The Day That Changed Everything: Why the Resurrection Still Matters in 2025
Every year, billions of people around the globe gather to celebrate one singular event that has shaped history, faith, and lives for over two millennia—Easter. But this isn’t just about pastel colors, chocolate bunnies, or even tradition. It’s about celebrating the greatest day in human history—the day when one man did what no one had done before or since: He predicted His death, His burial, and His resurrection… and then actually pulled it off.
That man was Jesus.
Wait—Did He Really Come Back?
If you’re skeptical, you’re not alone. I was, too. I grew up in church asking all the hard questions—many of which weren’t always welcomed. Answers like “just have more faith” often felt like a spiritual cop-out, more Kool-Aid than confidence. I wanted to believe, but I also wanted something real—some evidence that faith wasn’t just a blind leap.
So if you’ve ever wondered, “Did Jesus really come back to life?”—you’re in good company. Even His closest friends, the disciples, didn’t believe it at first.
Even His Friends Didn’t Believe Him
Jesus spent three years with His disciples—healing the blind, curing disease, even raising others from the dead. But when He told them, “I’m going to die and rise again,” no one believed Him. Not one of them camped out by the tomb on Sunday morning with balloons and welcome signs.
Instead, two women went to embalm His body.
But the tomb was empty.
When they told the others what they’d seen—angels, an empty grave, a risen Savior—they were dismissed. It wasn’t until Jesus appeared to His disciples, one by one, that they finally believed. Even then, Thomas said he wouldn’t believe until he could touch Jesus’ wounds. And Jesus let him.
So if you’re skeptical, you’re not disqualified. You’re just like the people who were closest to Him.
Eyewitnesses and Evidence
So why do we believe this today, 2,000 years later? Because there is evidence and there were eyewitnesses.
These first Christians didn’t just keep the story to themselves. They staked their lives on it. And many of them were tortured and killed—not for a political cause, but because they refused to deny what they had seen: that Jesus was alive.
No one dies for a lie. And the only reason over two billion people around the world gather this weekend is because a few hundred saw the risen Jesus and told the world.
What If the Resurrection Is True?
Let’s say it really happened. What difference does that make in 2025?
Everything.
If Jesus really did conquer death, then it means His words matter. His promises are real. And His power is available today.
We’ve spent weeks looking at Jesus’ final words on the cross—words of forgiveness, love, family, hope. But the last thing He said before dying?
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” —Luke 23:46
Not fear. Not anger. Trust.
Even in excruciating pain, Jesus chose trust. That same trust is available to us today—especially when life is falling apart.
Three Things the Resurrection Means for You and Me
1. We Can Completely Trust God
Jesus trusted God even in His darkest hour. What if we did the same? What if we could trust Him when the doctor says “cancer,” when the marriage is barely holding on, when the finances are dry? Trust is rare in our culture—but Jesus modeled it when it mattered most.
2. Death Is Not the End
If Jesus stayed dead, Christianity would be a farce. But He didn’t. Sunday happened. And because of that, we don’t have to fear death. It’s not the end—it’s a transition. We know how the story ends. And that gives us peace.
3. We Can Have Confidence in God’s Plan
Some of you are in an amazing season of life. Others are walking through pain you wouldn’t wish on anyone. But the resurrection says: God’s still writing your story. Even on Friday, when things look dead, Sunday is coming.
Still Skeptical? You’re Not Alone
There was once an atheist named Josh McDowell. He set out to disprove the resurrection through his PhD thesis. But after two years of research, he couldn’t refute it. In fact, the evidence overwhelmed him—and he became a Christian. His work became the book Evidence That Demands a Verdict, now one of the most comprehensive defenses of the resurrection available.
His message? It takes more faith to be an atheist than to be a Christian.
So… What Now?
If you’ve never considered the resurrection seriously, this is your invitation. Do the research. Ask the hard questions. You’ll find that Jesus is not afraid of your doubts.
But if you’ve heard the story before, the better question this Easter is:
Has the resurrection changed you?
Because the resurrection isn’t just history—it’s power for today. Power to bring dead things back to life:
A dead marriage.
A dead dream.
A dead sense of purpose.
A dead soul.
How Do We Respond?
Three simple but powerful responses:
Surrender your life to God. Not out of fear, but out of trust—just like Jesus did on the cross.
Live with resurrection hope. That dead things can live again.
Celebrate the victory of Jesus. He didn’t stay dead. He walked out of that grave. And if that’s true, it changes everything.
Next week, we’ll dive into a new series: “It’s Easier Than You Think.” Because talking about Jesus doesn’t have to be weird or hard. It’s just a conversation.
But for today—Easter 2025—the question still stands:
Has the resurrection changed you?
Because Jesus didn’t come back from the dead to start a religion. He came back to start a relationship—with you.