Why Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?

Four hundred years before the birth of Christ, the renowned Greek philosopher Socrates drank the poison hemlock and lay down to die. His friends asked, “Shall we live again?” The dying philosopher could only reply, “I hope so, but no man can know.”

In the oldest book of the Bible, Job asks the question, “If a man dies, does he go on living?” This is where the resurrection of Jesus Christ comes in. It gives us the absolute hope that there is life beyond the grave.

Some may say, “You don’t have to believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead to be a Christian,” but don’t you believe them! Christ’s resurrection from the dead is not a peripheral issue. It is foundational to our faith. In fact, it sets the Christian faith apart from all others. The Apostle Paul strongly emphasizes this point, saying, “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).