The Epicenter of History

The Epicenter of History.  Today's Scripture from Luke 24 and John 20

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes . . .

The Lord is risen . . . He has risen indeed!

Last at the cross, and first to the tomb . . . the women closest to Jesus.  But of course, we would need men to corroborate the story of the women who had told the followers of Jesus that he was no longer in the tomb--'the stone had been rolled away, and he wasn't there!'  So Peter and John went to see for themselves, and indeed, the official Roman seal had been broken, and the stone rolled away . . . and Jesus? He was not in the tomb... apparently, he had risen from the dead! The soldiers were busy trying to make up stories about what had happened.  Well, the irony of the recorded visit of the women being first to the tomb, making them first to find out about the resurrection--is that women were respected so little at that time, that whatever they said would be held in suspicion. (Jewish courts did not even accept the testimony of women.) The gospel writers are more believable for faithfully recording such a fact in their accounts; after all, it was rather embarrassing to say the story was first known to women! So yes, of course, the men really did have to find out for themselves. Now, just why does Jesus' resurrection matter to you and me? Well, let's start with Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15 -

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. . ." another translation says, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."  Why? Because the resurrection changes everything. Jesus had said he would die and be buried, and on the third day, would rise again1 ---------- Here’s the thing:  IF Jesus did not rise from the dead, it would have made him a liar, and nothing else he taught would have been credible;  IF he did not rise from the dead, we would not serve a living Savior and Lord, and IF Jesus did not rise from the dead, we would not have the hope of resurrection after death ourselves to make our home with him forever.

The Christian faith would not have gone forward if Jesus had been killed, and never heard from again. The disciples would have remained hopeless, died in shame, and that would have been the end of Christianity.  Alas, it was not, and we are evidence of that. The young Jewish-Christian church started in Jerusalem, and soon spread to Mediterranean lands and beyond--which assures us that these young believers, who were enduring persecution, saw and believed in the risen Lord.

Paul wrote the most extensive biblical treatise on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, recorded in 1 Corinthians 15 ~ I delivered to you that … Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,2 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, (Peter) then to the twelve.  After that he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also. (so Paul was an eyewitness of the resurrected Jesus), vv.4 - 8 These  verses formed a creed that was recited in early Christian churches, and has been dated by scholars to within two to eight years of Jesus' resurrection.

Eyewitness accounts are the most valuable evidence in any matter or event being analyzed--515 eyewitnesses, most of whom were still alive when this was written, who could have refuted what has been recorded about Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, but they did not.  Jesus talked, walked and ate with his disciples.

The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest symbol of hope for believers today. It means that we serve a living God!  Combined with our faith is the HOPE that there is a new world to come, and in that world, God will set the record straight. And besides, the resurrection is one more testament that God keeps his promises . . .

Let us conclude by saying, the Resurrection is the epicenter of belief.  It is not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the church itself grew up, and the 'given' upon which its faith was based.3

Hope springs eternal, does it not?

Christine

1)    Matthew 12.40; 16.21