John 11:25-26. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Without truly knowing who Jesus was, the disciples abandoned Him when He was crucified on the cross. At the moment of His death, their hopes were shattered. Even after spending three and a half years with Jesus, witnessing His miracles firsthand and listening to His teachings daily, they still failed to grasp the true meaning of His identity. When He was arrested, tried, and nailed to the cross, they scattered and went back to their former lives, returning to the familiar places they knew before meeting Him.
On the morning after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. But instead of finding His body, she discovered the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. She rushed to tell the disciples, proclaiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. Yet even after hearing this news, Peter returned to his old life as a fisherman, unable to fully comprehend what had happened.
Why didn’t they believe? Because in human understanding, resurrection is impossible. Scientifically, medically, and physiologically, no one rises from the dead. Jesus had died on the cross and had been buried. From their perspective, death was final. This reveals that even His closest friends and followers did not truly understand who Jesus was. They believed in Him to a point, but they had not fully recognized that He was the Christ—the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord of life.
The same is true today. When someone does not know who Jesus really is, that person remains in spiritual death—a life marked by despair, hopelessness, and slavery to the power of darkness. Without the knowledge of Christ’s true identity and the power of His resurrection, life becomes a cycle of defeat, regardless of outward appearances.
But Jesus had to rise again from the dead because He is the Christ. His resurrection was not optional or symbolic—it was an absolute necessity. It was the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan, the undeniable proof that He is the Savior of the world.
Paul understood this truth and made it the core of his message. When he went to Thessalonica, he had only one task. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He declared, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ” (Acts 17:2-3). Paul demonstrated the absolute necessity of the resurrection of Jesus.
Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? Because He is God. In John 14:7-9, Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” There is nothing God cannot do. Jesus rose again to make us come alive with Him, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:45-50. The resurrection was for our salvation and eternal life. Jesus has risen to become the firstfruits of the resurrection as written in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23:
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”
His resurrection has given us eternal hope. When we are in Christ, we do not truly die; we simply change our address to our heavenly home when we leave this earth. Jesus said, “Whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:26).
At the news of Jesus’ resurrection, the Jewish leaders tried to cover up the event. They bribed the soldiers guarding the tomb and spread false stories, saying the disciples had stolen the body while the guards slept (Matthew 28:11-15). Ironically, by doing so, they confirmed the reality of the resurrection.
Likewise, when we do not personally experience the resurrected Christ, we become vulnerable to the lies of the world. We may even begin to tell lies about our own faith, going through the motions of religion, as the Scripture says, “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).
Today, no matter what situations you are facing, the moment you realize and acknowledge Jesus as the resurrected Lord of your life, God will begin to work powerfully in you and through you. This happens not because of your ability or your current circumstances, but because of who Jesus is and the power of His resurrection.
You will witness incredible transformations taking place in your life. You will realize the authority and power in the name of Jesus when you pray. And God will use you as a living witness of the resurrection of Christ, right where you are and beyond.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for the power of resurrection working in me. Help me live as a witness of Christ and His resurrection for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.