Devotional Messages

The Resurrection Truth

I thought today that I might follow Paul's example and go briefly back to basics: the resurrection. As he points out in today's reading from 1 Corinthians, the resurrection of Christ is at the centre of the Christian faith - without it, we are living our lives hopelessly and pointlessly deluded (vv.17-19).

The message that the Apostles proclaimed is that Christ died for sins, was buried in a new tomb, was raised to life on the third day and appeared to many (including Paul). As a result of this message, people everywhere are called to change their lives, and live not for themselves, but for God. Why? Because, just as Christ was raised from the dead, so will all be raised on the Day of Judgement either to eternal life or eternal punishment.

But what if Christ didn't rise from the dead? It would mean that the Apostles misled us, that Christianity was false, and therefore the Christian life did not lead to eternal life with God (cf. vv.12-19). So what evidence is there that Christ rose from the dead?

The most striking historical evidence to me must be the transformation of the disciples - the reaction of those who knew Christ best and claimed to be witness to His resurrection. Allow me to quote J.N.D. Anderson, who discusses the possibility that the Apostles constructed a hoax:

...so far as I know, not a single critic today would take such an attitude [(that the disciples lied)]. In fact, it would really be an impossible position. Think of the number of witnesses, over 500. Think of the character of the witnesses, men and women who gave the world the highest ethical teaching it has ever known, and who even on the testimony of their enemies lived it out in their lives. Think of the psycological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence - and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication they were trying to foist upon the world. That simply wouldn't make sense.¹

I find myself also asking in a similar fashion: Why did Paul give up his career as a Pharisee persecuting Christians if he was not fully convinced of Christ appearing to him? And why did each of the apostles (except John, who was not called to do so) lay down their lives defending these claims? Jewish and Roman history records the persecutions the Christians faced, the deaths they died defending the resurrection of Christ. They did not materially gain from their message, in fact the opposite was dealt to them. Further, the histories of the Jews and Romans add weight to these claims, confirming historical facts presented in the gospels; and they show also that those at the time could not prove the Apostles' claims to be false. Surely then, (even based only on the historical evidence) we can say with confidence that Christ rose from the dead.

Such conclusions invite us to reconsider our atitude and focus in this life: If Christ rose from the dead, what is of true importance in this life? For what purpose shall we continue living? Allow me to quote from the fourth verse of today's reading from Proverbs:

Wealth is worthless on the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.

Let us then focus on things of Christ, rather than things of this world, in all that we do; secure in the knowledge of our eternal life to come.

¹ Anderson, J.N.D., "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ", Christianity Today, March 29, 1968, cited by Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, 1999, p.249.

What conclusions did you come to concerning the focus of your life? Pray over these, commiting yourself again to God's service and asking that you may draw strength to serve Him from the knowledge that He rose Christ from the dead, and will raise us also.