Did Jesus Rise on Easter?
Lesson 3 -- Easter Sunday Study
(Bite-Sized Bible Course)

Did Jesus rise on Easter morning? Yes! He had to.

Why? Everything rises or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If He did not rise, the Bible tells us our faith would be empty (1 Corinthians 15:14). But if He did rise, then He is who He said He is.

The Son of God, Savior, and Lord of all.

Maybe you aren't convinced? Maybe you are, but want facts so that you can prove Jesus rose from the grave. If that's you, this is the study for you. That's what Lesson 3 in our What Is Easter Sunday? Bite-Sized Bible course.

Did Jesus rise on Easter morning? Let's find out.

The Promise of the Resurrection

This should never have been a surprise. Jesus predicted that He would rise from the dead during His ministry. He wasn't vague about it.

He repeated to His disciples that He would be abused, killed, but then rise on the third day (Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Matthew 20:18-19). He even told His enemies the same thing (John 2:19).

These prophetic statements are crucial. They show Jesus knew what was coming. His resurrection was not an afterthought. It was the plan of God.

The Death and Burial of Jesus

Jesus was crucified on Friday, the day of Preparation (Mark 15:42). He truly died. He didn't swoon. He didn't fall asleep. He died.

The Roman soldiers confirmed it when one of them pierced His side. There was no doubt. Blood and water flowed out (John 19:34). This showed His heart had stopped. The sure sign of physical death.

Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, asked for the body. He and Nicodemus wrapped it in linen and placed it in a tomb cut from rock (John 19:38-42). A heavy stone sealed the entrance.

If Jesus had swooned, these men would have surely known. They buried Jesus anyway. Why?

He was dead.

The Jewish leaders feared His followers might fake a resurrection. So they asked Pilate for guards and secured it with an official seal (Matthew 27:62-66). Humanly speaking, no one could have stolen His body. Breaking that seal would have meant certain death. No one would have chanced that.

Jesus was dead. Everyone confirmed it. Everyone did what was in their power to make sure He remained dead.

Early Morning Discovery

All four Gospels answer the question, "Did Jesus rise on Easter morning?" And they all agree. The resurrection happened Sunday morning.

Each account gives its own angle, but together they form a consistent record:

• Matthew 28:1-6 – Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. A great earthquake occurred. An angel rolled back the stone and told them Jesus had risen.
• Mark 16:1-6 – The women came very early, at sunrise. They saw the stone rolled away and a young man (an angel) sitting inside who announced that Jesus was risen.
• Luke 24:1-6 – The women found the tomb empty and two angels said, “He is not here; He has risen.”
• John 20:1-8 – Mary Magdalene went while it was still dark and found an open tomb. She ran to tell Peter and John. They came, saw the empty tomb, and believed.

In every account, the tomb is empty. The body is gone. Angels declare He is risen. It all happened Sunday morning -- Easter morning.

Jesus is alive.

The Historical and Logical Evidence

Some claim the resurrection isn't real. They say it's simply a spiritual idea. A metaphor.

Did Jesus rise on Easter? These folks say no. It's just a nice story to inspire us.

It's much more than that. It stands on historical facts. Let’s look at the evidence.

The Empty Tomb

No one could deny the tomb was empty. The Jewish leaders admitted this by spreading the lie that the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:11-15). But that story collapses on inspection.

These same disciples were hiding in fear on Friday night. They had no courage, no plan, and no strength to overpower armed guards.

Eyewitness Testimony

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to many people:

1. To Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-18)
2. To the other women (Matthew 28:9-10)
3. To Peter (Luke 24:34)
4. To two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35
5. To the disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36-43)
6. Later to over 500 believers at once (1 Corinthians 15:6)

These appearances were physical and personal. The risen Christ was no ghost. He showed His wounds, ate food, and spoke with them (Luke 24:39-43; John 20:20, 27; Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-23; John 21:9-14).

Transformed Lives

Fearful disciples became fearless witnesses. Peter preached boldly in Jerusalem about the risen Christ (Acts 2:32). Many of them were beaten, imprisoned, and killed for proclaiming that truth.

People may die for a belief that they think is true. Not for something they know is false.

The Birth of the Church

The explosion of Christian faith in the very city where Jesus was crucified is unexplainable unless He truly rose. It would be too hard to hide if it were a lie. People in the city witnessed the whole ordeal.

The resurrection message began in Jerusalem — right where opponents could have disproved it. Yet they never produced His body. They couldn’t.

Did Jesus Rise on Easter Day?

All the evidence points to Sunday morning as the time of the resurrection.

Jesus died on Friday afternoon before the Sabbath began at sunset. He remained in the tomb during the Sabbath (Saturday). Then early Sunday, the women found the tomb empty (Mark 16:2).

This fits with Jesus’ own prediction that He would rise “on the third day.” Counting the days by Jewish custom — Friday (day one), Saturday (day two), Sunday (day three) — His promise holds true (Luke 24:7).

This is why Christians gather on Sunday. The resurrection gave the first day of the week new meaning. It is the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10).

The Power of the Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus isn't just proof of who He is. It's the power source of the Christian life.
Paul writes that Jesus was raised by the power of the Father so that we could experience new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). The same power that raised Jesus now works in those who believe in Him (Ephesians 1:19-20).

Because He rose:

• Our sins are truly forgiven (Romans 4:25).
• Death has lost its grip (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
• We have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).

If the resurrection didn't happen, our salvation would have no meaning. But Jesus did rise. The tomb was empty. The witnesses were changed. History itself still bears His impact.

What Does This Mean?

So did Jesus rise on Easter? Did He truly conquer death and bring about salvation? The facts point to exactly that.

That means Easter isn't merely a holiday. It's the triumph of life over death. The risen Christ calls each person to believe and follow Him. The evidence is clear. The invitation is personal.

Jesus calls you to experience new life through the resurrection.

Jesus called Himself the resurrection and the life. That's available if you trust in Him (John 11:25). That means Easter isn’t just what happened two thousand years ago. It's happening now.

And it can happen to you if you put your trust in Jesus Christ.

He rose. He lives. And because He lives, you can too. If you haven't put your trust in Jesus Christ, do that today.

God bless.

This is the last lesson. Find more Bite-Sized Bible courses here.

Go home! No, really. Here's the homepage.

Full disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate, links to Amazon may earn Biblephoria.com a commission on qualifying purchases. We do this to help support this cause. Thank you for your support.

Recent Articles

• 
• 
• 

1. How Do I Obey God? Lesson 3

   May 26, 26 08:41 PM

   
   How do I obey God? I mean, if I want to do it right, where do I start? Is there a right or wrong answer to this? Let's find out together.

   Read More

2. Can God Forgive My Sins?

   May 19, 26 06:11 PM

   
   Can God forgive my sins? Can He scrub away the guilt I feel and give me what I need? Forgiveness? Let's discover the answer to these questions together.

   Read More

3. Why Do I Feel Guilty?

   May 07, 26 12:48 AM

   
   Have you ever wondered "Why do I feel guilty?" Guilt is a constant in the human condition. But where does it come from? What takes it away? Let's find out.

   Read More

Find our Privacy Policy and User Agreement here.