Think about what it must have been like. He was utterly good—altogether pure, holy, kind, and just; his love knew no bounds; and he had a flawless record of healing. Yet Jesus had been sentenced to death as though he were a criminal. The “crown” he wore on the day of his crucifixion—a crown of thorns—was a mockery of his prophesied place in history. To onlookers, especially those who knew and loved him, this must have seemed like the end—the most awful possible end. In spite of what Jesus had promised them, there appeared to be no hope that he would rise again.

So too it may sometimes seem for us, though to a lesser degree. In the midst of agony, whether fear, crushing disappointment, betrayal, or physical pain, a victory over the apparent weight of material circumstances may seem far from assured. 

But as horrific and unjust as the crucifixion of Jesus was, a grace note from which we can take heart in our own struggles is that Jesus had been prepared through earlier experiences—much like David, who vanquished a bear and a lion before he faced and triumphed over Goliath. The Bible notes three individuals whom Jesus raised from death: Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter, who had just passed on; a widow’s adult son, who had died the day before; and his friend Lazarus, who had been in a tomb four days. Following these profound proofs of undying Life, Jesus took on and overcame the utmost belief in material life and death and rose from the grave. The day Christians commemorate as Easter celebrates the resurrected Savior’s definitive proof that triumph over hatred, violence, and even death was not just possible but inevitable. And this proof was not only for himself but for everyone who would follow in his footsteps.