Op-Ed: When Jesus Came Back from the Dead, Something Important Came with Him
Have you ever been in a situation so bleak it seemed as though it would never change?
Maybe things were going wonderfully in your life, and then suddenly you were hit with a severe illness or the loss of a loved one. You didn’t know how you were going to get through it.
Researchers have found that disappointment is one of the most challenging emotional experiences. The Cut pointed out that “the feeling is inextricably linked with the brain chemical dopamine.”
When something good happens to you, dopamine is released. You get an almost emotional rush. Or maybe something exciting is coming, like your birthday. So you post about it on social media, but no one acknowledges it. First, you get the double dopamine rush, and then you experience the double downer afterward. It’s an actual chemical reaction ushering in disappointment.
A lot of things can happen to cause us to feel that way. Maybe the pandemic disrupted essential plans. Maybe something traumatic happened in your family. Or perhaps you feel that God has let you down.
Spring is a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, so I may be the only one to tell you this today: You’re going to die. It’s going to happen to all of us.
For those with faith in Christ, that reality doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking but a reminder of the hope of eternal life.
Of all events in history, there’s none more significant than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. When Jesus came to this earth, lived a perfect life, died a perfect death and rose again from the dead, he changed everything.
This selfless act was for me, for you, for everyone.
Imagine the disappointment the disciples felt when Jesus was murdered and taken away from them. But he promised that he would rise from the dead.
The women who went to the tomb together to anoint his dead body were not expecting to see a risen Lord. But an angel told them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him” (Mark 16:6).
Jesus changed everything. That’s the meaning of Easter and the reason for my unshakable hope. The resurrection of Jesus teaches us that our hope goes beyond the grave.
Jesus took death on and defeated it. When Jesus came back from the dead, hope came with him. This hope is for everyone, especially the broken.
Jesus rose in an actual body in a physical world in a tangible way.
The Bible tells us, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20–21).
The resurrection of Jesus assures me:
- I am accepted by God. Romans 4:25 says he was “delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
- I have all the power I need to live a Christian life. Romans 8:11 says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
- I will live forever in heaven and receive a new body like his. Colossians 3:4 assures us with these words: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
- I will have resurrected relationships. “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, disappointment does not have the final say. Easter gets the last word.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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