You can read it yourself, follow along, or just listen.

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“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.”
Mark 15:37

Before someone can rise from the dead, one important thing must be true.

They must really die.

That might sound obvious, but it matters a lot.

Some people have wondered if Jesus only fainted on the cross.

Maybe He passed out.
Maybe He looked dead but was not.

Bible Explorers stop and ask an important question.

Did Jesus really die?

The answer is yes.

Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers.

The Romans were experts at execution.

They had one job.

To make sure the prisoner was dead.

If a soldier failed, he could be punished himself.

That meant they were very careful.

Jesus was beaten badly before the crucifixion.

He lost a great deal of blood.

Then He was nailed to a cross.

Crucifixion made it hard to breathe.

Victims slowly suffocated as their bodies grew weaker.

When Jesus stopped breathing, the soldiers checked His body.

One soldier pierced His side with a spear.

Blood and water flowed out.

That showed His heart had already stopped.

The soldiers did not break His legs because they knew He was already dead.

After that, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross.

He was wrapped in burial cloths.

He was placed in a tomb.

A large stone was rolled in front.

Roman guards were posted nearby.

There was no chance Jesus was still alive.

This was not a mistake.

This was not pretending.

Jesus truly died.

That matters because the resurrection is not about someone waking up.

It is about someone coming back to life.

The story of Easter does not begin with an empty tomb.

It begins with a real death.

And that makes what comes next so powerful.

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Think About It

• Why is it important that Jesus truly died?

• What does it tell you about Jesus that He was willing to suffer?

• Why would Roman soldiers make sure someone was really dead?

• How does knowing this help us trust the resurrection story?

• What questions do you still wonder about?