God raised Him up

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)  that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judæa, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:  him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;  not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. – Acts 10.34-44

I can never get over the impact and the importance of the key words ‘God has raised Him up.’ This was the vital moment and confirmation of all that the word of God said and that Jesus had preached.’ It meant that death was swallowed up in victory. A modern hymn says ‘death was crushed to death and life is mine to live.’

Everything hinges on ‘God raised Him up.’ Without that Jesus would be just a dead religious leader. A system of belief may very well have risen up based on His teaching and there may have a been a new Jewish sect called the ‘Galilean sect’ or something of the sort, but the world would have been no closer to salvation.

Without the raising of the dead there would be no hope, no assurance of eternity. It would all have been based on our efforts which would always fall short.

But God did raise Jesus from the dead and because He defeated death we need never fear that impact that death will have on us. Because God raised Jesus I know that life is eternal and I can spend it with God.
Death is already beaten.