Now let us consider whether Jesus Christ rose again. This is the most important question. As we have done earlier, we are not just going to read some passages from the Bible and say that he rose again.

I want to recollect how we behaved when we attended a funeral or cremation. Naturally, we all were very sad for the one who left us. When the body was taken out for burial or cremation even those who did not shed the tears earlier would have been moved with grief that time. We may have cried. After the body was buried or cremated what happened to us? We slowly entered into conversations, took bath, or eat and started our routine life. What happened on the second day? That incident slowly faded out from our minds and we know after three or four days we did not even remember about the dead person. Life went on as usual.

Let us critically analyze what happened in the case of Jesus Christ. He was arrested, brought before the high priest and later on to Pilate. We read that his disciples fled when he was arrested. Peter who promised Jesus earlier in their conversation that he would die for Jesus, denied Jesus Christ in front of a maid. Disciples were terribly afraid, all their hopes vanished and finally, they saw Jesus Christ dying on the cross. They saw his burial, the Roman seal and the guards keeping a watch over the buried tomb. Finally, they went their home. They may have forgotten him as hours went by just like what we did after a burial or cremation.

When you study the lives of the disciples, we find that almost all of them were martyrs and they died for the gospel of Jesus Christ. What could be the reason? You may say, “they were fanatics or they had psychic problems”. We can accept this theory if one or two became martyrs. Almost all of them gave their life for Jesus Christ. Remember on the day of crucifixion they fled. Do you think they will think about Jesus Christ after a week, after a month, after a Year or in their entire life? Something really happened. The life of disciples itself speaks aloud that God raised Jesus Christ from the grave.

One disciple Thomas did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was not there when Jesus Christ appeared before other disciples. Later on, Jesus Christ appeared to Thomas when appeared the second time to all the disciples. We know that Thomas came all the way to India with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul, His earlier name was Silas, was persecuting those who believed Jesus Christ as the Son of God and he was guarding the clothes of men who stoned Stephen, the first martyr. Silas met Jesus Christ and was transformed. Later on, he became Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was persecuted for Jesus Christ’s sake. He wrote most of his epistles in the jail. Finally, he was beheaded. Why? What is more, proof required?

The Life of disciples and Paul itself declare that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by God and that is the hope of all mankind. Since God has raised him up from the dead we who believes in him too would be raised one day from the dead. This is the eternal life that was promised in Bhagawat Gita and Bible.