The Resurrection of Jesus

May 3

The Resurrection of Jesus is an essential doctrine of the faith. In other words, you cannot be saved without believing it. (Romans 10:9–10; John 3:16; Revelation 1:17–18; Galatians 1:1; Acts 13:30–39; 1 Peter 1:21, etc.)

Many Christian apologists, such as Josh McDowell, have said that the Resurrection of Jesus is the most documented event in human history. [1] The Resurrection is the “lynchpin” of the Christian faith, meaning the wheel falls off without it. Faith is null and void if it’s not true. The Apostle Paul echoed this fact when he said, “If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, CSB) Did you catch that? If Jesus was not raised from the dead, our faith is worthless!

Application

As Jesus joined the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Dr. Luke tells us that, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures. (Luke 24:27, CSB)

If someone were to ask you about Jesus, how fluent would you be in referencing Old Testament passages that Jesus fulfilled? Take a look at Isaiah 53 for ideas.

Jesus fulfilled over 450 Old Testament prophecies written hundreds of years before His birth. Dr. Peter Stoner suggested the probability of one person fulfilling just eight of those prophecies would be a statistical impossibility. [2] He said the probability would be about one in 10¹⁷ (10 followed by 17 zeros), and as likely as filling the State of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep and blindly reaching down and finding the one coin that had been marked for finding.

We need to be ready for Jesus’ return. It’s also imperative that we’re always ready to defend our faith and explain the hope that we have in Him. (1 Peter 3:15) There’s a lost and dying world, full of people who need to hear the hope of the Gospel message.

No, you don’t have to know all of the facts presented here, but it’s always helpful to be ready with a few “convincing proofs.” (Acts 1:3)

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[1] A Christian apologist is someone who gives a defense of the Christian faith. The word apologist comes from the Greek word ἀπολογία.

[2] https://www.sciencespeaks.dstoner.net/Christ_of_Prophecy.html accessed 5/2/26, p. 63. Stoner was the Chairman of the departments of mathematics and astronomy at Pasadena City College until 1953.

© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman