Sunday, March 10, 2013

Why is the Resurrection so important?

As we prepare for Easter, I thought it would be a good time to think about the resurrection in different ways. Imagine you are part of Jesus' first disciples some 50 days after Jesus' execution. Jesus is no longer with you, and those in power are willing to execute you, or anyone else that bucks their religious establishment. Yet, you desire to go out and get other people to follow this Jesus, this supposed insurrectionist who taught what the Sanhedrin charged as blasphemy. You want to go and "make disciples of all nations." What could be so convincing that it would lead to thousands of conversions in just a few years after Jesus' death?  What testimony would be so powerful for others to believe in spite of all the negative consequences? 



When we look at the speeches of both Peter and Paul in the New Testament we find that the one thing they always focused on in their messages is that Jesus of Nazareth was put to death, but rose again.  It is the resurrection of Christ that formed the foundation and the fuel of the new Christian faith. Everywhere the disciples went, they preached Jesus being raised from the dead, and this is what transformed Christianity form a small group of scared disciples to a world-changing faith reaching across the globe.

It's hard to not understate the importance of the resurrection to Christianity.  There's a Greek legend of the servant Damocles, who told his wealthy and prosperous king he would like nothing more than to switch places with him to enjoy the luxuries such a position affords. The king offered his throne for a single day and the servant immediately accepted. However, after taking his seat on the king's throne, Damocles saw that the king had placed a sword hanging directly over his head, suspended only by a single hair. The point was to show that the position of kingship is tenuous at best. Break that hair and Damocles' life is ended. In a similar way, Christianity's claims of authority hang by the thread of the resurrection. The Apostle Paul states this explicitly in 1 Corinthians 15 when he says:

"Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
Paul here lays out a very clear test. If Jesus was never raised from the dead, we not only have no hope in rising ourselves, but we believe in vain, we're holding onto a worthless faith. Paul even says we are akin to that person we sometimes see in Warner Brothers cartoons who thinks he's Napoleon.  If we believe in a fable that is ridiculous; we are to be most pitied among all men.

 The stakes are indeed high; however I'm also comforted by them. It gives us a way to make sure that we aren't believing a lie. Unlike virtually every other world religion out there, we can investigate the claims of Christianity and dismiss it if it proves faulty. And our tests aren't based on feelings or some subjective criteria. We can look at the claims of the resurrection from the same perspective as those who study other historical events and draw well-considered conclusions. We can base our faith upon facts.

3 comments:

  1. Jesus Christ was SAVED FROM DEATH.

    offered up prayers and supplications;


    unto him that was


    ABLE;
    TO SAVE


    him from death;



    (Hebrews 5:7 KJV)

    Who in the days of his flesh,

    when he had offered up prayers

    and supplications

    with strong crying and tears

    offered up prayers and supplications;

    unto him that was

    ABLE;
    TO SAVE
    him from death;

    and WAS HEARD

    in that he feared;



    independent CORROBORATION

    James Swetnam, «The Crux at Hebrews 5,7-8», Vol. 81 (2000) 347-361

    Heb 5,7-8 is a classic crux. It is not clear, as the text seems to
    say,

    how Jesus could beg to be freed ;

    from death and then be heard;

    `although He was son'.

    http://www.bsw.org/Biblica/ Vol-81-2000/The-Crux-At- Hebrews-5-7-8/294/



    YAHUSHUA messiah did not die;
    He was saved from THE DEATH
    by one who could SAVE HIM!



    additional collaborative evidence

    NO DEAD MAN learns obedience after his death:

    (Hebrews 5:8 ERRB)

    [5-five the Divine Symbol in Islam];
    [thirteen];

    Though he were a Son,

    yet learned he obedience

    by the things which he suffered;



    NO DEAD MAN could be made perfect after his death:

    made perfect,
    he became
    the author



    (Hebrews 5:9 KJV)

    [5-five the Divine Symbol in Islam];
    7--seven of the oft-repeated

    And being
    made perfect,
    he became
    the author
    of eternal salvation
    unto all them that obey him;


    ali kenadian
    canada

    ReplyDelete
  2. make the connection:

    as it were great drops of blood :

    (Luke 22:44 WoY) And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:

    and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to

    the ground.



    My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
    even unto death:

    (Matthew 26:38 WoY) Then saith he unto them,

    My soul is exceeding
    sorrowful,
    even unto death:

    tarry ye here, and watch with me.



    but the flesh is weak.

    (Matthew 26:41 WoY)

    Watch and pray,

    that ye enter not into temptation:

    the spirit indeed is willing,
    but the flesh is weak.



    These Hebraic texts show PLAINLY that the Pauline vis-à-vis the 2nd

    Jesus Christ or YAHUSHUA messiah did not die willing for your sins.

    he only committed suicide WITH OPEN EYES & FEAR.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Scripture below clearly shows that Christ Jesus did lay down His life clearly:

    ““Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?””
    ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:52-54‬ ‭NIV‬‬
    http://bible.com/111/mat.26.52-54.niv


    And:

    “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.””
    ‭‭John‬ ‭10:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
    http://bible.com/111/jhn.10.18.niv

    ReplyDelete