Of course, Christ’s resurrection was foretold not only by Old Testament prophets, but by the Lord Himself, as we’ve already seen: “Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matthew 16:21). Divine prophecy is a guarantee that death couldn’t hold Jesus in the grave.

There’s also another reason Peter could present the resurrection as fact. Peter was referring to the very meaning of life itself. He bases this argument on the nature of Christ.

Because of who Christ is, it’s impossible that death could hold Him in the grave. Peter was convinced that life was the nature of Jesus. Peter would later speak of Jesus as “the Holy One and the Just” and “the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses” (Acts 3:14–15). Jesus is that Prince of life, and without Him, there is no life—not for anyone. It was impossible for Jesus to remain in death because He is life itself. He must burst forth from the grave or deny His very nature as the Prince of life.

Peter’s understanding of Christ’s nature is in keeping with what the other disciples had come to know. The apostle John, for example, opened his gospel by stating, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

Jesus Himself made this teaching very clear. He said to Mary and Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (11:25).

And He said to His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (14:6).

Jesus said more about His “life” nature in these words:

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth.” (5:26–29)

Jesus says that the Father—who “has life in Himself ”—has also given to Jesus “life in Himself. ” And this life isn’t something that anyone could ever take away from Him, for Jesus is life; He is self-existent over and above that which we call death. He lives forever because He is life and has become the source of life for all who believe in Him.

Earlier we warned of how Satan tries to keep us from seeing the truth. And God’s truth includes this: the only thing that damns us and keeps us from eternal life is unforgiven sin. Satan can tempt us, taunt us, and mock us with sin, but he cannot damn us. When Christ died for our sins and rose again, He took away the only thing that separates us from God—unforgiven sin. His resurrection proves that He is life, and it proves the genuineness of the eternal life He offers us if we come to Him for salvation.

And once we conclude that in Jesus’ eyes death is not primarily physical, then we also can conclude that life is not primarily physical. Resurrection to new life is not just a physical transaction. There’s a spiritual transaction that takes place, giving new life to the believer. And the power that raised Christ from the dead is the exact same power we experience as we walk in Christ, the giver of eternal life.

As the apostle Paul tells us, “If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5).

That is the essence of salvation—new life in Christ Jesus.

Excerpted from Henry & Melvin Blackaby's new book, Experiencing the Resurrection: The Everyday Encounter that Changes Your Life, (Multnomah Books, 2007). Used with permission. Multnomah Books is a division of Random House, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co., www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook.