Jesus Christ’s Resurrection

A certain Buddhist priest and a Christian (someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour) were talking about their different beliefs. Afterwards the Buddhist priest said, “Now I know the main difference between Buddhism and Christianity. You believe in a resurrection, but we do not.” This is certainly true. There is no teaching of resurrection in Buddhism. Buddha – who is the center of Buddhism – died and never rose again. Even now, Buddha’s remains, which were divided, can be found preserved in various countries around the world. However, the remains of Jesus Christ – who is the center of Christianity – cannot be found anywhere on earth. This is because three days after He died on the cross, He rose from the dead, and His grave is empty even now!

Some of you may wonder and have several questions about this. Here are some answers from the Bible (God’s Word).

How did Jesus Christ rise from the dead?

Jesus Christ was bodily resurrected from the dead through the power of God. Jesus is God who became human; He is often referred to as the “only begotten Son of God.” According to the Bible, “… God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”¹ And Jesus said, “… I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again …” ²

So, if Jesus Christ is still living today, you might be curious to know, “Where exactly is he?”

The following is recorded in the Bible: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”³ So where is Jesus now? Heaven. After His resurrection, He remained on earth for 40 days, during which time He was seen by over 500 people who witnessed His resurrection. Then, as written in the passage above, Jesus said farewell to His disciples and returned to heaven in a cloud. And as promised, Jesus is in heaven now, but the day will come when He will return to this earth.

What is Jesus Christ doing now in Heaven?

The Bible also says, “… It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”⁴ Jesus is at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding before God for all those who believe in Him. That is, He is asking God, who being holy and just must judge and punish sin, to not give man the punishment he deserves. Because mankind needed a priest to stand between his own unrighteous self and a holy God, God sent Himself, through the man Christ Jesus, to be our priest. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all.…”⁵ Jesus is doing the work of a priest in Heaven. “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”⁶

Why is the resurrected Jesus Christ coming back to this earth?

As was prophesied, “… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”⁷ At that time, in the air, He will take up out of this world those who believe (both the living and the dead). Seven years later, Jesus will come to severely judge unbelievers (both the living and the dead). What about you? Are you ready to meet Jesus? “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”⁸ If you believe and receive Jesus Christ as your own Saviour, you can escape God’s wrath and judgment. No one knows when Jesus will return. Jesus is still alive, so while we still have time, let us make sure our hearts are ready for us to meet Him.

¹ I Timothy 3:16   ² John 10:17-18   ³ Acts 1:9-11   ⁴ Romans 8:34   ⁵ I Timothy 2:5-6   ⁶ Hebrews 7:24-27   ⁷ Acts 1:11   ⁸ Romans 10:9