The physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave is essential to the Christian faith because it further proves God’s acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for sins. His bodily resurrection also guarantees the physical bodies of believers will be raised to be like His rather than subject to the grave forever.
When Jesus was resurrected, His physical body was glorified yet still retained its human form. His new body consisted of flesh and bones, and His hands and feet still bore the crucifixion marks. Although His body could be touched and consume food, it also materialized and disappeared instantaneously, something His pre-resurrection body could not do.
After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to several people on different occasions over forty days. He appeared to the women at the tomb, His disciples, and more than five hundred followers at once before ascending to heaven in a cloud.
During the three days Jesus’ body was in the grave, He descended to the “Paradise” side of hell, also known as Abraham’s Bosom, to proclaim His victory over sin and death. Before His death on the cross, nobody was allowed into heaven because their sins had not yet been atoned. Therefore, all those who died in faith prior to the cross, trusting the coming Messiah (Jesus) to cleanse them, went to the Paradise side of hell to await His birth and death in comfort and peace. Those who died not trusting God for the coming Messiah went to the suffering side of hell to await God’s final judgment for their sins (Luke 16:19-31).
After Jesus took believers out of Paradise and into heaven, the “comfort” compartment of hell has remained empty to this day. However, the suffering compartment of hell still holds all unbelievers for judgment while continuing their punishment for sin. Once judged, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second and final death.
(See the Scripture References link at the top of the page.)
