He Conquered, He Rose, He Lives!

He didn't stay dead.
He didn't stay in that tomb, given by the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea.
He didn't stay humiliated by Satan.

He conquered: Satan, sin, death.
He rose: Out of the tomb, by the power of God.
He lives: death was brief, life is eternal.

Christ went to hell, but not to be punished.  He went to declare his victory to Satan.  Death is vanquished, life is won.  Sin is powerless, grace and forgiveness reign.

And the resurrection of Jesus isn't a nice story about a nice man.  It was a real-life miracle, it happened in a real place and time in history, and it was the most life-changing event in history.  It had eternal, glorious repercussions for all of humanity.  Because Christ was raised from the dead, having taken the debt to death that we paid, we also have life.

In 1 Corinthians 15 we read, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (15:13-14, 19-22).