BECAUSE HE LIVES

We often fail to appreciate the implications of the resurrection of Christ, and what it means if He did not rise from the dead. St Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians put it this way:

and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. (15:13-14,17)

The words in the Gospel therefore presented an imperative and non negotiable outcome: 

"... that He must rise again from the dead"(John 20:9b)

or in other words, ‘It behooves him to rise from the dead’ Any other outcome defeated the intent of God hence, why it was not possible for him to remain in the grave.

If Christ is not risen, indeed then our faith is useless for there is nothing to be preached and nothing to believe.

The resurrection therefore becomes the starting point of our faith – we believe because He lives.

#sly