We can be fairly cavalier about death when we're young, but once you feel it brushed past you the first time, you're never quite the same.

For me, it happened in 2001, in a hospice in southern England. My mother died at the age of 63, stomach cancer.

It was the morning of September the 15th, 2001, when she died, and of course four days before that it was 9-11.

I remember there was a little TV at the end of her bed, so I sat there beside her watching in disbelief as the twin towers turned to dust right in front of my eyes, and then immediately to my left, despite my best efforts, my own mother was effectively turning to dust with them.

And obviously this is a cliche, I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but when something like this happens to you, you realize something.

No one lives forever, not even the ones you love the most, not even the ones who love you the most, not even the young, the rich, the powerful, those men and women who got up as usual that Tuesday morning to go to work in New York, and had no idea that their lives would be over by lunchtime.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus' life was over by 3pm, 2000 years ago, on a hill outside Jerusalem.

The execution was very public, it happened on a cross right in front of his loved ones, and also his enemies.

The religious leaders shouted up at him, he saved others, but he can't save himself. Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

But as we know, Jesus did not come down from the cross. He died.

A Roman soldier thrust a spear deep into his side, just to make sure he was dead. An expert Roman executioner pronounced him dead.

His corpse was taken down, anointed with spices, was wrapped tightly in strips of linen, and finally buried in a tomb.

So were the religious leaders right? I mean, if someone can't overcome death himself, how can he possibly offer life to anyone else?

But the historical account doesn't end there, because Jesus didn't end there.

The overwhelming testimony of the Gospels, the rest of the New Testament, the death-defying boldness of the previously terrified disciples,

and the explosive growth of the Christian faith that radiated out across the face of the earth, and is still continuing today.

All of it ought to make us seriously consider the claim that after three days in the tomb, Jesus demonstrated that death could not keep hold of him.

In the 40 days following his death and burial, Jesus appeared not just to his immediate disciples, but to hundreds of people.

He spoke with them. He interacted with them. He even ate with them.

This was no ghost, no hallucination. He was physical. He was real. He was tangible and touchable. He was alive.

Now what difference does this resurrection make?

Two-hour fear that we can't be forgiven for the things we've done wrong.

...