What Does the Resurrection of Jesus Mean?

Scripture reading: Matthew 28:1-10 ESV

The resurrection of Jesus is the historical and bodily raising of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. His resurrection confirms His identity and saving work, demonstrates His victory over death, and establishes the believer’s certain hope of resurrection and eternal life.

Within the Holy Week meaning revealed throughout Scripture, the empty tomb is not merely the conclusion of the week’s events. Instead, it declares that the crucified Christ is the risen Lord and that death could not defeat the Savior God had appointed.

Matthew 28 brings us to the climactic morning of the week. As our daily devotion series has traced Christ’s final days, we have seen His entrance into Jerusalem, teaching, betrayal, crucifixion, and burial unfold as one redemptive work. Now the stone has been rolled away.

This final day also brings the truths explored throughout our daily devotionals into sharp focus. Christian faith, prayer, obedience, suffering, and hope ultimately depend upon a Savior who did not remain in the grave.

Jesus is alive.

Dawn at the Tomb

The Sabbath had ended.

As the first light of Sunday morning came, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb where Jesus had been buried. They had witnessed the sorrow surrounding His death, yet they were not prepared for what God would reveal.

Matthew tells us that an earthquake occurred as an angel of the Lord descended, rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Meanwhile, the guards trembled with fear.

Then came the announcement:

“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.”
Matthew 28:6

The women had come to a place associated with death. Instead, they were confronted with the power and faithfulness of God.

Jesus was alive.

The precautions taken after His burial make the scene even more remarkable. Jesus’ tomb was guarded, the entrance had been sealed, and soldiers had been stationed there to secure it. Yet the very measures intended to keep the tomb undisturbed only sharpen the contrast Matthew places before us.

Men had done what they could to secure the grave.

God raised His Son from the dead.

The stone, the seal, and the guards could not prevent what God had ordained. By the time the women arrived, the question was no longer whether the tomb could be kept secure.

Christ was no longer in it.

What Does the Resurrection of Jesus Mean?

The resurrection means that Christ’s crucifixion was not His defeat.

Jesus truly died and was buried. On the third day, however, God raised Him bodily from the dead.

Paul joins Christ’s death and resurrection together in Romans 4:25:

“He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

Therefore, Easter cannot be reduced to a general message about new beginnings, second chances, or finding hope within ourselves.

It is about Christ.

The Savior who gave Himself for sinners now lives.

The question of why Jesus died leads directly to the empty tomb because the cross and resurrection belong together. Christ bore the guilt of His people in His substitutionary death, and His resurrection declares that death could not hold the One who had accomplished the saving work entrusted to Him.

The crucified Christ is risen.

Why Does the Empty Tomb Matter?

Christianity rests upon the reality that Jesus rose from the dead. Consequently, the resurrection cannot be removed from the gospel without destroying the gospel itself.

Paul states the consequences plainly:

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
1 Corinthians 15:17

Christian hope does not rest upon the disciples preserving Jesus’ teachings after His death. Rather, it rests upon a living Savior.

Matthew presents a tomb that no longer contained the body placed within it. Moreover, the women encounter the risen Jesus, and later the disciples see Him as well.

The gospel does not present resurrection as a symbol created to preserve Jesus’ memory.

Christ actually rose.

Why Were Women the First Witnesses?

Matthew names Mary Magdalene and the other Mary because they were present.

They knew where Jesus had been buried, came to that tomb, heard the angel’s announcement, and then encountered the risen Christ. Their presence therefore connects the burial directly to the resurrection.

The place where they had seen death became the place where they first heard:

“He has risen.”

Matthew’s attention remains fixed on the central reality. The Jesus who had been crucified was no longer dead.

How Does the Resurrection Reveal God’s Power?

Death entered the world through sin, but death has never been God’s equal.

Human beings cannot finally overcome it, and no earthly authority can command it away. God, however, raised Christ.

Romans 6:9 declares:

“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

Because Christ rose, Christian hope has an objective foundation. Believers do not merely hope that something may exist beyond death. Instead, their hope rests upon the risen Christ who has already passed through death and emerged victorious.

Consequently, those united to Him belong to the One over whom death has no dominion.

How Does the Resurrection Reveal Who Jesus Is?

The resurrection vindicates Christ and confirms His divine authority.

Romans 1:4 speaks of Jesus as being:

“declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.”

Jesus is not merely a teacher whose ideas survived Him. He is Lord.

Because He lives, His promises can be trusted and His commands carry divine authority. Likewise, His warnings concerning sin and judgment cannot be dismissed.

For this reason, the resurrection demands more than admiration. The risen Christ calls sinners to repentance and faith.

From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Morning

The week began publicly with Christ entering Jerusalem as King. The Palm Sunday meaning becomes even clearer when viewed from the empty tomb.

What kind of King had entered Jerusalem?

He did not come merely to gain earthly power. Instead, Christ entered as the promised King who would give His life for His people and triumph over death.

The resurrection therefore does not erase the cross. It reveals the victory of the crucified King.

What appeared to Christ’s enemies to be defeat was never outside the redemptive purpose of God.

The Risen Christ and the Great Commission

Matthew 28 does not end at the empty tomb.

Later, the risen Jesus meets His disciples and declares:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

He then commands them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that He commanded.

Resurrection therefore leads to mission because Christ lives and reigns.

The church is not preserving the memory of a dead teacher. Rather, it proclaims a living King. Moreover, the Great Commission rests not upon human confidence but upon Christ’s authority and abiding presence with His people.

What Does the Resurrection Mean for Christians?

Because Christ lives, believers possess a hope death cannot destroy.

Their salvation does not depend upon their ability to remain spiritually strong enough to reach God. Instead, it rests upon Christ and His completed saving work.

Christians still grieve, suffer, and die unless Christ returns first. Nevertheless, death is no longer their final destination.

Christ has already passed through death and risen victorious.

Therefore, our hope is not our ability to remain faithful enough. Our hope is the faithful Christ who died and rose again.

How Should We Respond to the Resurrection?

The resurrection calls for faith, repentance, worship, obedience, and hope.

We believe what God has revealed concerning His Son and repent of trusting our own righteousness. Then, by faith, we submit ourselves to the authority of the risen King.

Resurrection faith is not vague optimism. Rather, it is trust in the living Christ that reshapes how we worship, suffer, obey, and face death.

Journal Reflection

Resurrection morning calls us to live beneath the authority of the risen Christ.

Ask whether your confidence before God rests upon Christ or upon your own spiritual performance. Consider how His victory over death changes the way you face suffering, fear, and mortality. Finally, ask where obedience to the living Christ needs to become more visible in your life.

A prayer journal can provide a structured place to bring those questions before God while returning your thoughts to Scripture and prayer.

When choosing a resource for that purpose, our best prayer journal guide explains what to consider when comparing different approaches to Scripture meditation, prayer, and reflection.

Closing Prayer

Risen Lord Jesus, You conquered death and reign with all authority. Keep us from treating Your resurrection as familiar language while overlooking its glory. Fix our hope upon Your finished work rather than our own strength. Give us courage to obey You, confidence to face death, and compassion to proclaim the gospel. Above all, teach us to live as those whose Savior is alive. Amen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why the Resurrection Changes Everything

The resurrection is not a decorative ending to the gospel story.

Jesus truly died and was buried. On the third day, however, He rose.

Because the crucified Savior lives and reigns, Christian hope does not rest upon optimism, emotion, or human strength. Instead, it rests upon Christ.

Death could not hold Him.

Therefore, those who belong to Him can trust His promises, obey His commands, and face death knowing that their Savior lives.

He has risen.