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What is most compelling about the resurrection of Jesus Christ is its relevance to the human experience. The resurrection has captured hearts and challenged minds for nearly two millenia, and as J.R.R. Tolkien says, "There is no tale ever told that men would rather find was true." In order to grasp its significance and the hope that it provides, one must first look to what preceded it, the cross.
At first glance, the cross appears foolish. Perhaps that is why its message has caused such scandal. Why would God, as Christians believe, give His only Son to suffer such an excruciating death? What did it accomplish?
First, Christ's death demonstrates the utter heinousness of evil. It is difficult for any of us to fully comprehend the seriousness of sin. Modern man has expended great effort to eliminate the idea of sin (the concept of violating some transcendent moral law) from the human conscience. The brutality of Christ's death serves to remind us of the atrocity of sin. Hence, the cross ensured that evil would not be trivialized.
Second, the cross allows us to make sense out of suffering. When I look back at the experiences that at the time seemed especially painful, I can view them now with a sense of contentment. For I know that everything that has truly improved and enlightened my life has come through affliction. As renowned journalist Malcolm Muggeridge insightfully observed, "the result [of eliminating suffering] would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial to be endurable. This is what the cross signifies, and it is the cross more than anything else that has called me inexorably to Christ." The cross is a vivid reminder that suffering can be redeemed.
Finally, the cross shows us the beauty of love and forgiveness. Love is why Jesus came. His death demonstrates God's love for us. This is why Christians celebrate the greatest tragedy of all time as Good Friday. By freely dying in our place, by giving us himself, Christ paid the price to win us back to God.