Paul said, “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” He declares that because of Christ’s resurrection, death no longer has the final power. The sting over believers is removed through the resurrection.
So all who believe, congratulations: Jesus is risen indeed.
The Resurrection of Jesus — John 20
On the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away. She ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their home.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that he had said these things to her.
After this, Jesus appeared to the other disciples in their house. The Apostle Thomas said he would not believe unless he saw the marks of the crucifixion and touched them himself. Later, Thomas saw the risen Christ and believed.
(See Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, and Luke 24:1–12.)
Understanding “Three Days”
Some scholars believe that the word translated in this context reflects Jewish timekeeping and Passover tradition. Jews counted any part of a day as a full day for reckoning time. In Hebrew, “yom” can refer to a day consisting of 24 hours, or part of a day and night.
By that way of counting:
– Friday, when Jesus was put in the grave, counts as the first day.
– Saturday, the full Sabbath day, counts as the second day.
– Sunday, early in the morning, when Jesus rose, counts as the third day.
Jesus himself predicted his resurrection:
– Jesus explicitly told his disciples that he would go to Jerusalem, be killed, and rise again on the third day (Matthew 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:18–19).
– In the temple analogy, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19–21), referring to his body.
– After the resurrection, Jesus had already told them, “After I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee” (Matthew 26:32).
These predictions were not fully understood by the disciples at the time, but they were fulfilled after his death, validating his words.
The Apostles’ Witness
The apostles testified that Jesus physically rose from the dead. They presented themselves as eyewitnesses who ate with him, touched him, and saw him after the resurrection. Their preaching centered on the claim that this event fulfilled Scripture and proved that Jesus is Lord.
Paul strongly emphasized the importance of the resurrection to Christian faith:
– “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:32).
– “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14–17).
– In Acts 10:40–42, the apostles said they were chosen to bear witness that Jesus was raised on the third day and appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.
– The Apostles’ Creed declares that Jesus “was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead; on the third day he rose again.”
Old Testament Prophecies
Several Old Testament passages are often understood by Christians as pointing to the resurrection:
– Isaiah 53:10–12 describes the suffering servant who, after suffering, will “prolong his days,” which many interpret as life after death.
– Psalm 16:8–11 says that God will not abandon his Holy One to Sheol, which Christians have long associated with resurrection hope.
– Psalm 22:21–24 moves from suffering to deliverance and praise, which some see as foreshadowing triumph after death.
– Job 19:25–27 expresses confidence in a living Redeemer and in seeing God.
– Hosea 13:14 proclaims victory over death and the grave.
– Jonah 1:17 and Jesus’ own words in Matthew 12:40 connect Jonah’s three days in the fish with a sign of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
– Christians also connect this theme with Psalm 71:20 and Ezekiel 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones.
Christ and Resurrection Hope
Jesus taught that resurrection is not only a promise found in books, but a living reality grounded in him. In John 11:25–26, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
At the center of Christian faith is the belief that Jesus truly died, was buried, and rose bodily from the dead. In Christian teaching, this resurrection confirms his identity as the Son of God, demonstrates God’s victory over death and the grave, and secures salvation and future resurrection hope for believers.
Why Easter Changes Dates
Easter changes every year because it is determined by a lunisolar calculation rather than a fixed solar date. The Western church commonly observes Easter on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon on or after the vernal equinox. Because of this method, Easter can fall on different dates each year.
The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 helped standardize the rule used by much of the church. In Western churches, Easter usually falls between March 22 and April 25. Eastern churches that follow the Julian calendar often celebrate later.
The specific English word “Easter” does not appear as a Christian festival name throughout the original biblical manuscripts, although in the King James Version the word appears in Acts 12:4. In most contexts, the New Testament background is Passover.
Jesus bless you.