In modern Christian churches, it is taught that Jesus rising again was the defeat of death and sin. However, the veil was torn upon Jesus’ death, not his resurrection. It was Jesus’ death which was the sacrifice, not his resurrection. Jesus didn’t defeat death or sin, which have continued occurring every day even until today.
Jesus didn’t defeat death because death already had no power over God, who could raise people from death at will.
Jesus was not the only one whom God raised from the dead at the time of Jesus’ resurrection. After Jesus was resurrected, “many” people who were saints who had died rose from the dead and came out of their graves:
“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:52-53)
Therefore Jesus’ resurrection was not unique. Multiple people have been risen from the dead, including children and Lazarus, and many people right after the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus’ resurrection was the first person to be resurrected after his sacrifice and atonement was made – the perfect lamb, of whom the entire sacrificial system was modeled after, starting with Abraham’s son Isaac (although God spared Isaac), until lthe moment of Jesus’ death, when the veil to the temple was torn in two, because the sacrifice was complete.
Jesus didn’t defeat “sin” – nowhere in the Bible does it say this. What Jesus did was defeat the POWER of sin – the inevitable eternal damnation due to our imperfection. Jesus was the sacrifice for sin, but many people have gone on sinning since Jesus died and rose again.
What Jesus did was to become the sacrifice for sin, allowing us to have eternal life. And this is why only through Christ can we be saved, because only through Jesus was there a sacrifice made which was worthy of our sin – but not willful sin.
“For that which He died, He died to sin once for all” (Romans 6:10)
“Where O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)
“For if we sin willingly after we are to receive the knowledge of the truth, no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” (Hebrews 10:26)
What Jesus defeated was guaranteed hell – eternal damnation even for the repentant. Because of Jesus, those who are repentant and righteous have a chance at eternal life, even though they have sinned.
However, Jesus did not die for the wicked, Jesus died for the repentant righteous. Jesus did not die for the willfully evil, but for the fallen righteous. And even many of those, will not make it into eternity with Christ.
If God had not raised Jesus from the dead, it would have made no difference – Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and willingly gave his life for us. But, when God raised Jesus from the dead, Jesus was called, “firstborn from the dead” in Colossians 1:18, and it became our hope, because now we can also be raised from the dead one day.
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18)
It was not Jesus’ resurrection that was the true miracle that dark weekend 2,000 years ago. It was Jesus’ death. Many others were raised from the dead by God at that time, but only Jesus’ sacrifice was worthy to be called atonement. Only Jesus’ death tore the veil to the temple so we could communicate directly with God.
Jesus’ death was the gift. Jesus’ resurrection was the promise of the hope of eternal life – we will be one day raised from the dead just like Jesus was – if we win the race of life and honor God through daily sacrifice, daily, seeking, and daily surrender to God Almighty, through Jesus Christ, our savior.
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)