Here’s a question that should make you think:
If 12 of the most powerful men in the world couldn’t keep the Watergate cover-up going for three weeks, how did 12 apostles maintain a “lie” about the resurrection for 40 years—while being beaten, tortured, stoned, and imprisoned?
They couldn’t. Unless it actually happened.
Chuck Colson, who was part of the Watergate scandal, put it this way: “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. Because 12 men testified that they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, and they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it… You’re telling me that 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”
This Easter, we traced what happened after Jesus rose from the dead through four different Gospel accounts—four encounters that changed everything for the people who experienced them, and that still change everything for us today.
The Empty Tomb: Where It All Begins
It’s Sunday morning. The first day of the week. The third day since Jesus was crucified and buried.
A group of women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and possibly others—make their way to the tomb. Their intention? To properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial.
But when they arrive, everything has changed.
Matthew 28:2-4 tells us:
“A severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.”
Think about that. Roman soldiers—trained military men—saw this angel and immediately sized him up. Can we take him? They looked at this being, calculated their odds, and both passed out cold.
Not exactly a great day on the job for a soldier.
But then the angel speaks to the women: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.”
What Does “He Is Risen Just As He Said” Mean?
This phrase is the key to everything.
First, it’s proof of Jesus’ power and victory over Satan. They couldn’t hold Him down. Satan could not keep Jesus dead. Satan could not keep Jesus in the tomb. The resurrection is the sure foundation of our faith because without it, there would always be this lingering doubt: Maybe Satan did defeat Jesus. Maybe He’s still in the grave. Maybe evil won.
The resurrection settles it. No, Satan did not win. He is risen.
Second, it proves that Jesus keeps His word. He said He was going to die. He said He was going to rise again. And that’s exactly what happened. If He tells you something, it’s going to happen. We can trust Him.
This is one of the most important things about our relationship with Christ: we know we can trust Him because He has a track record of keeping His promises.
The Road to Emmaus: Seeing Jesus in Scripture
Later that same day, two disciples are walking to Emmaus—a small village about seven miles from Jerusalem. Luke 24 tells us they were “conversing and debating” the events of the previous days.
And then Jesus shows up. But here’s the strange part: “Their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.”
Jesus asks what they’re discussing, and one of them—a man named Cleopas—responds with astonishment: “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here?”
They explain everything: Jesus the Nazarene, a mighty prophet, delivered to death by the chief priests, crucified. And then this heartbreaking statement:
“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”
We had pinned all our hopes on Him. He was supposed to be the Messiah. But they killed Him. Now what do we do? Where do we go from here?
Is this the sea we’ve reached, or just a blue desert? Is it real, or is it a mirage?
Jesus Opens the Scriptures
Notice what Jesus does next. He doesn’t say, “Hey guys, it’s Me! I’m alive!” Instead, He says:
“O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
And then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Can you imagine that Bible study? Walking seven miles while Jesus Himself explains how the entire Old Testament points to Him?
It’s not until they sit down for a meal and Jesus breaks bread that their eyes are opened and they recognize Him. And immediately He vanishes.
But look at their response: “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was opening the Scriptures to us?”
The Application for Us Today
Here’s the point: How do we see Jesus today? Not through experiences—experiences fade. We see Him in the Scriptures.
Peter himself, who witnessed the Transfiguration, wrote that we have “the prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter 1:19). Even after his incredible experience on that mountain, Peter says: Pay attention to Scripture. That’s the lamp shining in a dark place.
Seeing Jesus in Scripture is how we encounter the risen Christ today. The Word of God endures forever.
The Sea of Tiberius: What Did Jesus Say to Peter After the Resurrection?
John 21 takes us to one of the most powerful post-resurrection appearances of Jesus—and one of the most personal.
Peter has decided to go fishing. After everything that’s happened—the crucifixion, the resurrection, seeing Jesus alive—he goes back to what he knows. And he takes some of the other disciples with him.
They fish all night. They catch nothing.
Then, from the shore, a voice calls out: “Children, do you have any food?”
How do you answer that question? If you’re a Christian, here’s what you need to understand: You are dependent on Jesus. It doesn’t matter how much is in your pantry or how many Bible verses you’ve memorized. Without Him, you have nothing.
They answered: “No.”
Jesus tells them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. They obey. And suddenly they can’t even haul in the net because of all the fish.
John realizes it first: “It is the Lord!”
And Peter—impulsive, passionate Peter—puts on his outer garment and plunges into the sea to get to Jesus faster. (Don’t ask why he put on clothes before jumping into water. I don’t know either.)
“Do You Love Me?”
When they get to shore, Jesus has breakfast waiting—fish cooking over a fire, bread prepared. He’s already provided for them. But then He says something beautiful: “Bring some of the fish you’ve caught.”
Jesus is our ultimate provider, and yet He invites us to bring something to Him. He appreciates what we do for Him. It doesn’t earn us anything, but He values it.
Then comes the conversation Peter must have been dreading.
Peter denied Jesus three times. And now Jesus asks him three times:
“Peter, do you love Me?”
“Yes, Lord, You know I’m fond of You.”
“Feed My lambs.”
“Peter, do you love Me?”
“Yes, Lord, You know I love You.”
“Tend My sheep.”
“Peter, do you love Me?”
Peter is grieved. “Lord, You know all things. You know that I love You.”
“Feed My sheep.”
Three denials. Three restorations. Three commissions.
What did Jesus say to Peter after the resurrection? He didn’t condemn him. He restored him. And He gave him work to do.
Christian, you’re not off the hook once you’ve accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation. You can’t just say, “Great, I’m going to heaven” and then go about your own business. Jesus calls us to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, follow Him—even when it leads us somewhere we don’t want to go.
1 Corinthians 15: The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection
Now let’s turn to the Apostle Paul and the most comprehensive case for Jesus resurrection proof in the entire New Testament.
Paul opens 1 Corinthians 15 by reminding the church:
“I want to make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed to you as good news, which you have also received, in which you also stand, by which you are saved.”
Notice: the gospel isn’t just a message. It’s good news. And what does news describe? Something that actually happened.
Paul is stressing that the resurrection is a historical event—not a metaphor, not a spiritual feeling, not “He’s alive in our hearts.” It actually happened.
What Is the Evidence That Jesus Rose from the Dead?
1. Christ died.
There’s no question Jesus was crucified. The whole point of crucifixion was public execution—so everyone would see and know. Rome didn’t make mistakes about whether someone was dead.
Even the Roman historian Tacitus, who hated Christians, confirmed it. Writing about the fire of Rome in 64 AD, he mentions:
“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate.”
Even the most hardened atheists acknowledge that Jesus existed and was crucified. That’s settled history.
2. The tomb was empty.
Something harder to prove than death is that someone who was dead is now alive again. But in Jesus’ case, even His enemies confirmed the empty tomb—by trying to cover it up.
What’s the first thing Jewish officials said when the report came that the tomb was empty? “Let’s tell everyone the disciples stole the body by night.”
Why invent a cover story if the body was still there? Their lie confirms the truth.
3. The eyewitnesses.
Paul lists them in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8:
- He appeared to Cephas (Peter)
- Then to the twelve
- Then to more than 500 brothers at one time—”most of whom remain until now” (go ask them yourselves if you don’t believe me)
- Then to James, the brother of the Lord
- Then to all the apostles
- And last of all, to Paul himself
Who were the eyewitnesses of the resurrection? Over 500 people. And Paul is writing this about 20 years after the resurrection, when many of them were still alive and could be interviewed.
4. The transformation of the disciples.
After the crucifixion, the disciples were hiding “for fear of the Jews.” They thought it was over. Their Messiah was dead.
But within weeks, they were boldly proclaiming in public that Jesus had risen. They were beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and killed—and not one of them ever recanted.
People don’t die for things they know are lies.
5. The conversion of Paul.
If there was anyone who would be the least likely to spread the idea that Jesus rose from the dead, it was Saul of Tarsus.
He hated Christians. He thought the resurrection was a dangerous lie that needed to be stamped out. He was actively hunting down believers to have them imprisoned and killed.
And then Jesus appeared to him.
Paul went from being the most hardened persecutor of the church to its most active apostle. If there was anyone whose testimony could be trusted, it was the man who had every reason to deny the resurrection and was instead transformed by it.
Why Is the Resurrection Important for Christians?
This brings us back to where we started.
Is the resurrection of Jesus historically true? The evidence is overwhelming. Empty tomb, eyewitnesses, hostile testimony, transformed skeptics, centuries of martyrs who wouldn’t recant.
But why does it matter?
Because if Jesus rose from the dead, everything He said is true. And one of the things He said is that those who trust in Him will also rise.
Paul puts it this way in Romans 4:25: “He was raised for our justification.”
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can know our sins are forgiven. We can know we have eternal life. We can anticipate our own resurrection when He returns.
Easter isn’t just the acknowledgment of the most amazing event in human history. It’s the celebration of what that event means for us.
He lives. Christ Jesus lives today.
And because He lives, we too will live.
