March 30, 2010
by Pastor Jeremiah
Gandhi is quoted as saying, “I could accept Jesus as a martyr, an embodiment of sacrifice, and a divine teacher, but not as the most perfect man ever born. His death on the Cross was a great example to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious or miraculous virtue in it, my heart could not accept.”
If Jesus was simply a martyr, as Gandhi put it, then our faith is about as useful as a T.V. is to a castaway on a deserted island. Without the power of the resurrection, there is no hope in life abundantly. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
While Jesus came preaching and teaching many profound things, it wasn't simply his wise teachings that caused the crowds to follow him, rather “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (Mark 1:22) There are many great moral teachers that have lived throughout history, but I have chosen to put my faith in Christ not simply because his teachings surpass them all but also because I am convinced that he teaches with the authority to back it up. How am I convinced of Jesus' authority? Because of the resurrection.
Many people argue that unless the resurrection can be proved, they cannot put their faith in Christ. I would argue that until the resurrection can be disproved, one is compelled to come up with an explanation for how Christianity emerged in the first century, toppling the Roman empire from within and is now the world's largest religion and shows not signs of slowing down. How do we explain this? Over the next three days I want to explore the resurrection. Why should we be convinced that Jesus truly did rise from the dead? I'll give you three reasons. Stay tuned...
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