The biblical accounts of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead read a little like the beginning of an apocalyptic disaster movie. Everyone is understandably freaking out.
There’s panic as people run around trying to get the story straight. Some people take action, others wrestle with doubt, and many decide to take shelter and stay put.
But this was the opposite of a disaster. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead actually kicked off the restoration and renewal of everything.
The accounts of Jesus’ resurrection read less like a coordinated press release and more like eyewitness coverage after a shocking event.
So let’s unpack what the Bible says about this extraordinary event and what it could mean for you today. As we explore the stories from the gospels, you’ll notice that the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection read less like a coordinated press release and more like eyewitness coverage after a shocking event.
The Bible describes what happened three days after Jesus’ death by crucifixion: His tomb was found empty, He was seen alive again, and His followers had multiple interactions with Him over a period of time. The resurrection is the key event that galvanized a small, discouraged band of men and women to regroup and launch the Christian movement.
Where Is the Resurrection of Jesus in the Bible?
The resurrection of Jesus is recorded at the end of all four gospels: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21.
Story Summary: The Resurrection of Jesus
- Jesus is crucified and dies (read the story here).
- Jesus’ body is placed in a guarded tomb.
- A stone is rolled in front of the entrance.
- On the third day, some women visit the tomb early in the morning. Mary Magdalene is one of them.
- They find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.
- Angels announce that Jesus has risen.
- Jesus appears alive to His followers.
The Main Point of the Resurrection of Jesus
The resurrection account describes Jesus coming back to life days after His death and burial—a remarkable event that convinced Jesus’ followers that His words, His way of life, and His view of God could be trusted.
3 Lessons the Resurrection of Jesus Teaches Us
1. God Chooses Unlikely People to Share His Good News
The first witnesses to the resurrection were very unexpected people.
If you were going to announce something big to the world, who would you ask to deliver the news?
Probably a trusted news outlet along with a handful of major social media influencers. When Jesus returned from the dead, He went with a different strategy.
Three days after His death, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to complete the burial process. Instead, she found it empty and ran to tell the other followers of Jesus. All four gospels agree on that detail, although each includes different details that we’ll explore more in a minute.
The resurrection was first announced by people with no status and no reason to expect they’d be believed, yet Christianity grew from their declarations.
In first-century Jewish culture, women were not considered reliable public witnesses. If you were planning to invent a convincing story, you wouldn’t have based it on their claims. But the way events actually played out fits with the way Jesus had been working all along: consistently focusing on people overlooked by society. The resurrection was first announced by people with no status and no reason to expect they’d be believed, yet Christianity grew from their declarations.
So if you’ve ever assumed faith belongs only to the spiritual elite, people with Bible degrees, or people who know how to pray the “right” way, Jesus’ resurrection story says otherwise. It shows that faith is for everyone.
Next step: Read one of the gospel resurrection accounts and notice who was asked to speak and who had to learn to listen. Then ask yourself which response seems to come most naturally to you.
2. Differing Details About the Resurrection Don’t Mean the Story Was Told Wrong
The resurrection was a confusing experience that first day. If you line up the gospel accounts and try to build a clean timeline, it gets messy fast.
Who got there first? One angel or two? Did the women speak or stay silent? Did Jesus appear in Jerusalem or Galilee?
The authors were well aware of the differences in their stories, yet they added them anyway.
For a long time, I treated those details as problems to solve. But then I realized that the authors were well aware of the differences in their stories, yet they added them anyway. Why?
I think one reason is that these stories sound like what they are: people describing the most disorienting morning of their lives.
- Mary Magdalene was crying, assuming Jesus’ body had been taken.
- Other women were running in fear and joy at the same time.
- Peter and John sprinted to the tomb.
- The disciples dismissed the women’s report as impossible.
- Two followers walked with Jesus for miles without recognizing Him.
The central claim is the same in every account: Jesus is alive. The details? They come from different angles, but that’s what makes these stories feel real and human.
Faith in Jesus often begins the same way. Not as a system that fully makes sense, but as bits and pieces held together by a growing conviction that’s hard to explain.
You might not know every detail of the Bible or have all the right theology. You might just hear one part of the story here and another part there. You may think you understand it, then realize you don’t and keep searching for more. You’re not “behind” or lacking if your understanding of faith feels incomplete. Faith is a process of growth over time.
Next step: Read two resurrection accounts back to back. Notice what each person feels and sees.
3. Everyone’s Journey of Faith Is Different
No one responds to the resurrection the same way.
If I were to create my own fictionalized account of Jesus’ resurrection to give the gospel a clean, happy ending, here’s what I’d do.
First, I would have Jesus rise from the dead and then show up to His followers, who would all believe in Him immediately. No one would be afraid of Him or doubt His resurrection. Then, He’d give His followers their mission and go up to heaven. It’d be simple, clear, and inspirational.
But that’s not what happened.
Instead, there was a lot of time spent wondering, doubting, debating, having a random footrace, and even fishing.
Why? Maybe because that’s how people respond to Jesus. Some run, some doubt, many need time, and a lot keep going back to what’s familiar.
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was extraordinary, but He didn’t demand immediate acceptance and allegiance from others. Instead, He met a skeptical, doubting Thomas and let Thomas test Him. He made breakfast for other followers and gave them both encouragement and a challenge. Then He trusted this misfit bunch of flawed people to lead the Christian movement into its next stage, even though they were still unsure what the resurrection even meant for them.
Faith in the resurrection, and in Jesus as a whole, isn’t presented as a line that goes straight from learning information to having confident belief.
What does this mean for you? Faith in the resurrection, and in Jesus as a whole, isn’t presented as a line that goes straight from learning information to having confident belief. Instead, it looks much more organic and involves conversations, time spent over meals, questions, trial and error, and a lot of second chances.
That means if your experience with faith has been full of stops and starts, or if you’ve stepped back into old routines because you didn’t know what else to do, you’re not alone. And the good news is that God is still inviting you to join Him.
Next step: Find the person in the resurrection accounts whose response feels most like yours right now and reflect on their story for a few minutes. Then, pay attention to how Jesus interacts with them.
Common Questions About the Resurrection of Jesus
Why did Jesus rise on the third day?
Jesus rose on the third day to fulfill His own words and the Scriptures, and to make it unmistakably clear that He had truly died and now truly lives (Mark 8:31 NIV; 1 Corinthians 15:4 NIV, Hosea 6:2).
Who discovered the empty tomb first?
The gospel accounts consistently name women, including Mary Magdalene, as the first to discover the empty tomb. In the first-century world, women weren’t considered the most credible public witnesses, which is why many historians see this detail as unlikely to have been invented.
Was Jesus a zombie?
It’s understandable to think of zombie movies when you consider someone rising from the dead. Resurrection is an uncommon event, to say the least. But Jesus was not a zombie. When He came back to life, He was the same loving, kind, wise Jesus as before He died. He had marks on his hands where the nails had been, but He was still fully God and fully man. He conquered death and was fully restored to life.
Was the resurrection spiritual or physical?
The resurrection of Jesus is described as physical. The Bible shows us that Jesus ate fish, spoke, and was able to be touched after coming back to life.
Why do the Bible’s resurrection accounts seem to contradict each other?
The accounts capture eyewitness memories from a confusing, fast-moving day. People arrived at different times and saw different things. The gospels share different things that various people personally experienced, but all agree that three days after Jesus died, His tomb was empty and He was alive.
What does it mean when Christians say “Jesus is risen”?
It means Jesus is alive now, not just that He came back once. The risen Jesus is still present and inviting people into new life.
Reflect or Discuss
- Who could you talk with honestly about your questions or experiences with faith?
- Which moment in the Bible’s resurrection accounts feels the most relatable to you right now?
- What would make you interested in exploring this story further?