The Bible and history, however, show us that after Jesus died, His followers did not disperse just because the leader was no longer around. Conversely, the once timid disciples who denied Jesus when He was arrested, after Jesus had died not many days later bravely and publicly proclaimed Jesus as God and the Saviour of sinners. More unimaginable was that the crowd believed what was preached by the disciples and disregarded the persecution of the “Jesus sect” by Roman authorities. The authorities had thought that the “Jesus sect” would disband following the death of Jesus. The fact is that Jesus’ gospel continued to spread far and wide. Even in the 21st century, it is still spreading.
What caused the timid disciples to become so bold? What led the “Jesus sect” to become a world religion, instead of disappearing without a trace which should have been the natural outcome? All this is built upon a single core foundation: Jesus was raised from the dead!
The reason for celebrating Easter is not the rabbit or coloured eggs, but Jesus who was raised from the dead! The death of Jesus appeared to be due to the death sentence meted out by Roman authorities. The truth is His death was due to His willingness to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus is the lamb sacrificed for our sins. He was raised from the dead three days after He died. This showed that not only did He pay the debt due to our sins. He had also fought a good fight and triumphed over death. Consequently, humankind no longer needs to fear death. Jesus also promised those who believe in Him that they will receive this resurrection life: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).
We will all eventually face death. To put it candidly, the only thing of which we were sure from the moment we were born into this world is death. No one could escape from this cruel fact. Everyone is firmly in the clutches of death because we are living in sin. Christ’s resurrection, however, has changed men’s destiny.
With the resurrection of Jesus, our path is no longer a dead end. Death will never be able to hurt Christians. Instead, death is a doorway to eternal peace. Christ’s resurrected life has become the source of strength of a Christians daily life. We know that this resurrected Jesus cares and protects us. Hence, in the face of great difficulty and even when our life is threatened, we need not fear. Moreover, even during countless difficulties, we are assured of the promise that Jesus will surely provide us sufficient strength to overcome them. Through this we experience a peace that the world is unable to give. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
If you are a Christian, you must be more submissive to Jesus Do not depend on your own strength. Then you would experience Jesus’ resurrected life. If you are not a Christian, come and believe in Him today. Then you will experience that Jesus is the true and living God.