The Resurrection of Jesus after his death is the basis of much of the Christian belief of a Second Coming, or heaven beyond earth. But what is the Resurrection of Jesus, and why is it so important?
After Jesus was crucified, his body was sent to rest in a tomb. The tomb was made of stone, with a large stone rolled across the entrance. Soldiers guarded the tomb. Three days after the death of Jesus, several women, including Mary Magdalene, went to the tomb to anoint Jesus with oils.
According to the gospels, an earthquake rattled the earth as the angels rolled back the tomb. The soldiers were terrified, and shook in fear. An angel in bright white appeared, and sat on top of the stone. The angel told the women that Jesus was no longer there; the body was gone. Jesus had risen, just as he said he would. The angel instructed the women to inspect the tomb for proof, then go tell everyone else.
As the women headed for the town, they were met by Jesus, who appeared to them whole and well. He told them to not be afraid, and to not weep, but to go to the disciples and tell them to come to Galilee, where they would see him for themselves.
As the women went to find the disciples, the guards went to the priest to tell him what they had seen. They were instructed to keep their mouths shut about the resurrection of Jesus, and to tell the world that the disciples had stolen the body. They were paid large sums of money to do so.
But Jesus did appear after his death, showing himself to his disciples at the Sea of Galilee, on the road to Emmaus, and at a house during prayers.
By laying down his life for the people who followed him, Jesus made a covenant with his Father, one that would save those who came to follow him and know him as the Son of God. By rising three days after his death, Jesus proved that anyone who was saved by the blood he had shed would have the same opportunity to rise from the dead and live again, joining the Holy Father for all eternity.
The Resurrection of Jesus is God’s final proof, as decreed in John 3:16, that “whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
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