Do Christians truly believe Jesus actually died and then rose from the grave?
Not only do they believe it, but it is the foundation upon which all truths of the Bible rest. Christians believe in the hope of their own eternal life. How could they truly believe that they had hope of eternal life, if Jesus Christ, himself, could not be resurrected?
If the resurrection account is false, then Jesus lied and so did all of the eyewitnesses. But, if it is true, then it must be taken seriously. It cannot be ignored. John 3:36 says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." To speak to this issue, the Apostle Paul wrote, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:14, 17).
2 Timothy 1:9b-10 says, "This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
