Reason #5 - He rose from the dead

“I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” Jesus, Revelation 1:18

The record of most great leaders is the same: The tombs of Buddha, Mohammed, Caesar, Pharaoh, Marx, Darwin, and Einstein are all occupied. The tomb of Jesus is empty! He literally, physically rose from the dead and, in so doing, conquered the ultimate enemy of mankind – death. If you’re looking for proof that someone is truly divine, it’s hard to top this one!

There are certain facts that few historians would ever deny: Jesus lived, He was crucified by the Romans, died and was buried. But it doesn’t stop there. Three days later, the grave in which He was buried was empty. Obviously, there is debate and controversy about what happened to the body, but there can be little argument that the body was gone from the grave. Furthermore, the historical record tells us that a small band of His followers who had gone into hiding to save their own lives, boldly went forth to tell the world that they had personally seen, talked with, and touched Jesus after He had risen from the dead.

In fact, the whole Christian religion hinges on whether or not the resurrection really occurred. No one has ever offered any evidence that those who claimed to have seen the risen Christ lied or were tricked. The witnesses were honest men who had nothing to gain by making up a false story. In most cases, these witnesses were thrown in jail, persecuted, lost all their earthly possessions and ultimately suffered a cruel and painful death rather than deny the resurrection. Those who have examined the evidence have concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that a genuine miracle occurred: a man who was dead came back to life.

Although this is an incredible miracle, it should not surprise us that Jesus conquered death. Time and again, He claimed that this was His purpose. He came to give us life and “to render powerless him who has the power of death, that is the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). For those who will trust Him as their Lord and Savior, He promises, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19).

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