“I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever!”
Revelation 1:18
Think about these questions for a moment: If Jesus’ bones were found, how would that discovery change your life? Assuming that it could be reasonably proven that Jesus is dead, what kind of impact would it have on you? Would it affect your daily life? Would it affect your relationships?
This hypothetical (and impossible…) event would be absolutely devastating to anyone who claims to follow Christ. This is because Jesus’ resurrection is the main proof of His deity. Find His bones, or prove in some other way that He is still dead, and He becomes just another finite, mortal man who died for his own sins. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised [from the dead], our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” In other words, if Jesus did not rise, then He is not God. And if He is not God, then He cannot be our Savior. The entire Christian faith either stands or falls with the Resurrection.
Thankfully, we do not have to worry about someone finding Christ’s bones. Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, He arose with a new, glorified body (unlike Lazarus, who died again…). What is more, we have abundant proof that His resurrection actually occurred. First, also in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that Jesus appeared to more than 500 believers after His death. Second, all of the disciples suffered tremendously, and all but one died tragically because of their faith in Christ’s resurrection. No lie is worth that kind of agony.
The final proof that Jesus rose from the dead is the relationship that His followers have with Him right now. Jesus is our living High Priest, and our direct fellowship with God proves the truth of His resurrection.
Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest single event in all of history. In it lies all our hope and joy. May we always be quick to proclaim that Jesus is indeed alive! He is alive for ever and ever!
Not I, but Christ…
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