The Significance of Christ’s
Resurrection
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
Each spring, millions of people around the world
acknowledge, in some fashion or another, that Jesus Christ was raised
from the
dead some twenty centuries ago. Modern society calls it “Easter.”
The origin of this term is uncertain, though it is
commonly
thought to derive from Eastre, the name of a Teutonic spring
goddess.
The term “Easter,” in the King James Version of the Bible (Acts 12:4),
is a
mistranslation. The Greek word is pascha, correctly rendered
“Passover”
in later translations. In fact, though pascha is found
twenty-nine times
in the Greek New Testament, it is only rendered “Easter” once, even in
the KJV.
Christians are NOT authorized to celebrate
“Easter” as a
special annual event acknowledging the resurrection of Christ. Faithful
children of God reflect upon the Savior’s resurrection every Sunday
(the
resurrection day - cf. John 20:1ff) as they gather to worship God in
the
regular assembly of the church (cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
We ought to be glad, however, that multitudes –
usually
caught up in pursuits wholly materialistic – will take at least some
time for
reflection upon the event of the Savior’s resurrection. It is entirely
appropriate that Christians take advantage of this circumstance; we
should be
both willing and able to explain to our friends – at least those who
have some
reverence for Christianity – the significance of the Lord’s
resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the
foundation of
the Christian system (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14ff). If there was no
resurrection, Christianity
is a hoax, and we are wasting our time. But in truth, the event of
Jesus’
resurrection is incontrovertible. Professor Thomas Arnold of
First, the resurrection is one of the major
evidences that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Paul affirmed that Christ is
“declared
to be the Son of God with power. . . by the resurrection from the dead”
(
Second, Jesus’ resurrection represents an
assurance that we
can have forgiveness from our sins. Paul contended: “. . . if
Christ
hath not been raised, our faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1
Cor.
Third, the resurrection tells the world that the
Fourth, Jesus’ resurrection proves that physical
death is
not the termination of human existence. God, who is the giver of
life (1
Tim.
Fifth, the Lord’s resurrection previewed the ultimate
victory of Christianity over all its enemies. In the book of
Revelation,
Jesus is depicted as a lamb that had been slain, but was standing again
(5:6).
This same Lord was “the lion of the tribe of
The resurrection of the Son of God should be a
constant
reminder to us of these wonderful biblical truths. We honor our
Master’s
victory over death – not once-a-year, but every week!