What happened on Easter Sunday?
The following article is written by Max Jeganathan, author and speaker at OCCA, The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.
Easter Sunday and the Days That Followed
The death of Jesus by the brutal standards of the Roman Empire, was not unusual. Countless people were crucified by the Roman Empire in the same way that Jesus was. If Jesus was any criminal like the countless who died on a cross, the story should have ended with his death on Friday. But that’s not what happened. God had other plans.
What Happened on Easter Sunday?
Early on Sunday morning – two nights later and on the third day after Jesus’ death – some women who were followers of Jesus went to his tomb to anoint his body. This was standard Jewish practice at the time, usually done with spices and perfumes.
However, when they arrived, they found the tomb empty and angels appeared to them telling them that Jesus had risen from the dead. Following this, they went and told some of Jesus’ closest followers. Two of them – Peter and John – ran to the tomb and also found it empty. Another eye-witness account tells of Mary Magdelene – a follower of Jesus – upon leaving the empty tomb, encountering the risen Jesus.
Appearances of the Risen Jesus and Evidence for the Resurrection
Jesus’ biographies (the first four books in the New Testament of The Bible) include various other appearances of the risen Jesus: To a group of his followers on the beach where he has breakfast with then; to a pair of his followers on the road to a town called Emmaus; to his disciples in a closed room twice, showing them the scars on his hands and feet; and to more than 500 others.
As you would expect, the resurrection of Jesus is contested by those who seek to oppose – or ignore – the Christian message. This is understandable. However, it is not a reasonable response unless one is willing to look closely at the available evidence, and to test that evidence by the same standards that we test other historical claims. When we do this, many are overwhelmed and astonished by the evidence that supports the resurrection of Jesus. (Here are some links to some OCCA resources that you might like to explore:………)
The Great Commission and the Days After Easter
The days that followed the first Easter are full of wonder, joy, promise and purpose. Jesus’ followers now fully understand the divine identity of Jesus, and the imperative to spread his message of love and redemption through relationship. In keeping with this, the risen Jesus instructed his followers to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. This is the task that Christians sometimes refer to as ‘The Great Commission’ – and it drives much of the work of churches, Christian charities and organisations like OCCA, The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.
Easter Sunday marked not merely the inauguration of Christianity as a self-contained, historically verified and transformative system of belief, it also punctuated the moment when the Christian message became urgently relevant for all of humankind. That is why Jesus’ followers – in the days, weeks and years that followed Easter Sunday – fanned out across the world to spread His message. And it is why they continue to do so today.
The Invitation of Easter
The Apostle John recounts a conversation that Jesus has with His disciples after his resurrection. There, Jesus makes a powerful declaration that applies to all of us today as much as it did all those years ago. Jesus said “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The question for each of us is, what are we going to do with the risen Jesus, and his offer of forgiveness, redemption and relationship.
Happy Easter.
Learning More
OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics was established in 2004 to raise up the next generation of evangelist-apologists. By 2021, around 350 emerging evangelists from around the world had studied on the OCCA one-year programme. This course equipped each of them to share and defend the gospel message and to come alongside others to help them with their intellectual objections and heartfelt concerns about the Christian faith. Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to see our latest articles from our team of speakers.
Max Jeganathan