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The resurrection
In 1 Corinthians 15 we read these words from Paul: ‘If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worth nothing, and your faith is worth nothing. And also, we are guilty of lying about God, because we testified of him that he raise Christ from the dead…And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith has nothing to it; you are still guilty of your sins’ (v.14-17 NCV). How can we be sure that Jesus was resurrected? Let’s take a look at some of the evidence. Mark 16, John 20, and Matthew 28 all give accounts of Jesus appearing first to women after He was resurrected. In those times, women were sometimes considered to be less reliable witnesses than men, and their testimony didn’t carry as much weight. If the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection were made up, they would have been more believable to people of that time if the writers had said Jesus appeared to men first. Therefore many biblical scholars believe that women being the first witnesses points to the truth of the resurrection accounts. There’s also the number of accounts of Jesus appearing to different people in different circumstances. As well as the women, He appeared to the twelve disciples, to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus, and 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us that He appeared to 500 people at the same time. But for us, the best proof of His resurrection can be seen in how He changes lives. Paul wrote: ‘You have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by the same Spirit living within you’ (Romans 8:10-11 NLT).
What Now?
Read through one (or all) of the Gospel accounts of the resurrection. Talk to God honestly about any doubts you might have about them, and ask Him to help you discover the truth of what Jesus’ resurrection means for you.
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