He is Risen!
April 13, 2026
Easter has passed, and I hope it was a special day of remembrance for you and your family. As members of Grace Fellowship, we had the opportunity to hear from experts about the death and resurrection of Jesus, and it was truly amazing. One of the speakers was Dr. Scott Stripling, and the other was Dr. Jeremiah Johnston. Their presentations were enlightening, and I was deeply moved by the information they shared.
For instance, they explained that Jesus was crucified at 9 AM and died at 3 PM, which coincides with the time the Pharisees offered the Passover lambs. Jesus is the ultimate sacrificial Lamb. At His crucifixion, he endured severe scourging and beatings, resulting in hundreds of wounds across His body. Pontius Pilate inflicted this punishment in an attempt to dissuade the Jews from wanting Jesus executed, but unfortunately, it did not work. By the time Jesus had to carry the heavy wooden beam to the crucifixion site, He was weak, had lost a substantial amount of blood, was concussed, and severely dehydrated. He fell three times during the journey while wearing a ‘helmet’ of thorns. Once on the cross, He died in six hours.
When the soldiers pierced Jesus' side to confirm His death, both blood and water flowed out. This detail is significant as it indicates that He had indeed died long enough for His plasma and red blood cells to separate.
After Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took His body and buried it in a tomb, wrapping it in an expensive shroud measuring fourteen feet long. Three days later, only the shroud remained. It is believed that the shroud Jesus was buried in is currently housed in Turin, Italy. For years, it has been studied extensively by experts. Through research and testing, we know it contains pollen from the region at the time of Jesus' death, dust from the type of rock found in the burial caves of Jerusalem, and linen fibers from that era. Notably, no paints, pigments, or dyes are present. Despite this, the shroud showcases a remarkable impression of a scourged man with abrasions on His back (from a wooden crossbeam), dirt on His knees (from falling), and blood stains from where Jesus was speared, as well as at the wrists, feet, and around the head.
The markings on the shroud are not merely blood; they are an impression left behind from a bright light that traveled so quickly and so powerfully through the cloth that it chemically altered its composition. Friends, only God possesses such power!
But don't just take my word for it—watch this video and hear it for yourself!
Jeremiah Johnston on The Shawn Ryan Show
Even if you don’t believe the shroud is proof of Jesus’s resurrection, know this: There are more historical documents written by direct eyewitness testimony on the death and resurrection of Jesus than any other historical event in human history that is accepted as fact. Let that sink in.
You might be wondering what this has to do with my latest book release. While it may not seem connected, if you have read Hope in a Hurricane, then you understand that its purpose is to inspire hope—much like the hope we have as believers in Christ, because one day we will see Jesus face to face, and all of our present struggles will be worth it.