Keeping the Resurrection Real

Friends,

Rodney Buchanan shares this story -- I read a recent magazine article about a pastor and his encounter with some unbelievers while having breakfast. Here is how he tells the story: “My wife and I were vacationing in Estes Park, Colorado, and had breakfast in a coffee shop. It was empty except for four men at another table. One was mocking Christianity, and in particular, the Resurrection of Christ. He went on and on about what a stupid teaching that was. I could feel the Lord asking me: ‘Are you going to let this go unchallenged?’ However I was thinking, But I don’t even know these guys. He’s bigger than me. He’s got cowboy boots on and looks tough. I was agitated and frightened about doing anything. But I knew I had to stand for Jesus. Finally, I told Susan to pray. I took my last drink of water and went over and challenged him. With probably a squeaky voice, I said, ‘I’ve been listening to you, and you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I did my best to give him a flying rundown of the proofs for the resurrection. He was speechless, and I was half dead. I must have shaken for an hour after that. But I had to take a stand. We cannot remain anonymous in our faith forever. God has a way of flushing us out of our quiet little places, and when He does we must be ready to speak for him.” I admire this pastor’s courage and his determination to be a witness, regardless of how difficult it was. A lot of Christians would have just sat there in fear or fumed, thinking about how terrible the things were that these men were saying. I realize that I have the opportunity of looking back with hindsight on the situation, but it seems to me that he missed the most important and impressive proof of the resurrection — his own life. I wonder if it would not have been more effective to walk over to the men at the table and say something like this: “You know, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, and found it very interesting. If you don’t mind, I would like to pay for all of your breakfasts. The reason I want to do this is that, because of the resurrection, Jesus Christ has changed my life and lives in me, and wants to communicate his tremendous love for you.” Rational arguments do not change people…changed lives do. Changed lives change the lives of others, and thereby change the world. 

I want to take a closer look at resurrection applied, now that we are about a month removed from Easter.  Resurrection does not mean a whole lot to us unless we are living like “resurrection” people who one day will be resurrected. And this brings us to Pauls’ explanation concerning the importance of the resurrection for us. (1 Corinthians 15:1-23) Paul is addressing the Corinthian church, and there are some there who have some misunderstandings concerning Jesus’ resurrection.  Paul seeks to correct these issues.  Paul shares that one of the greatest proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ were His many post-resurrection appearances.  15:6 says that Jesus appears to more than 500 people!  So, there are many people that could testify to the trustworthiness of the Resurrection of Jesus. The reality of His appearance is that a transformation in Jesus’ followers takes place. This is evidence of the reality of the resurrection.  Lee Strobel writes, “Nobody willingly dies for something that they know is false.”(Case for Easter, p.88). But they know that the Resurrection is true, so they are willing their lives because of their belief in the resurrection of Jesus.  And the reality of the resurrection’s transforming power doesn’t stop with the eyewitnesses, but ultimately affects thousands of people.

So the question is, “Why should Christ’s resurrection be important to me?”  As we have seen, the Resurrection proves that Jesus is God and not an imposter. Paul opens the letter to the Romans (1:1-4) and reveals that the Resurrection proves Jesus to be the Son of God and brings us face to face with the fact that He is who He claims to be -- God. The founder of every other religion has found a way to die and stayed dead. Jesus rose again. This is important to us because it forces us to make a decision about our lives. Since Christ is who He claimed to be, how will you respond to Him? We need to come to understand that the Resurrection makes your salvation possible. Without the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, every person is still dead in their sins. If Christ did not rise, then you are still dead in your sins and your Christian faith is worthless and anyone you’ve known who died a believer is just as lost as an unbeliever. But, faith in Christ is not in vain. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)  It is important to you, because Jesus’ being alive means the way to God has been “paved” by Jesus and you can be made right with Him and have relationship with Him this morning.

One final, important matter to consider is that the Resurrection makes your resurrection possible.  You and I are spirit and body -- we are spiritual and physical. Our resurrection is only made possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Stanley Horton points out, “Christ’s resurrection and ours are part of one and the same plan of God.” (Horton, Stanley. I & II Corinthians. p. 150)  Christ’s resurrection guarantees our own “spiritual,” bodily resurrection. The Bible refers to Him as being the ‘first fruits,’ which guarantees the whole harvest, of which you and I are a part if we are in Christ. In other words, since He was raised first, we know we will be raised. (vv. 20-23)  Paul says, “We ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23)  This ‘first fruits of the Spirit’ spoken of in Romans 8:23 is elsewhere referred to as a deposit or guarantee, in Ephesians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:22 and 2 Corinthians 5:5.  The Spirit’s indwelling is a guarantee that much more is on the way. We have the down payment of the Spirit, but are awaiting the full transaction that will come to fruition when our bodies are resurrected and we live forever with Him. When will our resurrection take place? The passage says “When he comes”…whenever that is to be. When we receive “resurrected” spiritual bodies at Jesus’ second coming, our current bodies will be transformed.  They will be bodies completely perfect and dominated by the Spirit rather than the sinful nature. We are awaiting the day our bodies are completely made new and free of the weight of sin and be entirely spiritual. “For in this hope we were saved” indeed…resurrection is our hope.  When Christ returns we will see Him and we will be transformed -- what a blessed hope indeed!

Unlike the beliefs of the Greek philosophers who thought the body was evil and something we should want to be released from, God made our bodies as part of who we are and they complete us. Right now our bodies are affected by sin and they die, but God has a plan to resurrect our bodies to perfection. So now, just look at yourself. Take a minute. Do you feel too fat? Too thin? Got hurting knees or allergies? Losing your hair? Whatever problems and imperfections you have are temporary and will one day be changed in the twinkling of an eye…if you are in Christ.  That is our hope. It is the completion for us of “the extreme body makeover”…a heavenly body for eternal living. While you may be as broken as Humpty Dumpty because of sin that is not fixable by anyone in the world, the tomb is genuinely empty and Jesus is definitely alive.  What He did on the cross paid for your sins and you’ve been given an opportunity to not only be fixed, but to become a new creation and to have fellowship with God. This is the joy of living in the Resurrection. God can fix you spiritually and you can have the hope that He will one day complete your redemption by redeeming your body to be something like Jesus’ body!  

Blessings, Don

Known by the Scars

Friends,

While flipping through the channels on the television one time, I happened upon a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond.  I have not watched this show all that many times, but I stopped for a moment because I heard one of the characters mention God and the Bible.  Knowing that most sitcoms disparage God, Christianity and the Bible, I was, nonetheless, stuck with curiosity as to what would be said.  There was some predictable poking of fun at matters concerning the Faith, but I had to take pause concerning a serious question that was raised.  The question – “what is the meaning of life?”  They were looking half-heartedly at the Bible for answers, (with the irony being…the Bible really does have the answer to this question).  One of the characters came up with the agreed upon answer that – “the meaning is in the pursuit itself.”  This is rather vague…although, it is true in a sense.  But what is that pursuit?  Glorify God and keep His commands.  Yet, this is only half of it, because there is not only the pursuit, there is also the discovery!  Jesus Christ, the Son of God is Savior and Lord!  This is where purpose and discovery meet with eternal destination.  Pretty important stuff they were talking about…and they didn’t realize the half of it.  And this is why I am here to tell all of it…the whole story.  This is really part two of John’s resurrection story, following Mary Magdalene, Peter and John at the empty tomb.

Following Jesus’ resurrection, the news that Jesus is alive begins to spread among His followers…at first with hesitation, but then with enthusiasm. (John 20:19-29)  Even the disciples do not believe the first reports, but whenever people are confronted with the reality of the resurrection, their lives are transformed.  The Lord turns the fear of the disciples into courage.  How so?  First…He comes to them.  We do not know where these men were, but Jesus finds them…and it is amazing how it happens.  In His resurrection body, Jesus is able to just appear among them without ever opening a door. Yet, He has a solid body which can be touched, as we will see.  What we realize is that Jesus’ spiritual body is not limited. And it causes us to realize -- you could never really play “hide and seek” with Jesus. :-)

It is somewhat amazing that these men are actually afraid.  The women reported to them that Jesus was alive and the two Emmaus disciples likely added to their witness.  Jesus’ first word to them is the traditional greeting – shalom, (peace).  He could rebuke them for their unfaithfulness and cowardice, but He doesn’t.  He reassures them – He shows them His wounded hands and side, giving them the opportunity to discover that He is indeed their Master and not some sort of phantom.  The wounds mean more than identification – they are also evidence that the price of salvation has been paid and that man truly can have peace with God.  When Jesus sees that the disciples’ fear has now turned to joy, He commissions them (v.21)…this being His dedication of His disciples to the task of world evangelism (Matthew 28).  It must have given these men great joy to realize that, despite their many failures, Jesus still entrusts them with His words and His work.  Finally, Jesus enables them through His Holy Spirit, giving them a portion of power (v.22) in order that they should continue to grow in wisdom to be able to witness with power.

Now we come to the big question?  Why is Thomas (called Didymus – twin) not with the other disciples when they are together?  What we know is that Thomas is a man of courage (John 11:16), and is spiritually-minded, asking questions of Jesus (14:5).  Still, there seems to be this underlying “pessimism” to Thomas.  Many call him “doubting Thomas.”  Perhaps, this is too harsh of a designation…since he is looking for assurances.  Jesus does rebuke him, but it is not for doubt, as we call it, but unbelief.  Doubt is often an intellectual problem – we want to believe, but faith is overwhelmed by problems and questions.  Unbelief is a moral problem of the will – we simply refuse to believe. So, it is important to separate the two.  And this raises another question…what is it that Thomas does not believe?  Apparently, the reports of the other Christians that Jesus is alive. And this may be why Thomas had not been with the other disciples.  He reasons like a man – “seeing is believing.”  On the one hand we can admire Thomas for wanting personal experience.  On the other hand, we must fault him for laying conditions for the Lord to meet!  The other ten disciples had told Thomas that they had seen the Lord’s hands and side (v.20), so Thomas makes this his test.  Thomas’ own words help us to understand the difference between doubt and unbelief.  Doubt says, “I cannot believe”…there are too many problems.  Unbelief says “I will not believe unless you give me evidence.”  After one week, Jesus deals with Thomas and his unbelief.  The grace of our Lord is amazing, if you consider – he stoops to our level of experience to lift us up!  He grants Thomas’ request.  There is no record that Thomas accepts the Lord’s invite to touch Him, but his response seems to indicate such.  When the time comes to prove his faith, Thomas steps up.  Jesus’ next words are, literally, “stop becoming faithless, but become a believer.”  Jesus has seen a dangerous process at work in Thomas’ heart and He wants to put a stop to it.

One day, a group of agnostics asked a Christian scientist this question: "As a person rooted in science, how can you believe that God will raise the dead from the dust?"  Working quickly, the scientist mixed a few handfuls of sand with the smallest of iron shavings. Then he challenged the unbelievers, saying, "Before I answer your question, let me ask one of my own: Which of you can take this pile and separate the particles into two groups?"  Taken off guard, the unbelievers didn't really think their answer through.  This is what the Christian scientist did -- he took a high-powered magnet and held it over the mixed pile. In a second, the filings "jumped" from the desktop onto the magnet.  Turning to the unbelievers he then challenged them with this thought: "If the Creator establishes the laws which give such powers to a magnet, how can you believe He does not have greater powers Himself? I believe if the unseen power of the magnet can pull iron shavings out of the dirt; my God can use His almighty power to call forth bodies which have turned to dust."

How many disciples were in the room when Jesus first arrived?  That is right, ten.  Judas did not make it. Number eleven, Thomas, nearly did not make it.  I am thankful that he did not choose to continue on in his unbelief and have the same fate as Judas…and as so many others who live in this world choose.  We have every spiritual opportunity in Christ, just as did Thomas, to make the right decision about Jesus.  This is why Jesus says at the conclusion – “blessed are those who have believed without seeing.”  The Lord has a personal interest in each and every one of us.  In every way, He wants to strengthen our faith and include us in the blessings He has for us!  Thomas’ unbelief represents the “scientific approach” to life – I need proof.  It may be where some are today, but as with Thomas…it doesn’t work.  Only faith works…belief and assurance concerning what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.  We must understand that we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and our obedient faith response to Him.  He is the basis for all peace; He died for all people – rich and poor, black and white, male and female, old and young, Jew and Gentile.  He rose from the dead victorious over Satan, sin and death for all time – and now He lives for us…and in us through His Spirit.  God has given us a most precious gift – our souls.  How can we not trust Him who made us, saves us, and knows us better that we know ourselves…with or souls?  In this we fulfill the pursuit…we have the discovery, and our lives have meaning!

Blessings, Don

On the Third Day

Friends,

What is interesting about the gospels, and in this case -- the Gospel of John, particularly -- is that there would be no chapter 20 if Jesus’ story was a normal biography…the story would end with the death of the individual.  If the story ends in chapter 19, then it is truly the end of the story…for Jesus and for all of humanity.  But, the account of this miracle (John 20:1-18) is proof that Jesus is unlike any other human being ever to live.  The Resurrection is an essential part of the Gospel message (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) and a key doctrine in the Christian faith.  From the very beginning, the enemies of the Lord try to deny the historic fact of the Resurrection.  The Jewish leaders claim that the Lord’s body has been stolen from the tomb.  But, this is absurd…because if the body was stolen, then how on earth would they have done it? The tomb is guarded by Roman soldiers and the tomb sealed with an official Roman seal.  Also, the disciples have not believed that He is to be raised from the dead; it is His enemies who remember His words. (Matthew 27:62-66)  The opponents certainly would not have taken the body.  The last thing they want is anyone believing that Jesus actually has risen from the dead.  As the women approach the tomb, they are worried about who would roll back such a heavy stone (Mark 16:1-3).  And this brings us to Mary Magdalene, the first of the women to arrive at the tomb on the first day of the week. As we consider her experience that Lord’s Day morning, we can see her comprehension of the truth of the Resurrection.

Mary Magdalene and several other women agree to go to the tomb of Jesus following His death on the cross and His burial.  These women, desiring to show their love for Christ, want to complete the burial preparations.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had been forced by the circumstances to prepare the body quickly, but now the ladies are going to finish the task.  What they are not aware of is that an earthquake has taken place and the stone guarding Jesus’ tomb has been rolled back by an angel.  It is apparent that Mary Magdalene goes on ahead of the other women and gets to the tomb first.  When she sees that the stone has been rolled away, she believes that someone has broken into the tomb and stolen the body of her Lord.  Given all that we know, and have already discussed concerning the circumstances surrounding what has happened to Jesus, it is not difficult to believe that Mary thinks this way.  Mary runs to break the news to Peter and John at an unknown location. The other women arrive at the tomb, then leave and carry the angels’ message to the other disciples.

Meanwhile, Peter and John start off for the tomb.  It is John who follows initially, but being fleeter of foot, he gets there first. When he arrives, he cautiously remains outside but looks in.  What does he see? Grave clothes lying on the stone shelf.  Peter also arrives and…true to form…impulsively heads on into the tomb.  There, he also sees the grave clothes.  John then enters the tomb, looks at the evidence and is awestruck!  It is as if the light goes on all of the sudden, because the text says, “He sees and believes” (v.8). Resurrection faith begins to take hold.  It is amazing that Jesus’ followers did not expect Him to come out of the tomb alive…after all, He had told them on numerous occasions that He would be raised from the dead (John 2:19, etc.).  Peter and John experience faith that is based on the evidence.  They see grave clothes…they know that Jesus’ body is not there.  After the resurrection, Jesus does not reveal Himself to everyone, but only to select witnesses who share the Good News with others (Acts 10:39-43).  Peter and John see and believe – soon the Holy Spirit will confirm their faith.

Peter and John have returned home by the time Mary Magdalene decides to come back to the tomb. She has stayed in the garden, such is her love and devotion to her Lord.  Mary has not reached the same conclusion as have Peter and John, for she believes that Jesus is still dead. Her weeping is the loud lament associated with how her people, the Jews, express sorrow.  When she comes to the tomb and looks inside, she sees two men dressed in white. Their positions at either end of the shelf where Jesus had been lying, makes us think of the cherubim on the mercy seat. (Exodus 25:17-19)  It is as though God is saying, “There is now a new mercy seat – my Son has paid the price for sin, and a new way is opened up to the presence of God.”  Mary does not seem to be disturbed at seeing these two men, and there is no evidence that she knows that they are angels. But, her conversation with them does nothing to calm her, or dry up her tears. 

Mary is determined to find Jesus, and at once, she turns around and sees Jesus, although she does not know that it is Him.  It is interesting that she does not recognize Him…perhaps it is too early to see well, or her tears are blinding her somewhat, or perhaps Jesus is concealing His true identity from her for the moment, as He did with the Emmaus disciples.  Jesus asks her why she is weeping…and who is it that she is seeking. Jesus recognizes her broken heart and tenderly reveals Himself to her, simply calling out her name – Mary.  When He does this, she immediately recognizes Him. All she can say is “Rabboni!” (Which means “my Teacher”). She not only speaks to Him, but grabs onto His feet, and holds onto Him…sort of like we did when we were little kids and we didn’t want a parent to leave the house.  Jesus tells her not to hold on to Him…which is curious.  One reason is that she will see Him again, as He will be on the earth another forty days before ascending to the Father. Mary does not need to panic…as if this is her last opportunity to be with Jesus.  A second reason is that she has a job to do – go tell people that Jesus is indeed alive.  She does, indeed, get up from there and share the Good News, “I have seen the Lord!”

Every year, thousands of people climb a mountain in the Italian Alps, passing the "stations of the cross" to stand at an outdoor crucifix. One tourist noticed a little trail that led beyond the cross. He fought through the rough thicket and, to his surprise, came upon another shrine, a shrine that symbolized the empty tomb. It was neglected. The brush had grown up around it. Almost everyone had gone as far as the cross, but there they stopped.  Far too many have gotten to the cross and have known the despair and the heart break. Far too few have moved beyond the cross to find the real message of Easter. That is the message of the empty tomb. (Lavonn Brown, "The Other Half of the Rainbow," submitted by Michael Adams, First Baptist Church, Union City, TN.)

This has long been one of my struggles with how people view the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  Some have put so much emphasis on the cross that they nearly miss the most important event, and this is the Resurrection.  We must not only recognize the power of the cross, but we have to live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus!  The kicker with all of this, going back to the beginning of the message today -- as good as the evidence is to convince the mind, it cannot change the life.  What do I mean?  Those of us who live centuries later cannot examine that evidence, for it is no longer there for us to inspect.  But, we do have the record of the evidence in God’s Word as it has stood the tests of time.  It is faith in the message found in the Word that Jesus wants to cultivate in us through His Holy Spirit.  And that message…the undeniable message of the Resurrection…is that – Jesus is alive!  He is alive in order that you and I may be able to be alive forever…and this is Good News!

Blessings, Don