And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:17–20)

When Jesus was placed in the grave on Friday, the evidence of his death was clear. The soldiers in charge of killing prisoners knew death, and this man was dead (John 19:31-37).

The enemies of Jesus wanted to make sure this matter was finished. They heard the promise of a resurrection, and they wanted to take no chances. The tomb was sealed, and a guard was posted long enough to make sure what was dead stayed dead (Matthew 27:62-66).

It didn’t work.

On that first Easter morning, the stone was rolled away, and he who was once dead now was alive. Just as he promised, on the third day, he rose from the dead (Matthew 28:2-7).

This was an inconvenient truth. With all of the precautions in place, how could they explain life from death? The solution was to deny it. The soldiers were bribed into lying about the resurrection (Matthew 28:11-15).

Mark Twain once said,

The difference between truth and fiction is that the latter must always be credible in order to work.

To make the lie work for the enemies of Jesus, he had to be still dead. You can claim others stole his body, but you run into trouble when that supposed dead man is seen by others. According to the Apostle Paul, the risen Jesus was seen by more than 500 people, and many of those people who had seen him were around to talk about it 25 years later (1 Corinthians 15:6).

With more than 500 witnesses, the evidence is compelling. The story of his resurrection enduring for centuries, despite vicious attacks by his enemies, is compelling.

As we navigate the life issues of our time, there is something about the “truth” of the resurrection that changes our perspective. Even in the worst of times, we do not need pity, for in death, we have life (John 11:25).

Celebrate Easter for the truth that it is. He has risen! He has risen, indeed!