Jesus Did Not Disappear

Fleming Rutledge has been making a statement for about 30 years—one she keeps expecting someone to correct with a contrary fact.

“If Jesus of Nazareth had not been raised from the dead,” she said in a recent CT interview, “we would never have heard of him. Crucified people disappeared.”

And yet, Rutledge observes, here we are, these thousands of years later, still talking about him. Crucifixion was intended to erase people. The Romans used it as a means of eliminating dignity, legacy, and humanity. The Resurrection, then? Like creation, it is something out of nothing. It is fullness of life where man brought death and destruction.

As we draw closer to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, may we take the time to consider what Christ’s death and rising again truly mean—that Jesus, as Rutledge says, “is the victor over the Enemy.”

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in the magazine

Cover of the January / February 2026 of Christianity Today.

When Jesus taught, he used parables. The kingdom of God is like yeast, a net, a pearl. Then and today, to grasp wisdom and spiritual insight, we need the concrete. We need stories. In this issue of Christianity Today, we focus on testimony—the stories we tell, hear, and proclaim about God’s redemptive work in the world. Testimony is a personal application of the Good News. You’ll read Marvin Olasky’s testimony from Communism to Christ, Jen Wilkin’s call to biblical literacy, and a profile on the friendship between theologian Miroslav Volf and poet Christian Wiman. In an essay on pickleball, David Zahl reminds us that play is also a testament to God’s grace. As you read, we hope you’ll apply the truths of the gospel in your own life, church, and neighborhood. May your life be a testimony to the reality of God’s kingdom.

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