an article in the
Sand Springs Leader for April 24, 2014
By Rev. Kenneth Lane
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter this year! It is a
time when we get to reflect on so many wonderful themes in our faith, like
forgiveness, peace and newness of life. Easter is the Christian celebration of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a doctrine that is
central to the Christian faith, and yet, there are many people who wonder if it
is really true.
Recently, Dr. Bart Ehrman, a professor of Religious Studies
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, released a book entitled,
“How Jesus Became God,” which calls into question many of the traditional
beliefs of the Christian faith. It’s no secret that many people today struggle
with questions of faith. How can we maintain faith in today’s post-modern
society where science and technology seem to rule the roost? Can we really
believe what the Bible says or do we need to reinterpret it to make it intelligible
to our modern age?
I think that’s a fair question, and one we need to address
if we expect our faith to stand the test of time. As we reflect on the message
of Easter, we can well ask the question, Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Does it really make that much difference?
First, let me say that the resurrection of Jesus is such an
important doctrine to the Christian faith that not only can we believe it, but we must
believe it if we expect to have life as Jesus promised and if we want to truly
call ourselves Christian.
To begin with, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a
doctrine we can believe. Even in the face of modern science with all of its
promise and prejudice, the resurrection is a believable phenomenon. Why? We
have to remember that the natural sciences are exactly that; investigations of
the natural order of things. The resurrection of Jesus quite obviously does not
fall within the natural order of things. It is clearly the power of God
breaking into and disrupting the natural order of things. Death is defeated,
and the natural order is broken. So we must admit from the outset that our
investigation will not be, and cannot be, strictly scientific. We will not be
able to produce anything like “definitive proof” for the resurrection of Jesus.
What we can do, however, is to cite credible, rational reasons for believing
the way we do. These reasons stand on solid historical, psychological, and
textual grounds. We are not engaging in mere flights of fantasy. We have good
reasons for believing what we do, and it is helpful to review those reasons
from time to time.
Still, we have to recognize that these historical arguments
are not decisive for faith. We do not become Christians or remain Christians on
the basis of logical argument. No one I know has ever been argued into the
kingdom of God. The reason we believe is the same reason the apostles believed;
we have had an encounter with the living Christ. We believe because we know
Jesus. We have experienced his touch and his love in our lives.
Even so, historical arguments can prove helpful in removing
hindrances to our faith. Several years ago, Josh McDowell wrote a book that
continues to be a popular seller in Christian bookstores entitled, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. In it
he outlines numerous historical, psychological, and textual reasons for
believing the truth claims of Jesus, including the stories of his resurrection.
More recently, Tim Keller has written a New York Times bestseller entitled, The
Reason for God, which also contains many convincing arguments.
So the resurrection of Christ is not some idle belief with
no basis in fact or history. There are good and compelling reasons to believe
it. It is a part of the doctrine of the church that we can, in good conscience,
believe. Even more than that, the doctrine of the resurrection is something we must believe.
I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that the
resurrection of Christ is the most important and fundamental doctrine of the
Christian faith. The Apostle Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that, “If
Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your
sins.” Why is this doctrine so crucial?
First of all, it tells us who Jesus was. He was not just a
wise rabbi or good teacher, Jesus Christ was the incarnate Son of God. Paul
says in Romans 1:4 that Jesus has been “designated Son of God in power by his
resurrection from the dead.” What Paul is saying is that since Jesus has been
raised from the dead, he must be God, for only God has power even over death.
You can see the logic of his reasoning.
While he was on earth, Jesus claimed to be the unique Son of
God. He said things like, “I and the Father are one.” It was claims like that
that got him killed. Either those claims are true or they are not true. Either
Jesus is who he said he is, or he is a liar. When God raised Jesus from the
dead, he gave credence not only to the person of Jesus, but also to the claims
he made; claims that he was, indeed, the only begotten Son of God.
The doctrine of the resurrection has another advantage. In
Matthew 20:28 Jesus said, “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The reason Jesus came and died was
to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He died so that we might live. But
how do we know that his sacrifice was sufficient? How do we know that his
sacrifice was acceptable to God?
For three days the question remains unanswered. Then the
moment of the resurrection comes. The hand of God reaches down into the cold
Judean tomb, and the body of Christ is raised to life. The stone is rolled
away. Jesus is exalted to the right hand of the Father. By the act of the
resurrection we know that God has accepted the perfect sacrifice of his Son for
our sin.
Finally, the resurrection is a crucial doctrine for our
faith because it is this doctrine that establishes our own resurrection hope.
We believe that we will be raised because Jesus has been raised. Mark
Achtemeier says, “United with Christ, we become sharers and partakers in the
power of his resurrection. The bonds of love that unite us to God and to one
another in Jesus Christ are stronger than the power of death. Such is the
glorious hope that arises in the predawn stillness of the first Easter.”
So you see, the resurrection of Jesus is not just some
abstract theological doctrine that is debated in ivory towers and has little,
if anything to do with the rest of us. It is a doctrine that has life. And if
we are to receive Christ’s promise of life, it is a doctrine we can truly
believe.
