This Easter many Christians will speak with friends and family about the cross and empty tomb. While historians generally agree that Jesus really lived, skeptics doubt his death and resurrection—not to mention the implications for all people if those events are true. So, let’s dive into some questions to better engage our unbelieving loved ones.

Did Jesus Really Die?

It’s not uncommon to encounter those who doubt that Jesus died. Some say he fainted on the cross and was revived by the coolness of the tomb. Others suggest his body was switched with someone else who was crucified in his place. Perhaps his face was so disfigured that people falsely identified him (Isa. 52:14). Of course, if Jesus didn't die, then the resurrection never happened. Yet these speculations seem implausible at best.

Roman crucifixion was designed to kill. The scourging tore Christ’s back into tattered ribbons. Soldiers crushed a crown of thorns into his skull and made him carry a heavy crossbeam until he collapsed beneath its weight. They nailed him to that cursed tree, then dropped it into place to dislocate all his bones. And as he hung exposed, our Lord became thirsty and weak—exhausted in every way. Every breath he took was labor, pushing all his weight upon those nails just to gasp for air. The Romans were good at this—skilled at killing people painfully. They’d be punished if they failed. So, one evidence for Christ’s death is the horrible effectiveness of crucifixion.

Next, consider the response of witnesses. Jesus’s mother wept for her son who died. Two friends viewed his corpse up close as they washed it clean of blood, then wrapped the body in linen and perfume (John 19:38–42). The other disciples sorrowfully mourned his death. Christ’s enemies also knew it was Jesus who had been crucified and buried. So they set a guard, rolled a heavy stone in place, and sealed the tomb shut to prevent any disturbance from his followers (Matt. 27:63–64). Friends and enemies all responded like Jesus had truly died.

But the best evidence is the Bible’s own testimony. The Old Testament prophesied the Messiah’s death centuries before crucifixion was invented (Ps. 22; Isa. 53). Jesus also told his disciples he would die (Luke 24:6–7). And the New Testament assumes this fact as history (Rom. 1:1–5; 1 Pet. 3:18). To deny the crucifixion is to deny God’s word itself. Did Jesus really die? Of course, he did. The Romans, the disciples, the Jews, and the Bible all attest to this.

Did Jesus Rise Again?

Our next question, then, is whether Jesus rose again. Belief in the resurrection is the most important decision of our lives (1 Cor. 15:3–4). If true, we have eternal hope. Yet if a lie, then we are pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). If true, then no promise is too big for God to keep. Yet if a lie, we cannot trust his other claims.

Still, not everyone believes. Some wonder if the women went to the wrong tomb or if the disciples stole the body. Skeptics try to discredit the witnesses by positing a grand deception. But could those grieving women have gone to the wrong tomb in that pre-dawn darkness? Perhaps they accidentally stumbled on an empty tomb and convinced themselves that Christ had risen. Yet surely, someone would have exposed their error, especially the Jewish leaders. It seems unreasonable that everyone would mistake the tomb.

But maybe the disciples stole the body? However, these were the same disciples who cowered in the upper room after Jesus died. They would have had to slip past trained guards and push aside the boulder which sealed the tomb. They would have suffered for what they knew to be a lie as they spread the gospel and started the early church. Most people would not die for what they knew to be a scam. Yet tradition states that Peter was crucified upside-down, James run through with a sword, John exiled to the Isle of Patmos, and many others honored by a martyr’s death. If the disciples collaborated to snatch the body, why did no one squeal to save their own life?

Lastly, what about those witnesses? In the first century world, the women, though first to see the risen Christ, were not permitted to testify in a Jewish court. Even the disciples, initially, did not believe them (Luke 24:10–11). So, if the early church was making up a lie, they certainly could have conjured better witnesses. The women’s testimony would not have been included in the Gospels unless it’s what really happened. We also can’t assume the witnesses were deceived. This wasn’t mass hallucination or a grand conspiracy, for Paul declares that over 500 witnesses saw the risen Christ at the same time (1 Cor. 15:3–8). Anyone could have denied those claims as Christianity spread like wildfire through the Roman Empire, yet they did not. The weight of evidence indicates that Jesus really died and that his resurrection really happened!

Has Jesus Made a Difference in Our Lives?

Therefore, a final question remains: “Has Jesus made a difference in our lives?” If Jesus is no longer in the tomb, then he is who he said he was. If he truly rose from the dead, then our allegiance must belong to him. For either he is missing from the tomb or missing from our lives, but he can't be both. There is no middle ground.

Christ’s resurrection is the reason we can be “born again to a living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3) through faith. As our promised inheritance, it’s why the faithful can rejoice though grieved by various trials (1 Pet. 1:4–6). For the tested genuineness of our faith, when proven more precious than gold, will “result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7). Because of the resurrection we trust in him by faith for the eternal salvation of our souls (1 Pet. 1:8–9).

Christ’s resurrection not only grants the believer eternal life, but also changes how we live today. First, it transforms our love. On the cross, Christ demonstrated sacrificial love (Rom. 5:8). And because he first loved us, we respond with love toward him and extend that love to others (1 John 4:19). No longer will our first love be ourselves as we imitate Christ’s love toward others.  

The resurrection also transforms our joy as we cultivate a relationship with Christ. This joy in Jesus is unshakable. Even if we lose every earthly treasure we thought we needed, we still have eternal joy when we cling to Christ because he is not marked by this world, but the next.

Finally, the resurrection transforms our hope. Instead of spending all our strength escaping death, we turn our longing to that blessed life to come. Jesus died, so that we might live again (1 Cor. 15:26). He paid the penalty for our sin so that we might be forgiven. For at the cross, he conquered sin and death, and at the resurrection, he began his victory tour. Because of Jesus, we cling to living hope.

So, as we engage with skeptical loved ones, let’s be sure to answer their questions but also offer them resurrection hope. For the good news of the cross and empty tomb is eternal love, eternal joy, and eternal hope to all who believe today. Jesus is missing from the tomb because he’s seated on the throne of heaven. And ifhe’s no longer in the tomb, then his rightful place is in our lives and in the lives of those around us.