The various writers of the New Testament spent a significant amount of their time discussing this idea of a “resurrection.” This is interesting because the Old Testament doesn’t directly say much about a resurrection. Verses like Daniel 12:2 are hard to come by when reading through the Hebrew scriptures. Yet on the contrary, nearly every book of the New Testament has something written related to the resurrection. Why is it that such an event was so commonly found on the minds of the inspired writers?

The resurrection is historically significant (1 Cor. 15:4-8) — Not only did the NT speak of this miraculous event, but historical figures such as Tacitus the Roman also made note of it. This was not just a religious moment, it was a historical impact. In verse 6 of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul notes how the resurrected Jesus was witnessed by over 500 people. This event changed the course of history forever.

The resurrection is personally relevant (1 Cor. 15:9-11) — Since the resurrection is a historical fact, it changes everything in how we live our lives. When reading through the verses of 9-11, we can see how the resurrection changed Paul, comforted his thoughts, and convicted those he preached to. This event matters because it is a prelude to our future.

The resurrection is spiritually important (1 Cor. 15:12-20) — There are many areas of spirituality that remain important in our lives, but the focus of the resurrection was undoubtedly imperative to the gospel writers and the following authors of the NT. The resurrection is what gave them hope in the hard times (15:18-20), a future to look forward to (15:40), and a confidence in their belief (15:52).

Few things are as thematic as the resurrection when looking at the inspired writing of the New Testament. It is simply due to the fact that this world is not the final chapter of God’s plan. This isn’t the end, and it’s not our final home. Our temporal bodies are fading, the world is collapsing, and evil is temporarily victorious. However, that is all momentary until the day of our resurrection, where a permanent victory will be had and all evil and pain will be dismissed. Jesus was the fulfillment of our glorious future.

Tyler King