He Lives! Part 1

In I Corinthians 15:4, Paul lists the Resurrection as a necessary aspect of the Gospel. So far, we have studied Jesus’ death and all it means, and in my last devotional, we covered the fascinating symbolism surrounding Christ’s burial. When we get to the Resurrection, though, I get extra excited. I hope you will see why in a few minutes as we dive into this incredible topic by first understanding why the Bible presents the Resurrection of Christ as such an important part of the Gospel. My goal in this article is to show you why it is so crucial to include the Resurrection in your Gospel presentations. In the next devotional, we’ll see how Christ rising from the dead personally affects you as an individual.

The Resurrection marks a new era in salvation history. It was out with the old, in with the new. The “old way” was called the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was the Old Testament system which required adherence to the Law of God and animal sacrifices to atone for transgressions against that law. Rather than looking back on the accomplished work of Christ, Old Testament saints had faith in a coming Messiah who would one day redeem them from sin, and the prophets foretold His arrival (e.g., Isaiah 59:16-20; 63:1; Zechariah 9:9).

On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and by those words consummated the age-old plan of God to redeem mankind (Ephesians 1:4). Now, looking back on Jesus’ sacrifice, we see God accomplishing salvation for us through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:28), who died to take the punishment we deserve for our crimes against God’s Law. No more Old Testament sacrifices are necessary, for they only symbolized Christ’s effective sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1). If we repent and trust in what Christ has accomplished for us, we need no longer fear God’s judgment on us for breaking the Ten Commandments. Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant, a system in which people find mercy through Christ by placing their faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross.

But Jesus’ death would be pointless without the Resurrection. If Jesus had remained lifeless in the tomb, then, as Paul points out, “[Y]our faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:17). Jesus’ victorious Resurrection from the dead is part of what makes Him “the guarantor of a better covenant [i.e., the New Covenant]” (Heb. 7:22). If it did not occur, Jesus cannot save us completely from our sin; He cannot finish the work of salvation (Hebrews 7:23-25). The object of our faith then becomes powerless and useless. His death is no longer meaningful.

The Resurrection is also important because, if untrue, then there is no resurrection of Christians. If you have believed in Christ, you have no hope of life after death. And what is the point of doing anything at all if there is no life after death? Why trust in Christ at all? “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (I Corinthians 15:19). “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (I Corinthians 15:20a). And because this is so, Paul goes on to tell us, Christians shall also be raised with Christ and given glorious, new, spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15:21-57; cf. Romans 8:11; I Thessalonians 1:10). (Click here to learn more about the physical resurrection of believers.) Christ has defeated death, and thus not only sin but death also have no power over us. There is life after death, and your hope is secure and eternal.

The Resurrection is a crucial part of the Good News, then, because it marks such a turning point in salvation history, because it validates our faith and reveals the power of our Savior to completely save us, and because it provides assurance that the believer’s hope is eternal (cf. I Peter 1:21). Without the Resurrection, the Gospel has no power to solve our dilemma with sin or rescue us from the world’s suffering—Christianity is no different than other religions. Make sure that you include the Resurrection when you share the Gospel with people.

© 2025 by Anchor & Fish Ministries. All rights reserved.

Photo by Jenny Venturo

Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission.  All rights reserved.