Is Jesus dead?
No — Jesus is not dead. He died, but He rose again, and He lives now. This is the central, foundational truth of the Christian faith.
H. H. Snell states it with ringing clarity:
H. H. SnellThe truth is that, if Christ be not raised from the dead, then death has gained the victory over Him, the grave has closed upon Him, Satan has triumphed, and we have no living Saviour and no salvation. The subject therefore is of vital importance. But, blessed be God, Christ is risen from the dead! He is alive again, and that for evermore, and has the keys of hades and of death; He has obtained the victory for us, and is become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Snell further shows that it was impossible for death to hold Him:
It was not possible that He should be holden of death, for He was "the life," "the Prince of life," and "He saw no corruption." That great and terrible foe, which we have because we are sinners, Christ triumphed over in His resurrection from the dead.
W. J. Hocking, in an address on Revelation 1:17-18, draws out what the risen Lord Himself declared:
W. J. Hocking"Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore."
Hocking presses the practical force of this:
He is continually and constantly watching over us, and is interested in our welfare. He is with us always. The living Christ can never die. My eye may be set upon earthly things, but my Christ can never die. "I am He that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive for evermore."
The writer identified as A. J., tracing through every proof of the resurrection — the angelic testimonies, the appearances to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples at Emmaus, to Thomas, to five hundred at once — concludes with the Lord's own words to the apostle John:
A. J.The Lord then said, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I became dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore."
The article on "A Risen Christ" (Bible Treasury, 1862) brings out the doctrinal weight:
"A Risen Christ"Unless we see Him risen, the question of sin still seems to be unsettled. There is always something to be done. And so there was till He was risen. But when He was dead and risen, all was finished. ... It was Himself that had been there, sleeping in the grave; and He had raised Himself. For it was not only that God raised Him; but, "destroy this temple," He had said, "and in three days I will raise it up." None but one who was God could say this.
A hymn in the collection captures it in song:
"I am He that liveth, that liveth and was dead; And behold, I am alive for evermore."
So the answer is an emphatic no. Jesus died — He truly entered into death, bearing the sins of all who trust Him — but death could not hold Him. He rose on the third day, as the Scriptures foretold, and He is alive now: risen, ascended, glorified at God's right hand, and coming again. His resurrection is not merely a past historical event; it is the living, present reality on which everything rests — forgiveness, salvation, the believer's hope, and the certainty of His return.