Easter celebration
focuses on the resurrection of Christ. But can this claim that Christ rose from
the dead be verified?
Tis’
the time again when Easter eggs add cheer to the holiday season. But amid this
commercialism, let us not lose sight of Easter’s real meaning.
What
has the humble egg got to do with Easter? At a glance, its well-decorated shell
reminds us it’s about celebration. On further reflection, an egg bears within it
the potential for a new life — a new beginning — though it may appear lifeless
for a season.
When
an egg hatches, a tiny chick gradually pushes its way through the shell. Just
as the shell could not restrain the chick from emerging at the appropriate time,
death could not keep Jesus within the tomb for more than three days. Defying
death, He proved that He is divine — not just a great teacher or a founder of a
major religion.
And
that brings us to the reason for the season: Easter is the time when believers
commemorate Christ’s resurrection, three days after His death by crucifixion at
the cross.
From gloom to hope
The
disciples fled in fear when their Master died. It seemed He had left this earth
in shame and ignominy, like a common criminal. Moreover, it was pathetic His
body had to be laid in a borrowed tomb. All seemed bleak and gloomy.
The
turning point came when the huge boulder guarding the entrance to the tomb
miraculously rolled away and Jesus rose again from the dead! A group of ladies
who went to the tomb at dawn to anoint His body was taken aback by the angel’s
declaration, “He is not here; he has risen!”
Death, where is thy
sting?
The
resurrection of Jesus is the epitome of hope. There is life after death for
believers — everlasting life in heaven. Just as Jesus’ death is not final,
physical death is not final for those who believe in Him.
Jesus
said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will
live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). Can we think of any other promise that
offers greater hope to a man when he passes through the valley of death?
Victory over sin
For
believers, Christ’s resurrection gives them the power to live a victorious
life. Sin’s power over them has been broken.
How
is this achieved? First, believers identify with the death of Christ by dying
to sin, which is symbolised by the act of baptism. And just as Christ was
raised from the dead, even so believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to
walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-11, Galatians 5:16). Set free from bondage
to the inclinations of their sinful nature, they are able to resist Satan and
no longer incur God’s wrath (Ephesians 2: 2-3).
Satan defeated
The
resurrection of Christ also spelt the defeat of Satan. By defying death, Christ
“disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities” and “shamed them publicly” by His
victory over them at the cross (Colossians 2:15).
Believers, now seated in the
heavenly places next to Christ, rest in this exalted position of victory over the
principalities and powers (Ephesians 2:6). The battle has already been won.
Their task is to believe and enforce the victory that Christ has achieved for
them at the cross (Ephesians 6:10-11).
Fact or fable?
By
dying for the sins of man, Jesus demonstrated love beyond human comprehension. And by defying death, He proved
what only divine power could possibly
achieve.
Love
tends to be soft and wimpy whereas power tends to be harsh and unforgiving.
Only in God do we find these contrasting characteristics — love and power — fused
together in perfect harmony.
But
one may ask, “Is the resurrection of Christ a fact or fable?”
Everything
about the Christian faith hinges on one thing: “Did Christ rise from the dead?”
If Christ were not raised, then the faith of believers is futile as they are
still guilty of their sins. And Christians are among those most to be pitied
for clinging on to a false hope (1 Corinthians 15:17,19).
Atheist-turned-believer
Lee Strobel shared about his journey of faith: “I used to consider the
resurrection to be a laughable fairy tale. After all, Yale Law School had
trained me to be coldly rational, and my years of sniffing for news at the
Chicago Tribune had only toughened my naturally cynical personality. But
intrigued by changes in my wife after she became a Christian, I spent nearly
two years systematically using my journalistic and legal experience to study
the evidence for the resurrection and the credibility of Jesus' claims to being
God. I emerged totally convinced and gave my life to Christ …” (Lee Strobel in
“God’s Outrageous Claims”, page 170).
Even
sceptics, including highly skilled lawyers, have accepted Christ. According to
the Guinness Book of World Records, Sir Lionel Luckhoo, is the winningest
lawyer in the world with 245 straight murder acquittals. With superior
investigative skills, he did research on the authenticity of the resurrection
and concluded: “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of
Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which
leaves absolutely no room for doubt” (Lee Strobel in “God’s Outrageous Claims”,
page 171).
First-hand experience
Beyond
objective evidence, many Christians can testify to the reality of Christ’s
resurrection power — His guidance, provision and healing. Indeed, the proof of
the pudding is in the eating.
The
apostle Paul counted everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of
knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). Christ meant so much to him that he was
willing to endure hunger, persecution and imprisonment for His sake.
Why
would anyone sacrifice so much for his faith if it were not true? Consider
Paul’s suffering: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but
not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that
the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
Well-known
apologist, Josh McDowell, * wrote: “But the most telling testimony
of all must be the lives of those early Christians. We must ask ourselves: What
caused them to go everywhere telling the message of the risen Christ? Had there
been any visible benefits accrued to them from their efforts — prestige,
wealth, increased social status or material benefits — we might logically
attempt to account for their actions, for their whole-hearted and total
allegiance to this ‘risen Christ’. As a reward for their efforts, however,
those early Christians were beaten, stoned to death, thrown to the lions,
tortured and crucified. Every conceivable method was used to stop them from
talking. Yet, they laid down their lives as the ultimate proof of their
complete confidence in the truth of their message.”
Verifiable today
Today,
the reality of the risen Christ can be verified by anyone who is open to His
claims and willing to receive Him:
- Are we open to Jesus’ claim — “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me” (John 14:6)?
- Are we willing to receive Him? “To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
When
we place our trust in Christ, we don’t have to commit intellectual suicide; it
is not blind faith. And we can experience for ourselves — first-hand, not
second-hand through the testimonies of other believers — the reality of the
power of the risen Christ!
Footnotes:
* Evidence for the Resurrection: http://www.bible.ca/d-resurrection-evidence-Josh-McDowell.htm
The above article was first published in the Asian Beacon magazine, April-May 2013, Vol. 45 No. 2
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