“He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying.”

Matthew 28:6 GNT

The first Easter morning dawned on a world heavy with the reality of death.

No one felt that reality more than Jesus’s friends and disciples. Once hopeful that they would see Jesus conquer the Romans and free the Jewish people, these followers were terrified that those who had killed Jesus would come for them next (John 20:19). We can only imagine the shock, confusion, and fear they experienced as they grieved the death of Jesus.

But by the end of the day, everything was different. The tomb was empty, and Jesus was alive. This miraculous resurrection did more than turn the disciples’ world upside-down. It became the heart of the good news that we continue to share through God’s Word today.

As we look forward to Easter, here are three truths about the resurrection you can share with others.

The resurrection shows us that God keeps his promises.

The Sovereign LORD will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken.

Isaiah 25:8 (GNT)

The whole Bible tells the story of God’s plan to redeem his people. In Jesus’s resurrection, we catch a glimpse of the triumphant ending of the story that is true today: death is defeated, and—through Jesus—we are offered eternal life. Now, even though we still live in a world groaning under the weight of sin and death, we can find confidence in the way God fulfills every promise he made in Scripture through Jesus Christ—past, present, and future.

The resurrection shows us that what Jesus taught is true.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 (GNT)

Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught that his death and resurrection were all part of God’s plan. But often, people’s limited understanding of the Messiah as someone who would save them from Roman rule made them miss his true message of salvation and eternal life. Even the people closest to Jesus didn’t fully understand—his own disciples were afraid to ask him what he meant when he spoke about his death (Mark 9:32). With his resurrection, Jesus proved that every word he taught was true. He showed his disciples that he was both a trustworthy teacher and a caring Savior, and they faithfully carried his message of salvation to the world. Today, we can do the same by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our own friends, family, and neighbors.

The resurrection is where our new life begins.

If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you.

Romans 8:11 (GNT)

At the heart of the gospel is Jesus’s resurrection. Without it, the apostle Paul reminds us, our faith is doomed to fail: “Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe” (1 Corinthians 15:12-14 GNT). But because of the resurrection, our hope is secure. Every person who trusts in Jesus can receive the eternal life he offers (John 3:16). This message of new life is what we celebrate on Easter and what we can share with our friends and family throughout the year as we live in the reality of the resurrection!

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Happy Easter from your friends at American Bible Society! As you continue to meditate on the miracle of the resurrection this Easter and each day of the year, we pray that God would continue to grow your faith through his Word.