and sin (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Christ’s resurrection also signifies that believers have been justified before God, declared guiltless in His sight. God has always desired to bring mankind to Himself, but sin has been the barrier separating us from Him (Isaiah 59:2), causing Him to hide His face from us. God’s wrath has always been upon sinners, whom the Bible describes as “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). However, through the death and resurrection of Christ, the sins and iniquities of mankind have been nailed to the cross, and atonement has been made (1 John 2:1-3). This justification is what makes believers worthy of salvation (Romans 4:25). Christ bore all shame and broke down the barrier separating us from God, so that anyone who draws near to God and seeks His righteousness may receive salvation (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

We invite you to visit any church of Christ near you. The churches of Christ salute you!