Out of all the religions and belief systems that exist, Christianity is the only one with a proven promise.
We can go and visit grave sites and monuments to martyrs and philosophers or even "prophets", but there isn't one for Jesus.
Christianity, true Christianity, doesn't have that. The grave is empty. And has been for about 2000 years.
We rejoice and agree with the angels that first Resurrection morning who said to the women visiting the tomb, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:5, 6.
Contrary to the idea that those women went to the wrong tomb, you can be sure that they were at the right one. They were most likely there when Jesus was buried, and it was probably the only tomb with angels visibly posted nearby waiting for the disciples.
In his book "The Case for Easter," Lee Strobel takes the reader through many proofs for Jesus death and resurrection.
I like Strobel's writing mainly because he was a vehement atheist who sought to disprove Christianity. He approached his investigation with a proper, open mind. He was looking for the truth.
And God provided him all that he needed; all that Strobel needed to finally bend his knee to his Creator. And believe.
Without the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - the bodily Resurrection, not some mystic "spiritual" resurrection - there is no Christianity. Period. Our Faith hinges and pivots on this truth. Not only is it a Biblical fact, but it is an historical fact. A fact witnessed by hundreds of people over a 40 day period. The Risen Christ was not a figment of a wild or emotional or hysterical imagination. These people saw, and touched and ate and drank with Him until His Ascension.
And many went to their deaths, their martyr's deaths, defending that Truth.
On this Good Friday as I reflect on my life and what Jesus did for me so long ago - and continues to do for all of us - I have to think about the naysayers of the Resurrection. For those who believe the Body was taken from the grave there's not a whole lot of logic to it. You have 3 groups of people who had a vested interest to Jesus' claim that He would rise from the dead in 3 days: the Romans, the Jews and the Disciples.
The Romans seemingly had nothing to loose or gain. Strictly speaking, they could care less. They had no understanding of what was going on this day before the Passover Sabbath. They didn't have the Law. They didn't have the Prophets. To them, it was a fairy tale that would die in short time. This was a "Jewish" problem. A religious problem. Some itinerant teacher who claimed to be a Jewish king was now out of the way and out of their hair.
In reality, there would be significant changes not only to Roman lifestyle, but to the Empire itself. There would be a new religious sect that would grow out of stories told over and over of a resurrected Jewish rabbi. The emporer's identity of divinity would be threatened as True Divinity was exposed. Word of this unbelievable phenomena would spread from Judea, to Asia and Achaia to Rome itself. Common people and slaves would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Lives would change. Martyrs would die in the Coluseum at the paws of the lions or the weapons of the gladiators. They would be used as "live" candles to light the emperor's gardens at night. This was a force never before experienced by the mighty Roman army; even they would be defeated.
Resurrection power took over Rome and the gentile world.
For the Jews, it was necessary for them to find the body. The had to produce a DEAD body. That would be the only thing to completely quash this new "Way." The Sanhedrin did whatever they could - had the grave sealed; had Roman (non partisan) guards posted - to make sure that no one could steal the Body. If the Body was stolen, why then didn't the Sanhedrin conduct a search? What happened to those guards who were supposed to be at the tomb? What about their story of an angel and more? The Jewish leaders had a problem on their hands. You can be sure that they would have left no stone unturned to find that Body. And yet they never could. They would also have to search out and somehow "silence" those who claimed Jesus' Resurrection.
But already there were chinks in the armor. Even before Jesus' Crucifixion (after Jesus' miraculous resurrection of His friend Lazarus), the Holy Spirit was moving greatly, "Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
"Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
"He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one." John 11:47 - 52.
I would say that they didn't know their Bible. They hadn't tied all of the prophetic strings together. These supposedly learned Jewish priests and scribes had forgotten or ignored what God had been saying right along: Salvation for the entire human race was to come from the Jews, through the seed of Abraham and specifically through the line of David. They expected royalty and grandeur. God often - and sometimes more powerfully - works through simplicity and brokenness. From a poor family, living in a poor part of the country, performing menial jobs as a carpenter most of His life, came their Savior.
For the Disciples, they didn't know what to do! They didn't have the Body. By and large they were a bunch of relatively illiterate commoners without any kind of power or influence. If they had stolen the Body, which is totally ridiculous, how would they have accomplished this? They had the same problems the Jewish leaders had: Roman guards, moving a stone without anyone noticing, successfully and permanently hiding Jesus' Body. But they knew the Truth.
And once again, we witness the magnificent Power of the Holy Spirit at work. The Spirit is able to blind as well as illuminate the minds of the right people in order to accomplish His purposes. Indeed, Jesus had become the corner stone that would be that stumbling block that He spoke of in the Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:42 - 44).
For the next 40 days, Jesus would teach and minister to these men - and women. He was to prepare His disciples for His departure. At the same time, He was preparing them to be empowered. They didn't understand the power that would come upon them. Only when Jesus had finally Ascended to His rightful place at the Right Hand of the Father, could the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the God-head come and indwell His people.
From that point on, the Holy Spirit would indwell and guide His people in Truth and deed and all righteousness. The Holy Spirit would speak through common men to write of the events and exact words of Jesus' earthly ministry. By His Power, these men would be used to literally change the world. The world would be changed one person - one man, one woman, one child - at a time. From then until now and until He comes in Glory to Rule over His creation for all eternity.
The most important point of this Divine Event, in my opinion, is that the Resurrection is the Good News of the Gospel. Our sins have been permanently removed by Jesus' atoning sacrificial death on the Cross. As long as we simply believe and receive this Truth. Without the bodily Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we have nothing more than any other earthly religion or philosophy. Jesus' teaching of love and care for one another is not terribly different from other "holy men". Although Jesus was pointing people to God, He was God Himself. No other prophet or holy man could make that claim.
And yet millions, even billions choose not to believe. But His work continues. The story of redemption is not quite complete. Our "job" as believers is to continue the work of the early disciples. We are to not only show loving kindness to the lost world around us, we are to repeat the words of Jesus. We are to humble ourselves to God's will, not ours.
I struggle with that every day. Ultimately, I have to die to myself so that He can live through me. The apostle Paul said it well, "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:19 - 21.
So what will you do with Jesus? Will you bend your knee and your will to God in submissive love and obedience? You only have these two choices: believe and accept this free gift of redemption and restoration and eternal life or reject what Jesus has done and His gift and therefore be eternally damned and punished. There is no middle ground. Your eternal life can begin right now. Bend your knee and come to Jesus.
God has kept His Promise of redeeming His creation. He has guaranteed eternal life to those who choose to believe and receive this Truth.
He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
Click here for the "The Trinity & The Passion" Study.
Chris Tomlin, "I Will Rise".
