By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
— 1 Corinthians 6:14
A missionary from Africa tells the story of a Muslim man he knew who decided to become a Christian. The man faced terrible persecution from his friends and family who asked him, “Why have you abandoned your family, your culture, and your God to become a Christian?”
The man answered, “Well, suppose you were walking down the road, and suddenly the road forked in two directions and you didn’t know which one to take. At the fork in the road were two men – one dead man and one living. Which one would you ask for directions?”
The rising of Jesus from the dead is a claim of Christianity that no other major faith can make. Oh yes, there are other religions that have stories of people dying and coming back to life. But no central figure of any faith is believed to have risen from the dead and still live to this day.
When it comes to faith, we all have a choice. We can listen to the words of dead men who say “This is the way.” Or, we can follow the living Christ who says, “I am the way.” The resurrection makes all the difference because it validates that Jesus is who He said He is. Trust Jesus and thank God for the reality of the resurrection, which makes the Christian life worth living!
Prayer Challenge
Thank God for the reality of the resurrection, which validates everything Jesus said and did and proves He is the Savior of the world.
Questions for Thought
How does the resurrection make Jesus different from any other religious figure?
The Bible says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11). What hope does that give you today?