“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” – Jesus (John 11:25, NIV)

Consider these words from the apostle Paul: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14, NIV).

Jesus’ teachings about the resurrection from the dead made a huge impact on Christians and their society. In A.D. 124, Emperor Hadrian of Rome wanted to know more about the growth of the Christian faith. He asked the Greek philosopher Aristides, “Tell me about these Christians. What do they do?” Aristides replied, “When one of the Christians dies and passes from this world, the rest of the Christians rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort the body as if it were setting out from one place to another, from this earth to heaven.”

Early Christians even changed the name of the burial places. Greeks called a burial place a “necropolis,” meaning “city of corpses.” Christians began to call theirs a “cemetery,” meaning “a dormitory of sleepers.” They knew that those who sleep in Christ will one day be awakened to live with their Lord forever.

While death is inevitable, Christians know that death is not a permanent situation. By his teaching, miracles, and even by his own resurrection, Jesus clearly taught the resurrection of the human body. He made it clear that while death is real, there is life after death and that our bodies will one day be raised by the power of God.

The promise of eternal life means nothing without the power to make it happen. Christ’s promise of eternal life has power because he himself was raised from the dead. Those who die in Christ will be bodily resurrected and have eternal life through him.

Let’s continue living on the the wonder of that beautiful truth. It is our Easter hope.

Christ is risen from the dead! Jesus is Lord!

--Board of General Superintendents