The Importance of Christ’s Death and Resurrection
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single-most important event in world history. Single, because His resurrection is completely dependant upon His crucifixion, yet without His resurrection, His death would have been futile.
Paul wrote that, “if we are planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be of His resurrection.” Romans 6:5 Yet he also wrote: “… if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17
Through the death of Christ, forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God[1] is made available to men, and through His resurrection we receive eternal life. Without Christ’s death, there is no forgiveness; without His resurrection, we have no hope beyond this world. As Paul said, “if in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:19
The course of human history was indelibly changed at the cross, and permanently redirected by the empty tomb. Before Christ’s death, there was no other means to fulfill justice for men’s wrongs; our ultimate destiny was necessarily condemnation without mercy. We had to be expelled from God’s presence into the punishment befitting treason against a sovereign, which is death. How could we be freed from this penalty[2]? Apart from its fulfilment, justice cannot be satisfied, so Christ came.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes upon Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.[3] He will come in the future to judge the sins of the world,[4] but He came the first time to bring mercy, to take the sin of the world upon Himself, the just for the unjust[5], so that we might receive forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with God.[6] By His death on the cross, human beings may be made free from the penalty of our sins[7], because His death has covered what our sins earned.
God did not free us from condemnation only to live a worldly life of toil and grief[8]. His purpose for our creation was His pleasure[9], and His plan for our redemption was our adoption as children into His household[10]. Death is an enemy[11], and not God’s desire for us[12]. Satan’s ploy was destruction and death; God’s purpose was life.[13] God’s purpose cannot and may not be thwarted by Satan’s schemes; that wicked enemy shall not gain a victory, but shall be destroyed and cast into everlasting judgment.[14]
Jesus Christ rose from the dead; it was impossible for death to hold Him. His divine power[15] excludes any greater power than His; He has authority over life and death[16]. The wages of sin is death[17], yet He was sinless; He owed no debt for sin.
Christ rose from the dead because He is the resurrection and the life[18]. We must believe, not only that He died for our sins, and took our full penalty upon Himself[19], but also that He rose again from the dead, on the third day, just as He said.[20] Christ rose to become the first-fruits of those raised from the dead.[21] Christ rose to break the power of death and Satan’s power over it.[22] Christ rose to restore to us the everlasting life that God desired for us from the beginning[23], that we might live forever in the presence of our heavenly Father, in peace and joy and love.[24]
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the course of human history. Our condemnation became His; our despair replaced by hope. In place of death, He purchased life everlasting for each of us who will believe and put our faith in Him. Every man who ever lives is offered this life, purchased by the blood of Christ shed on His cross, and won by His victory over death at His resurrection; offered freely to all who will believe on His name, His death for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead.
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let he who is thirsting, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
[1] Col 1:14 … [God’s] Son …. in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins …”
[2] Ro 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
[3] John 3:17
[4] 1 Cor 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom…”
[5] 1 Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…”
2 Cor 5:21 For [God] hath made [Christ] Who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
Hebrews 9:24-28 For Christ …. now once …. hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for Him shall He appear the second time apart from sin unto salvation.”
[6] 2Cor 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; yo wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
[7] Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
[8] 1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
[9] Re 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
[10] Eph 1:5-7 Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…”
[11] 1 Cor 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
[12] Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live…”
2 Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
[13] John 8:44 “… the devil …. was a murderer from the beginning…”
Re 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
[14] Re 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
[15] 1 Pet 1: 2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who has called us to glory and virtue…”
Col 2:9 For in [Christ] dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
[16] Joh 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
[17] Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
[18] Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
[19] Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
[20] Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Matthew 27:64
Acts 10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly…”
Rom 4:20-25 [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
1 Cor 15:4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…”
[21] 1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
[22] Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil…”
[23] Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever’”
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began…”
[24] Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.’”
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