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Dear Smith Prep Families,

The church historian Jaroslav Pelikan has said that “if Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.” The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely the conclusion to the story of the cross, it is the beginning of a new world. If we are to understand the Christian life, the education of our children, and the hope we carry as families, we must grasp this central truth: the resurrection changes everything.

Many Christians rightly emphasize the cross of Christ. Yet, the New Testament insists that the resurrection is not secondary, it is essential to salvation. The Apostle Paul says that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection is not simply proof that Jesus is divine; it is the moment where redemption is accomplished. Christ was “raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25), meaning that the resurrection declares and makes certain that sin and death have truly been defeated.

Christianity is not a moral system or a set of inspiring ideas. It is the announcement of a real victory in history. This victory that changes our identity, our aims, and our future. Christ has taken upon himself our sins and has overcome them by the resurrection. He has conquered sin and its consequence for all everyone who believe and entrust themselves to Christ.

The resurrection is not merely about what happens after we die. It is about what has already begun. Scripture calls Jesus the “firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means his resurrection is not an isolated miracle, it is the beginning of a great harvest. Just as the firstfruits of a crop guarantee the full harvest to come, Christ’s resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of all who belong to Him. If we were to ask Paul, “when does the bodily resurrection of believer take place?” He would respond, by saying “Christ is risen, the harvest of the resurrection has already begun.”

In other words, the resurrection is the dawn of the new creation. The future has broken into the present. The resurrection is God reclaiming his world, not abandoning it. Christianity is not about escaping the earth, but about the renewal of all things. God is not finished with creation; he is restoring it.

The early Christians did not believe in a vague spiritual afterlife. They proclaimed a bodily resurrection! Jesus truly rose from the dead in a transformed, physical body. Christians, too, will also rise bodily from the dead. Christ’s resurrection was not a metaphor or a subjective experience; it was a real event that reshaped the disciples’ lives.

Christ’s resurrection grounds our faith in reality. Christianity is not wishful thinking; it is rooted in history. The empty tomb means that Christ is Lord not just in heaven, but over all creation. One of the most beautiful implications of the resurrection is the realization that what we do now matters forever.

Jesus rose bodily from the dead, and because he did rise from the dead, our lives are filled with lasting meaning and purpose. What we do each day matters not only now but for eternity. This truth transforms how we raise and educate our children. At Smith Preparatory Academy, we are not merely preparing students for academic success. We are forming virtuous scholars whose lives and habits reflect eternal significance and echo into God’s coming Kingdom.

The resurrection also calls us to live as citizens of that Kingdom today. It summons us to repentance, renewed lives, sacrificial love, and a pursuit of justice and mercy in a broken world. This is not simply a belief we hold but a reality we embody. In our homes, this takes shape through joy rooted in hope, discipline guided by grace, and love modeled after Christ’s own sacrificial care.

Ultimately, the resurrection is the foundation of our hope. It assures us that death has been defeated, sin no longer reigns, and our children’s lives carry eternal weight. God is at work making all things new. Christ Himself is alive reigning, interceding, and preparing a place for his people. As we continue beyond Easter, may this truth shape how we live, teach, and love: Christ is risen; he is risen indeed!

Sincerely,
Michael S. Phillips
Headmaster, Smith Preparatory Academy