The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is central to the gospel, as the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:3-4. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was the final proof that He was the Son of God, “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Paul showed that without the resurrection of Jesus our faith is empty and useless. “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” It is right and proper for us to focus on the fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but we should not neglect to teach on why His death was necessary. In 1 Corinthians 15:3 Paul says, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” It was our sins that made it necessary for Jesus to die. In 1 Peter 3:18 Peter says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” Jesus loved us enough that He was willing to die on the cross so that we could escape the penalty of our sins. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). God created us and then when our sins moved us away from God, Jesus bought us back, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus sacrificed Himself that we might have eternal life. Eternal life is a gift that God offers us, but does not force on us. To receive the gift that God offers, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18).