There’s not a darker day in human history than the day Christ died.
But there’s not a brighter dawn than the one that followed three days later.
Because early that Sunday morning, when the women approached the tomb, the earth shook again—not in judgment, but in victory. Not because hell was howling, but because heaven was roaring.
And the stone was already rolled away.
The tomb wasn’t opened to let Jesus out.
It was opened to let us see in.
And what we saw?
Nothing.
No body. No bones. No grave clothes with a corpse. Just the remnants of death… left behind by Life Himself.
Jesus Christ—bodily, physically, and historically—rose from the dead.
And that changes everything.
In Colin Smith’s *Heaven, How I Got Here*, we walk in the sandals of the thief—the last man Jesus spoke to before He gave up His spirit. That thief died knowing Jesus would meet him in Paradise. And Resurrection Sunday is the proof that Jesus kept His word.
The Cross wasn’t the end.
It was the payment.
And the resurrection was the receipt.
“Paid in full.” Sin, death, shame, guilt—defeated.
Let that sink in.
This isn’t just a spiritual metaphor. This isn’t legend, or religious folklore, or “a beautiful idea.”
It happened in real time, in real space, in real human history.
The best-documented event in antiquity is the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Hundreds saw Him. Eyewitnesses touched Him. Ate with Him. Walked with Him. His closest followers—who ran when He was arrested—died proclaiming that He rose.
You don’t die for a lie. Not like that.
And what does that mean for us?
Everything.
Because a dead Savior can’t save anyone. A martyr can inspire, sure. But only a living Redeemer can break your chains.
Jesus walked out of His own grave.
And when He did, He dragged sin and death behind Him, buried them in the dust, and declared—for all eternity—you can live too.
This Easter isn’t just a celebration. It’s a revolution.
It’s the day God proved that death is not the end.
It’s the day the grave lost its grip.
It’s the day hell’s mouth slammed shut and heaven’s gates flew open.
And somewhere—in Paradise—the thief stood beside the King, smiling, alive forevermore.
Because Jesus did exactly what He said He would do.
He rose.
And because He rose, your past doesn’t define you. Your failures don’t finish you. Your regrets don’t rule you. Your shame doesn’t stick to you.
Because the Cross killed it.
And the resurrection proved it’s gone.
You want to know what real hope looks like?
It looks like a Roman executioner scratching his head in disbelief.
It looks like women trembling with joy outside an empty tomb.
It looks like nail-scarred hands breaking bread for doubting friends.
It looks like a thief in Paradise, laughing in awe.
It looks like you, being offered new life—right now.
You see, every other religion tells you how to reach up to God.
Only one tells you that God came down, died in your place, and then walked out of His own tomb to bring you home.
There’s nothing like it.
No one else claimed it. No one else backed it up.
Only Jesus.
And He didn’t just conquer death for Himself. He conquered it for you.
That empty tomb is God’s open invitation:
“Come alive.”
So don’t reduce Easter to candy and ham dinners and pastel suits.
Don’t let it be a backdrop to family photos and hollow tradition.
Let it be what it is—the invasion of hope into human history.
Jesus Christ is risen.
Not spiritually. Not symbolically.
Physically.
And that means if you’ve trusted Him, then death has no hold on you.
None.
You will rise too. The thief will rise. I will rise. And everyone who has placed their hope in the living Christ will rise with Him.
This is the Gospel. This is why it matters. This is why we fall to our knees on Friday and raise our hands on Sunday.
Because He lives.
And if that hope has stirred something in you, don’t waste it.
Don’t just nod your head and move on with your day.
Click here and watch the full-length film adaptation of the book.
Let the thief tell you what he saw. Let Jesus show you what He did. Let this Easter be the day death lost its power over you.
Because the tomb is still empty.
And hope is still alive.