He is Risen!
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 04 Apr 2010 in From Steve's Study ::
No one phrase has had more impact on the history of the world than this one. It is the center of the Christian faith that on the first Easter, Jesus was not only put to death on the Friday morning for crimes he did not commit, but rose from the grave on Sunday morning. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a foolish fantasy. But if he did rise, then it confirms all that he said and did, including his promise to give eternal life to all who believe in him.
But why should we believe it? After all, nobody else has ever done it, and it goes contrary to the laws of nature doesn’t it?
Well here are some of the reasons that convince me:
- What happened to Jesus’ body? When the first Christians started talking about the risen Jesus, it would have been simple for the authorities to bring it to an end by simply producing Jesus’, still dead, body. They never did.
- Some have claimed that the disciples took the body, but if this were so, why would they later, to a man, be prepared to die for something they knew was only a scam?
- What was it that changed the disciples from the frightened and disjointed group that scattered on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion to the bold and loving group that soon took the world by storm? They claimed it was because they had met the risen Jesus. Only something so dramatic could have brought about such a change.
- Many people saw the risen Jesus, not just one or two. In fact at one time more than 500 people saw him at once. They spoke with him, ate with him and touched him – he was no apparition.
- The Old Testament (and Jesus himself) predicted that he would have to die and rise again.
- Christians today bear witness to the fact that Jesus is alive. Ask the Christians you know and they will be able to tell you the difference knowing Jesus has made to their lives today.
Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!
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