The human mind is a powerful engine of imagination, often filled with “what ifs.” Imagination allows us to create mental pictures, ideas, or outcomes not yet experienced – some hopeful, others unsettling. In this reflection, let us explore a sobering thought: What would have become of humanity if Jesus Christ had not come into the world, died, and risen from the dead?
When we imagine life without God, it often ends in despair. Humanity lost its connection to eternal fellowship with God when sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. What was once a perfect existence became tainted, and mankind became subject to death, physical and eternal. Eternity was placed on hold, and humanity was left to navigate a difficult path, striving to fulfill laws and commandments that could not truly restore life.
Consider the tragic stories in the Old Testament: Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, were struck down for inappropriate handling of the fire and offerings in the Temple. Even Moses and Aaron, leaders chosen by God, were denied entry into the Promised Land due to their lapses in obedience. These examples show the gravity of life before Christ’s redemptive work.
Before Jesus’s coming, death was a fearful end, one that raised deep questions in the human heart. Jesus came to change that reality to save mankind from eternal death and offer the gift of life. Yet, the magnitude of His sacrifice is often overlooked. We rarely pause to consider the full weight of the question: What if He hadn’t come? What if He hadn’t died and risen again?
Without the resurrection, death would have remained the final verdict. But Jesus conquered the grave, and through His victory, our hope was restored. Still, the enemy has worked to reduce this most important event in human history to a cultural observance or social tradition, blinding many to its eternal significance.
Two individuals from the crucifixion story highlight the transforming power of Christ’s death: Barabbas and the thief on the cross.
Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, was likely awaiting execution. Yet, during the Passover feast, Pilate offered the crowd a choice: “Whom do you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ?” To Pilate’s astonishment, the crowd shouted, “Barabbas!” And so, Barabbas walked free, his life spared, because Jesus took his place.
It is the perfect picture of substitutionary atonement. Jesus paid the debt He did not owe. We owed a debt we could not pay. He paid it for us.
Then there was the thief crucified beside Jesus. A condemned man with no future, no hope, and no legacy, until he looked at Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus answered, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Both men encountered the grace of Christ at the very edge of death. Their stories remind us that no one is beyond redemption. Their transformations were miraculous, and they can be yours too.
The Bible declares, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). That is the true message of Easter, for you and me.
He died so we might live. He rose so that even if we die, we can rise again.
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he shall never see death” (John 8:51).
Happy Easter. He is risen indeed.
Michael Jolayemi is the Author of:
- Saving America: The war we can’t ignore
- Sheltered Through the Storm: The Travails and Ultimate Triumph of the Church
- The Mysteries of God, the Origin We Don’t Know, the Eternity We Should Believe
- Watch out for his next book – Defying Death – How to Live and Not Die
