What Would It Take?

What would it take to raise a man from the dead?

Medically, it would take a series of miracles beyond our comprehension. Lifeless cells would have to regenerate. Decaying flesh would suddenly become supple and vibrant again. The heart would begin beating again without any stimulation from electrodes or paddles. The brain and the nervous system would have to re-boot and reconnect. Lifeless eyes would see again. Blood would flow again through arteries and veins. The skeleton would be animated with movement and flexibility.

Theologically, resurrection would require a God powerful enough to overcome the worst this world can do. It would mean that the Creator who produced life in the first place can step in and renew life whenever and however he chooses. It would take a God who stands outside of time with eternity at his disposal. A mighty God unlimited by the laws of nature. A loving God who cares enough to intervene and conquer mankind’s ultimate enemy.

Philosophically, it would require wisdom that surpasses ordinary logic. The resurrection would give new purpose to human life, new meaning to human suffering, and a new way to think about aging and dying. Like nothing else imaginable, it would provide a genuine foundation for hope.

Historically, it would point us to the unique figure, Jesus of Nazareth. From the human perspective: a Jewish carpenter, rabbi, and teacher. From the divine perspective: fulfiller of prophecy, sacrifice for sin, revealer of God. It would take a man who could work miracles for others—restoring their hearing and sight, freeing them from leprosy and demon possession, even raising them from the dead—but who refused to spare himself the brutal pain of the cross. It would take a man who predicted not only his own death but also his resurrection, calmly foretelling that he would rise again on the third day. It would take the credible eyewitness accounts of those who saw him and talked with him for many days after he arose.

Scripturally, resurrection would make sense out of Old Testament statements that express the universal longing for eternal life. It’s Job affirming, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25-26). It’s Isaiah predicting the suffering and sacrificial death of the Lamb of God, but then noting that “after the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). It’s Daniel foretelling that “multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). The resurrection is the crowning truth of Jesus’ teaching. It’s the central emphasis of the Christian message beginning with the days when “with great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 4:33). It’s the great theme of the New Testament, from the joyful “He is risen” of the Gospels to the expectant “He is coming soon” of Revelation.

Personally, resurrection is something we all long for but can’t accomplish on our own. Death is a problem science can’t resolve, religions can’t avoid, and philosophies can’t explain away. We need a solid reason for hope beyond the grave. We need a Savior, a life-giver—a God big enough, strong enough, and caring enough to intervene.

What would it take to raise a man from the dead? Exactly what God did on Easter morning.