Curve-ball #5 – What happened after Jesus died? posted by jwatson on Jan 09, 2012

When I was a shiny new believer, I had very little concept of Jesus’ resurrection. As time went by it dawned on me just how special, and pivotal this event was. This is how I might answer someone who is seeking the truth about Jesus. How would you answer?

“After Jesus died, Who would have believed what God was about to do in Jesus?

Jesus died on a Roman cross. It was a monstrously cruel death, suffered by a man who did not deserve to die. He was a man of deep kindness and compassion, a man who had done nothing but good for others all his life. This shocking travesty of justice had shocked his friends and his family into a mind-numbing grief. All their dreams, hopes and expectations had died with him.

But …

Three days after he died, the most extraordinary event in all of history took place. Jesus rose from the dead. This event was called by a new name, for something that had never happened before: “Resurrection!”.

A few people had died, and had subsequently come back to life again, but eventually they would all die, never to come back to life. People like Lazarus and others who Jesus raised from death.

When Jesus rose, he would never die again, but would live forever. Jesus’ body was made new, an immortal body that could not die and decay.

People who have come back to life have needed someone else to make it happen – medical staff, a prayer intercessor, someone. Jesus is the only one who willingly lay down his life, and was able to take it up again.

In this there is absolute hope for our life with God. Because Jesus was able to initiate his own resurrection, he has the ability to raise us up in great resurrection power, just as he has promised to his people. With God ALL things are possible.

Jesus has decisively conquered death, not only for himself, but for all who will trust in him for eternal life.”