If Christ Is Not Risen

If you are a Christian, you rejoice in contemplation of, and in fellowship with, the risen Christ. Your heart thrills to imagine the emotion of the disciples that resurrection morning, as the news began to arrive that the tomb was empty---as they slowly began to emerge from deep despondency, and from the hopelessness, the darkness of the tomb of their own despair, into the joy of a new day, with the risen Son.

But imagine a far different scene. Imagine that, as the women went to the tomb that morning with spices to anoint the body, they found, as they expected, the stone in place, the guards on duty, and the stench of death in the air. Imagine that they returned to their own homes in the same state of grief and heartbreak that they had endured since the crucifixion a few days before. In other words, imagine how different things would have been, and how different things would be now. What would be the implications for us, and for this world, if Christ had not risen?