March 12th | The Heart of The Story. Jesus Really Did Arise From The Grave

So, for anyone still on the fence about Jesus: Was the crucifixion a big deal? Was He really raised from the dead? Paul isn't sharing myths here—he's passing on an early creed with evidence.

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1 Corinthians 15:3-4

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

This is the core—the heartbeat—of the Gospel. Jesus Christ, God's Son, died on the cross for our sins. He was truly buried (proving He really died), and then He was raised to life on the third day. We don't just take this on blind faith; Paul reminds us there were eyewitnesses who saw the risen Jesus.

The Old Testament pointed to this moment centuries in advance. Take Isaiah 53:5-6, 9 (written over 600 years before Jesus):

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ... He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.”

This “Servant Song” describes a sinless one who suffers in our place—pierced, crushed, buried with the wicked yet with the rich—all fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion and burial.

Even Jonah's story foreshadows it. Jonah 1:17: “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jesus Himself referenced this as a sign of His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:40).

After rising, Jesus explained it all to His followers. Luke 24:44: “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’”

So, for anyone still on the fence about Jesus: Was the crucifixion a big deal? Was He really raised from the dead? Paul isn't sharing myths here—he's passing on an early creed with evidence. In 1 Corinthians 15:6, he notes that Jesus “appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living.” These weren't anonymous claims; many witnesses were still around to confirm it. Matthew 28:16-20 records another key sighting: the risen Jesus appearing to the eleven disciples in Galilee, commissioning them (and us) to make disciples of all nations.

What amazes me most is how God wove these prophecies and foreshadows throughout Scripture—hundreds of years before Jesus was born. I believe in a risen Savior first by faith, but the historical reliability backs it up too. This isn't a fable; it's grounded in eyewitness accounts, fulfilled prophecy, and transformed lives.

Let this truth sink in today: Because He died for our sins and rose again, we have peace, healing, and eternal hope. Internalize His story—let it change how you live, love, and share the Good News.