“Resurrection”

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

BIBLE READING: Acts 17

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” (Acts 17.32)

Resurrection— Can we take it seriously? In our Hollywood society, the subject is tied to fantasy stories and sci-fi epics. To bring someone back from the dead defies logic and immediately forces us to consider things we cannot fully understand. The Athenians fancied these sorts of subjects (Acts 17.21), but resurrection was a step too far even for them. Many of them scoffed when Paul brought it up. Many today have that same attitude. Resurrection is a figment of the Christian imagination to deal with the unknowns of afterlife.

As difficult as it is to fathom, it is the foremost truth professed throughout the scriptures. The prophets of old pointed to it as an indicator from God (see Psalm 16.10; Isaiah 53.10). Jesus foretold of his resurrection, three times (see Mark 8.31, 9.30-32, 10.32-34). Resurrection was the primary truth professed by early believers. Every gospel discourse in Acts includes the resurrection. If proven false, Jesus would be a liar for the claims he made, and his disciples would have disappeared from history (consider Acts 5.33-39). And yet, this claim has been sustained and affirmed to this day.

The resurrection must not be an afterthought in our minds because it is the focal point of faith. “If Christ is not raised our faith is futile and we are still in our sins” (1 Corinthians 15.17). There are many proofs of Jesus’ resurrection, but the response of 1^st century believers is a powerful testimony to its reality. Even in the face of persecution and rejection, the resurrection emboldened “ordinary” believers to not just exist but to thrive and share the gospel of Jesus. If Jesus was not raised, they would have no such motivation.

Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Of course, we do in theory, but we must consider the implications. Our profession of faith in Jesus is not simply about following a good man. We are not choosing to follow Jesus simply based on his teaching. We don’t accept him simply because of the miracles he performed. These all build the case for his divinity but without the resurrection, our faith is incomplete. There would be no hope in addressing our greatest need. He would be just like every other religious thought-leader in history who died.

That’s why we must take this subject seriously, and consider what we believe. If Jesus was not raised, death is a scary thing. The uncertainty of life beyond the grave will destroy your peace. But because we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, we also believe that God will raise us to eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4.14).

“If a man can predict his own death and resurrection, and pull it off, I just go with whatever that man says.” (A. Stanley)

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