Final Resting Place

READ: JOHN 3:16; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-22

The tomb was not Jesus’s final resting place. When He was killed on the cross, that was not the end.

Three days later, Jesus rose to life again. The stone that had been placed in front of the tomb was rolled away, and His body wasn’t there anymore. Jesus lived.

The disciples were amazed when they found out about this—even though Jesus had told them He would rise again on the third day. It was hard to believe that it could be true.

When you hear the story of Jesus’s death on the cross and how He came back to life three days later, does it fill you with hope?

God invites us to remember this good news, to tell it to each other over and over again, to behold how amazing and powerful Jesus is. The story of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is one that should fill us with awe. He loves us so much that He died for us, to take away our sins.

Jesus died once for all so that we don’t have to perish. God wants us to live forever with Him in the new heavens and the new earth, and He has made this possible through Jesus. When Jesus returns, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain (Revelation 21:1-5). On that day, all of God’s people will be raised to life, just as Jesus was.

The tomb was not Jesus’s final resting place. Because of His grace for us, the grave won’t be yours, either. If you’ve put your trust in Him, your sins are forgiven and you will live again. How amazing is that? • Bethany Acker

• As Christians, how can the hope of the resurrection fill us with peace, even as we experience death—both the deaths of our loved ones and, someday, our own death?

• Jesus died to take away your sins so that you could live with Him forever. If you have questions about putting your trust in Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? (You can also find out more on our “Know Jesus” page.)

“[Jesus] isn’t here [in the tomb]! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.” Matthew 28:6 (NLT)