The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.    Matthew 28:5-6

In his book Unbelievable, Justin Brierley writes convincingly that the resurrection is the only adequate explanation for the historical evidence found in the Gospels:

Mike Licona and Bart Ehrman are both New Testament scholars who have very different takes on the resurrection of Jesus. Ehrman let go of his Christian faith after encountering perceived problems with the New Testament. Mike Licona had a similar crisis of faith in the early years of his academic career when his study of the New Testament didn't match what he had been taught while growing up. However, whereas Ehrman's study led him away from Christianity, Licona's research convinced him that the resurrection was the only adequate explanation for the historical evidence he found in the Gospels.

Other pieces of the puzzle fell into place as Licona began to appreciate how the New Testament accounts reflected the literary conventions of their day rather than the modern standards often imposed on them by both Christians and critics. During one of his dialogues with Licona on the show, Ehrman rattled off a list of differences between the Gospel accounts of the resurrection, such as the number of women and the accounts of angels at the empty tomb.

He argued that these differences give reason to doubt the reliability of the resurrection story. Naturally, Licona knows these differences just as well as Ehrman but he didn't find that they count against the overall strength of the account, saying:

It is a bit like the Titanic. There were conflicting accounts from survivors, such as whether the ship broke in half before sinking or whether it went down in its entirety. But no one called into question whether the Titanic sank or not. It was the periphery details that were in question. It is the same thing with the New Testament. They are all peripheral details that have no impact on the fundamental truth of Christianity.

(Source: Adapted from Justin Brierley, Unbelievable?: Why After Ten Years of Talking With Atheists, I'm Still a Christian (SPCK, 2017), pages 139-140)

As you read through the Gospels, you will find that all the writers agree that Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried.  They all acknowledged that the stone was rolled away, and the tomb was empty.   All four writers agree that Jesus appeared to the Eleven disciples after his resurrection.  John is the sole author who makes no mention of the ascension.  Though there are differences in their accounts there is not question as to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The resurrection of Jesus gives us great confidence in life after death.   Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and we believe that one day according to His promise He will come back to take us to be with Him.  The Apostle Paul wrote, And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11) 

Easter holds the promise of eternal life for all who believe.   Rejoice in this glorious hope.  

Pastor David