What Happened on Easter?
The most important claim in Christianity is that Jesus died and came back to life three days later. That's an incredible claim. So let's look at what even non-Christian historians agree actually happened - and then ask: what's the best explanation?
Three Facts Almost Everyone Agrees On
These aren't just things Christians believe. These are facts that almost all historians - including ones who are not Christians - accept:
- 1Jesus really died. Roman soldiers were experts at execution. They made sure people were dead. Multiple ancient sources - Roman, Jewish, and Christian - confirm Jesus was crucified and died.
- 2The tomb was empty. Even the people who wanted Jesus dead didn't say the tomb was full. Instead, they made up a story that the disciples stole the body. But think about it: if they could have just shown everyone the body, Christianity would have ended right there. They couldn't. Because the tomb was empty.
- 3Jesus's followers were completely changed. Before Easter, the disciples were terrified. They hid. Peter - Jesus's closest friend - denied even knowing him. Then something happened. Suddenly these same scared people were boldly telling everyone that Jesus was alive - even when it meant being arrested, beaten, and killed. Something dramatic happened to transform them.
People sometimes die for things they believe are true - even if they're wrong. But people don't die for things they know are lies. The disciples were in a position to know whether they really saw Jesus alive. If they made it up, they knew it was a lie. And then every single one of them was willing to suffer and die for that lie - without any of them ever saying, "Okay, we made it up." That doesn't happen with liars.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
Everyone has done wrong things. We have all told a lie, been unkind, or disobeyed. The Bible calls this sin, and it says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin separates us from God, and none of us can fix that on our own.
That is why Jesus came. When Jesus died on the cross, he took the punishment for our sins, so that we would not have to. The Bible says, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). And because he came back to life, we know that death did not win.
Forgiveness is a free gift from God. You cannot earn it by being good enough. You receive it by trusting in Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Why is it important that the disciples were willing to die for what they saw?
- If the disciples made up the resurrection, why would they be willing to die for it?
- If the tomb wasn't empty, why couldn't Jesus's enemies just show everyone the body?
- What do you think changed the disciples from being scared to being the bravest people in history?
- Why did Jesus have to die for us?