Being a Christian, I know that Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But most of the world does not see it that way. And it seems that they purposely reject the Christian belief of the resurrection. Their talk is on crazy things like, “Do you eat the ears of the chocolate bunny first, or the tail?” Or they talk about all the different traditions of the Easter eggs. I heard one TV commentator say that on Easter Christians remember the crucifixion and the death of Jesus. It was shocking to me that they did not include His resurrection. Maybe they believe that most Christians don’t really believe in His resurrection.

At any rate, more and more these days the media does not include themselves as Christians, and they are not willing to say (or they are told not to say) that Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ; rather to say that it is a belief of Christians.

I have also included here all (or most) of the biblical references on the resurrection of Christ, using all the words referring to it: resurrection, raising, raised, rise, rose, and risen. I found altogether 120 occurrences of the words, and I used 35 of the verses that I thought were best.

In conclusion, I am a little surprised at how many resurrection verses there are. Hence the resurrection of Christ is very important in Christianity and we cannot dismiss it. We don’t emphasize it enough; we don’t talk about it enough. Nonchristians certainly don’t talk about it—and that is understandable. But Christians don’t talk about it very much either—and that is not understandable! We need to do better at proclaiming this topic of the resurrection, and also what it implies for us.

Resurrection (of the 41 occurrences, only six are used)

Matt 27:53

and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Acts 4:33-34

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord

Rom 1:4

and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Rom 6:5

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Phil 3:10-11

 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Raising (just one occurrence)

Acts 17:31

because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Raised (47 occurrences, 15 used)

Matt 16:21

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Matt 17:23

and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Matt 26:32

But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

John 21:14

This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

Acts 2:24

whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Acts 2:32-33

This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Acts 13:33-34

God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.’

34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:

‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’

Rom 4:23-25

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Rom 6:4

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 8:11

 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Rom 10:9-10

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 Cor 6:14

And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

2 Cor 4:14-15

knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.

Eph 1:19-20

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

2 Tim 2:8

Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,

Rose (3 occurrences)

Mark 16:9

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

1 Cor 15:4

 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

2 Cor 5:15

and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Rise (14 occurrences, 3 used)

Matt 20:19

and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

Matt 27:63

 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’

Mark 8:31-32

 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Risen (14 occurrences, 7 used)

Matt 17:9

Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

Matt 28:6-7

 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

Mark 16:6-7

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples — and Peter — that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

Luke 24:6-7

6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'”

Luke 24:33-35

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

Rom 8:34

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

1 Cor 15:20-21

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.