The Cross and the Resurrection

The New Testament describes the death of Jesus from several angles: a substitute bearing the penalty of sin, a ransom setting captives free, a sacrifice cleansing guilt, a victory over evil powers, and a demonstration of love. These images complement rather than compete.

The scandal of the cross is that God does not overlook evil, nor does he crush the guilty. He absorbs the cost himself.

Christianity did not begin with an idea but with a report: the tomb was empty and Jesus was seen alive. Paul lists eyewitnesses, many still living when he wrote, and states plainly that if Christ has not been raised the faith is worthless.

The resurrection vindicates Jesus' claims, defeats death, and launches the promise of a renewed creation — not escape from the world, but its healing.