Why Should I Believe in Christ’s Resurrection?
The resurrection of Jesus stands at the very center of the Christian faith. Scripture identifies the risen Christ as the foundation on which all Christian hope depends. Without the resurrection, the gospel collapses: preaching is meaningless, faith is pointless, sin remains unforgiven, and death retains its power (1 Corinthians 15:14–17). Christianity is unique because its founder does not remain in the grave. Christians proclaim a risen Lord who appeared to many eyewitnesses, whose transformed lives testify to the truth of the event (1 Corinthians 15:5–8). The resurrection is therefore not an optional belief but the cornerstone of Christian truth, salvation, and everyday life.
1. The Resurrection Is Essential to the Christian Gospel
The resurrection of Christ is not an add-on to the gospel—it is “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). According to Scripture, the gospel consists of two inseparable events:
Christ died for our sins (Isaiah 53:5; Mark 10:45)
Christ was raised on the third day (Psalm 16:10; Hosea 6:2; Luke 24:46)
The resurrection is the divine confirmation that Jesus’ sacrificial death truly accomplished atonement (Romans 4:25). Without the resurrection, Jesus’ death would be seen merely as a tragic martyrdom rather than a victorious sacrifice. Many religious leaders have founded movements, but only Christianity anchors its message in the claim that God raised its founder from the dead.
2. The Resurrection Vindicates Jesus’ Identity and Mission
Believing in the resurrection of Christ is believing that God publicly vindicated Jesus’ claims about himself. Jesus repeatedly predicted his own resurrection (Mark 8:31; John 2:19–22). When God raised him, it demonstrated:
Jesus is who he claimed to be (John 10:17–18)
God approved his mission (Acts 2:32–36)
Jesus is the promised Messiah (Acts 17:2–3)
Jesus is Lord and Judge of all (Acts 10:40–42)
The resurrection is God’s declaration that Jesus is the true King, the fulfillment of Israel’s hope, and the One through whom God’s kingdom has broken into the world.
3. The Resurrection Inaugurates New Creation and the Future of Humanity
Christ’s resurrection is not only a historical event; it is the beginning of an entirely new order. Scripture presents the risen Christ as:
the firstfruits of those who will be raised (1 Corinthians 15:20–23)
the beginning of a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
the One who defeated death (2 Timothy 1:10)
Believing in the resurrection means believing in the renewal of humanity and creation. The resurrection is a preview of the future God promises to all who belong to Christ: bodily resurrection, restored creation, and eternal life in God’s presence (Romans 8:18–23). The risen Christ is proof that death cannot hold those united to him.
4. The Resurrection Is Necessary for Salvation
Scripture makes belief in the resurrection of Jesus a core requirement for salvation. Paul states that salvation comes through confessing Jesus as Lord and believing “that God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9–10). Faith in the resurrection is not optional. It is how a person enters into right relationship with God.
Why? Because the resurrection confirms:
Jesus’ death truly atoned for sin (Romans 4:25)
Jesus is Lord (Acts 2:36)
God has conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:54–57)
To trust the risen Christ is to trust the One who overcame sin and death and now grants eternal life to all who believe in him (John 11:25–26).
5. The Resurrection Empowers Daily Christian Life
The resurrection of Christ is not simply past history; it is the power source for present Christian living. Scripture teaches that:
Christians are united to the risen Christ (Romans 6:4–5)
the power that raised Jesus now works in believers (Ephesians 1:19–20)
the Spirit who raised Jesus gives life to Christians (Romans 8:11)
the resurrection enables victory over sin (Colossians 3:1–5)
The risen Christ is the ongoing source of transformation, endurance, holiness, and hope. Without the resurrection, Christian discipleship would be reduced to moral effort. With the resurrection, Christians live by the power of the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
6. The Resurrection Conquers Death and Secures Eternal Hope
The resurrection of Jesus is the decisive victory over humanity’s greatest enemy: death. Scripture teaches that Jesus “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light” (2 Timothy 1:10). Death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). The resurrection is the guarantee that death will not have the final word over those who trust in Christ.
Every worldview must answer the problem of death. Christianity answers it through the risen Christ. Believing in the resurrection is believing that God will raise the dead, judge the world in righteousness, and bring his people into everlasting life (John 5:28–29; Revelation 21:1–4).
7. Without the Resurrection, There Is No Christianity
If the resurrection did not occur, Christianity collapses. The apostles understood this clearly. Paul writes that:
preaching is useless if Christ is not raised
faith is futile
believers remain in their sins
the dead in Christ have perished
Christians are the most pitiable people on earth
(1 Corinthians 15:14–19)
Everything depends on the resurrection. Christianity cannot exist without it, and the New Testament does not attempt to hide this dependency. The faith stands or falls on the historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus.
Conclusion
Christians should believe in the resurrection of Jesus because it is the heart of the gospel, the vindication of Jesus’ identity, the inauguration of new creation, the foundation of salvation, the power for daily transformation, and the final victory over death. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity, no forgiveness of sins, no hope beyond death, and no reason to trust in Christ. With the resurrection, Christians confess a risen Lord who reigns, saves, transforms, and will return to make all things new.
Bible Verses About Christ’s Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:3–4, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures… he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
1 Corinthians 15:14, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
Romans 4:25, “He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
Acts 2:32, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.”
1 Corinthians 15:20, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Romans 8:11, “The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies.”
John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
2 Timothy 1:10, “Our Savior Christ Jesus… abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
1 Peter 1:3, “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
