What the Resurrection Means to Christianity

This is the second installment of my 2018 Easter series. I didn't expect to do two posts over the resurrection, but it just ended up that way. In the last article (False Theories about the Resurrection), I refuted several theories stating that the resurrection never took place. What I didn't write about is why those stories came about.

For example, no one tries to disprove Julius Caesar's death. Nobody alive today was there to see him get stabbed, yet most people have no trouble believing that he was killed. I bet that most people don't even know how we know Julius Caesar was killed (Plutarch wrote about it in his biography about Julius Caesar, if you were wondering) No one makes up "theories" to state that Julius Caesar was never killed. It is proven as a historical fact from the accounts of the day. That's how we know much of what happened in the past. And we usually don't question those accounts unless we find another that contradicts it.

On the other hand, the religion of Islam and the swoon theory would rather have it that Jesus never died despite the historical account not only from the Bible but also from the Roman death records. If most people would believe that Julius Caesar died a little more than seventy years before Christ died, why wouldn't they believe that Christ died despite the proof?

No professor with three Ph.Ds. ever sits down and says to himself, "Julius Caesar was a complete myth. The Romans obviously needed someone to look up to because they made this guy a legend. All those accounts are complete exaggerations." That would be absolutely crazy.

But professors get paid a good fortune to teach their students that Jesus is only a myth despite the overwhelming evidence. They say that the Bible is an exaggerated account. Just as it would be crazy for someone to say that Julius Caesar was but a legend, it is crazy for someone to say that Jesus is only a legend.

And what about the fact that no other religion is so persecuted in the universe? Only Christianity has been persecuted on the basis of their beliefs. People of other religious faith's have only been killed because of their race, not religion (through ethnic cleansing). I'm not saying that people of other beliefs should be persecuted; I think that religious freedom is wonderful thing. I am saying that Christianity has been singled out for its beliefs.

The point I am making is that the world opposes Christianity more than any other religion. When brilliant scientists begin talking about Christianity, common sense practically goes out the window. One of the most important aspects of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And that may be one of the most attacked aspects of Christianity.

1 Corinthians 15:17,19 says, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins ... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." The foundation of Christianity is Christ: the fact that He has died for our sins and rose again defeating death. No wonder the world attacks the resurrection the most.

If the resurrection is untrue, then Christians are some of the worst liars on earth and our "faith is futile." Why would so many people live their lives to please a God that doesn't exist? Why would so many people give so much away to help people if it would only profit for nothing after death? Why would so many people die defending a lie? That's because they didn't.

There is overwhelming support for the Bible's authenticity. I'm not going to explain all of the proof in this article, but you can research it if you are really interested. The Bible tells a story that any other religion could not tell. The Bible tells a true story, a historical account. It introduces us to a God who loved us even though we were wicked people who opposed Him. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins even when we didn't want grace, much less deserve grace. If Jesus stayed in that tomb, Christianity isn't relevant just like every other religion. But He didn't. He conquered death and gave Christians hope in this world. Christianity is a religion that celebrates life and victory over death. And that's why we celebrate Easter.

If you don't believe that Jesus died to save you from your sins, you're missing out on the greatest gift in all of history. What God wants to give to you is priceless. Nobody deserves it. In fact, everybody deserves the exact opposite: eternal separation from God in hell. God loves you so much that He provided a way out. He doesn't want you to be separated from Him forever. And because of what Jesus did, you don't have to.

My pastor said (I'm still paraphrasing) if the resurrection is true, nothing else matters; if the resurrection is not true, nothing much matters. If you're a Christian, rejoice in the hope that Jesus brought into your life. If you're not a Christian, pick up your Bible, and read about what Jesus did on the cross for you (at the ends of the first four books of the New Testament). It may seem like a very thick (it is very thick) and confusing book, but you won't regret it if you really are searching for what this life is truly about.