Cross

Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead? He is Risen; He is Risen Indeed!

Every year my wife and I cast aside the suburban shackles and do something that in our world is truly adventurous: a six hundred mile road trip to GeeGee’s house with an SUV full of kids. From the windows of our traveling roadshow we enjoy the skyscrapers of Dallas, the Cracker Barrel of Abilene, the windmills of Sweetwater, the corny dogs of Post, and of course the aliens of Area 51, Roswell, NM. Ever been to Roswell? There are t-shirt shops, hotels, souvenirs, alien burgers, all based on a tale that ET landed and the USA covered it up.

Every year around this time. My mailbox fills up with postcards inviting me to easter egg hunts, walkthrough adventures, iPad giveaways, and church services. There are musicals, movies, parties, dresses, bonnets, baskets, waxy eggs with hardened sugar inside and chocolate rabbits with creepy little edible eyes. All of this activity is based on the tale that 2000 years ago a man named Jesus died and rose again.

It leads me to a simple question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Christian or not, it’s a question with which we all must grapple. Jesus is easily the most influential man who’s ever lived. His impact on government, art, education, social justice, architecture, healthcare, law, and faith are indisputable. Impactful? absolutely! But the greatness of Jesus hinges on the question of Easter. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? After all, Jesus’ big claim to fame was that he is the Son of God and that he would prove this by dying and rising again.

Let’s consider some of the common “conspiracy theories” about the resurrection:

The Swoon Conspiracy—believes that Jesus passed out on the cross and in the coldness of the tomb he was revived. Essentially, he broke out, killed the Roman soldiers, and appeared to his followers. As loony as this sounds, many have fallen for the swoon. But, if there was one thing that Rome did really well it was kill people. Furthermore, how could a man who was whipped and crucified move a massive stone and overcome armed soldiers?

The Directionally Challenged Conspiracy—believes that the women who reported the resurrection went to the wrong tomb. Now this may be more believable if it had been men and not women who discovered the empty tomb. Everybody knows, men are usually too stubborn to stop and asks directions when they get lost!  But had the empty tomb been the result of poor navigating, the Romans could have easily produced the body; interesting, no one has ever produced the body.

The Every Body’s Tripping Conspiracy—believes that all the people who saw Jesus were hallucinating. Perhaps, the feast had a Woodstock theme that year or something? Had it been one or two people that claimed to see Christ then maybe. But over 500 people at different times claimed to have seen Christ. People touched him and talked to him over a 40-day period of time.

The Thieves Conspiracy—believes that someone stole the body and started a rumor that Jesus rose from the dead. Well, this is more conceivable than the others conspiracies. But still it is vastly lacking. Who would want to steal Jesus’ body? The Jewish leaders and the Romans had no motive. The apostles had lacked courage: from Gethsemane through the cross they were running for their lives. Yet, these are the men who are supposed to have found the courage to overcome the guards, steal the body and begin the church movement?

Now, let’s consider some evidence that Jesus really did rise from the dead:

The tomb was empty—this was no small feat. After all there were Roman soldiers guarding the tomb and a seal protecting it. To this day no one has ever produced the body or remains of Jesus.

Hundreds of witnesses—I Corinthians 15:3-8 relates that over 500 people saw Jesus and many of these continued to share their testimony for years to come.

Radical change in the disciples lives—Following the horrific crucifixion, the natural thing for the apostles to do was go home, keep a low profile, and get back to fishing. Instead they went all over the world preaching the resurrection. Their testimony dramatically changed the Roman world and was foundational in the establishment of the church.

The disciple’s deaths—History reveals that most of the disciples died torturous deaths. They were crucified, boiled in oil, and torn to pieces. Look, there is only so far you take a lie. When the threat of nails and a crossbeam comes your way, if you’re telling a lie, you back away. But the disciples died proclaiming the resurrected Jesus until their final breath.

Is it reasonable to believe that Jesus really did rise from the dead? Absolutely! Now I realize that not everyone will believe. But that doesn’t change the fact that there is ample evidence to believe. It also doesn’t change the reality that Jesus has impacted the world to such a degree that anyone with intellect must wrestle with the veracity of his claims.

Millions of people over thousands of years have surrendered their souls and believed in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. Christians believe that Jesus is the eternal son of God, born of a virgin, perfectly revealed and without sin. Christians believe that Jesus died as a substitute for sinners, making atonement for sin, and providing redemption for all who believe. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead, appeared to his disciples, ascended to heaven and will one day return to judge the world and complete his redemptive mission.

Easter is a celebration of life. Not just any life but eternal life that is found in Jesus Christ.

He is Risen!
There are a lot of good books on reasonable reasons to believe in Christianity (apologetics).  One, easy to read, apologetic on the resurrection is Josh and Sean McDowell’s book Jesus is Alive!

The Collision of the Cross

Tonight our church gathers for Good Friday. We will remember what Jesus did for us through His atoning death on the cross and celebrate the new life that is found through His resurrection. I’ll be preaching on Philippians 2:8, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross,” As I meditated on Christ’s humility, I was reminded of the collision that is the cross:

The ringing of Calvary’s hammer is a collision of pride and love. The cross is necessary because of my pride, but it also necessary because of God’s love. The cross is a clumsy display of my hideous pride and a graceful display of God’s forgiving grace. On the cross, love is pierced by pride and grace is crowned by evil. On the cross pride drains the veins of love: drop by drop pride’s antidote puddles below. When His head bowed in death, pride raised his head in victory. But when the earth stood still and the tomb stood opened, it was pride that had died and love that was alive.

The antidote to pride is the cross. When I look upon the humility and love of the cross, I see the magnificence of His love for me and I have nothing left in which to boast. From the cross the purity of His righteousness shines into the corners of my heart exposing the darkness of my sin and contempt is poured on my pride. From the cross the glories of money, power, and fame lose their allure and my richest gain I count but lost. At the cross, my broken dreams, my manipulated relationships, my cold soul collide with love. When my pride surveys His love, I bow beneath the cross, my faith is transferred from me to Him, and the drops of grace cleanse me and make me fully whole. At the cross, pride dies and love comes alive.

Inspired by my favorite hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” by Sir Isaac Watts

Join us for Easter worship at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00.  Details and directions at murphychurch.com 

6 Feet Forever: A Good Friday Devotional

Just as the townspeople were finishing breakfast, word began to spread that Jesus had been arrested. Eternity’s trial was in session on the steps of Fort Antonia. Just outside the walls, two little boys, short of breath, ran back to their father, “Papa, it sounds like a riot is breaking out, the crowd is yelling, and the governor is trying to calm them!” “Stay close to me boys; we are going to stop here outside the walls until we know things have calmed down,” said Simon.

It was about 8:30, when the execution parade made its way past Simon and his boys. Their Passover journey had taken an unexpected turn. Instead of simply celebrating the Passover, Simon was now face to face with the Passover lamb. Simon Peter had boasted earlier that he was willing to die for Jesus. But now, as Jesus fell beneath the weight of the beam, another Simon wrapped his dark hands around the cursed wood on which God’s son would absorb the wrath for humanity’s sin and bring forgiveness and grace to all who believe.

The death march featured three victims: the Son of God and two men simply known as thieves. These two men were born into a world of Roman savagery. As children, their parents had hopes and dreams for their lives. Maybe they would be so lucky as to meet the Messiah. The run-ins with Rome were fun: anything to make a soldier’s life more miserable. But then one day, they were found and bound. Deemed unfit to serve a master, power a ship, or dig the roads; the only good these men had to offer was to serve as a warning to all to never mess with the legions of Rome.

Crucifixion was no stranger to any of the three men. They knew its shriek, its gore, its meaning, its end. The wonderment would soon be over: will they use nails or ropes? how long will I hang? will anyone care that I’m dying? It was about 9:00 when the hammers began to ring. The gospel writers describe it best with three words, “They crucified him.”

The scene was dripping with anger. Hardened soldiers gambled for possessions. Religious leaders piously taunted the very God they claimed to worship. How dark is a heart that delights in the cross?

“In the same way, the criminals kept taunting him.” Soon the black drops of anger had saturated the sky. Through the darkness came a voice of grace, “Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”

Hanging six feet from God, the clinched soul, broken dreams, and dark abandonment of one man’s life, began to pour out. The thief began to blaspheme Jesus spewing vileness so reprehensible his tortured body became the reflection of his heart. This man was minutes from death; his life deemed worthless. Soon, all evidence of his days would vanish, but instead of embracing grace, he chose to take his anger to the grave. He died six feet from God, suffocated in his sin. He and God would remain apart forever.

Hanging six feet from God was another angry man. Minutes from death, he had lived a life that no one would remember. His life had been officially proclaimed as worthless. He had nothing to give God, nothing with which to negotiate. All he could do is open his clinched fist of anger and request to be remembered. Wrapped in death’s cold embrace, he met grace through the suffering love of his substitute. He is mere man’s greatest witness to Calvary’s collision of horror and love. He died six feet from God, but remains with God forever. How full is the heart that finds life in the cross?

 

Lash Banks is Lead Pastor at Murphy Road Baptist Church (murphychurch.com). Lash’s weekly podcast/sermon can be heard at http://www.buzzsprout.com/17504