Do you believe that Easter is a celebration of life like no other?
Lots of talk about resurrection; some even call it ‘Resurrection Day.’
‘So What’ skeptics of Christ’s Resurrection
As a kids we easily turned a phrase for things of which we were skeptical. My quick answer to a parent or someone in authority: “So what?”
What answer quickly rolls off my tongue? What reactive thought tumbles around in my head about things I choose not to think about?
“So what?”
As one finally bowed down before Almighty God who calls Christ Jesus my Lord, I contrinued to be a little surprised by the ‘so what’ look of so many wandering souls I encounter in my everyday mortal life.
Their non-consideration of Easter and frequent rebellion at even a mention of the name of Jesus affirms their ‘so what,’ as common era reaction to faint hope that the resurrection of Jesus is real.
These with hearts hardened to God will always turn against any hope that Christ’s cross and the resurrection are most real and relevant answers to sin. Judgment for sin and punishment of a second death are the furthest thoughts removed from the flesh of self-worshiping humanists.
Jesus was rejected and crucified by a religious establishment that made up their own rules about God. Jesus came to a world that did not seek God. Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus came as a sacrifice for our sin. And Jesus is resurrected from the grave, because He IS the LORD God! He came to man to show us the mercy required to save us from death with the grace of reward for eternal life we do not deserve.
for Church members:
The photo to the left & cover photo have been added to the original post along with some minor edits, including this question below from our earlier series on Doctrine of the Church.
SO WHAT if we do NOT insist that JESUS is the ONLY way of eternal life because of the Cross?
Gentle believer, fellow saint of Christ’s own body,
Our own sacrifice is small and our reward great for our touching of hearts with the healing love of Christ Jesus. Sure, the world says of the resurrection, ‘so what?’
Yet even in these last days of evil we have hope in the resurrection to share with others who also never believed that Jesus would die for them.
As long ago as the first century and first generation of witness of the gospel, men were still evil. Yet the letters of the Apostles spoke to the Jew and the nations alike, all who would listen about the Messiah Jesus.
Paul lived in Corinth for a time and wrote of the resurrection to the church, encouraging us in Christ. HERE is his answer to the so what skeptics and listeners in the public arenas of hostile crowds:
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
Mention Jesus Christ and you get a tough crowd, don’t you? And most with their face against God show you that ‘so what’ look.
It was no different in Corinth when Paul taught the gospel to the church there in person or by letter.
Even by the pagan standards of its own culture, Corinth became so morally corrupt that its very name became synonymous with debauchery and moral depravity. To “corinthianize” came to represent gross immorality and drunken debauchery… Like most ancient Greek cities, Corinth had an acropolis (literally. “a high city”), which rose 2,000 feet and was used both for defense and for worship. The most prominent edifice on the acropolis was a temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Some 1,000 priestesses, who were “religious” prostitutes, lived and worked there and came down into the city in the evening to offer their services to male citizens and foreign visitors.
CAN YOU THINK OF A 21ST Century of the Common Era CITY LIKE THAT?
CAN YOU THINK OF A TEMPLE TO GLORIFY US & our gods?
ARE THE CITIZENS AND VISITORS OF OUR BEST CITIES LIKE CORINTH?
Yet Paul preached to the church in Corinth (and all the other believers) about the resurrection:
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Are you like those without hope in the resurrection?
Does your earth-friendly, Christian-persecuting community “corinthianize” the pulpits of truth with compromises of false faith?
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com +
Guard against it, as Paul warned.
For we have Christ crucified, died and resurrected. We hold to certain hope of eternal life in worship of God our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth without sin.
Christ has been raised from the dead!
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep..
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death…
The only ‘so what’ question
Are you looking to your own resurrection?
Do you share the Good News of Christ’s resurrection with others?
Do you even Talk of JESUS to anyone — even others in your gatherings ‘at church?’
“Who was Jesus?” they may ask; for the world hears little of our Lord in these last days.
This might be the only ‘so what’ question you ever get from your unbelieving friend or loved one. Jesus rose from the dead! Over five hundred witnesses. Furthermore, Jesus promised He will return for you and me, if you would like to have him as your Lord too.
Here's how Paul continued with the Good News of Jesus' resurrection to Corinthians of the 1st century:
35 But someone will ask,
“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”
36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body…
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable;
what is raised is imperishable.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
I know resurrection is a lot to think about. Has a lot more to do with your body and soul than bunnies and eggs. Jesus has a lot to say about it. You should read one of the gospels about Jesus.
(John, for instance, tells us a lot about why God sent Jesus to the world.)
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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Jesus IS. His resurrection after death on the cross proved his place in history and the mercy of God’s intervention in time by His sacrifice for our sins.
Many events, teachings and miracles were yet to take place between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost fifty days later, when the risen Christ was taken up into the clouds of heaven in the same manner He will return.
Matthew 28 [above] closes the Apostle’s Gospel with just a brief outline of the commission of Jesus to all who believe. Matthew witnessed the risen Christ as detailed in other gospels. He makes no attempt of evidence for the truth of the resurrection the Apostle had himself witnessed. Matthew simply presents the great commission of Jesus’ command to go into all the world and preach the Good News (the Gospel).
Jesus had assured Matthew and the Twelve, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” KJV
In troubled times even unbelievers speak of the ‘the end of the age’ or ‘the end of the world.’ We see and hear false fantasy about the terrible coming of the Lord to judge all creation, although the world would leave out God and Jesus Christ from their fantastic explanations.
Dear believer in the risen Christ, let us examine the comfort of the loving Son, Jesus, who suffered for your sins and for mine. Let us examine the comfort of knowing that Jesus IS. Let us know with certainty that Jesus IS not only with Matthew and the other Apostles; even now, Jesus IS with you and with me.
Jesus had appeared to Matthew and the others many times. He had eaten with them even after the resurrection. He taught them as He always had, even explaining how His crucifixion had to fulfill scripture of the Old Testament (the Bible before Christ). Jesus IS and the Apostles understood even after Pentecost, Jesus IS. Whatever happens, Jesus IS. I, GOD, have taught you; you, therefore, teach the world what I have taught!
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
The Apostle John, the only Apostle who would not be martyred for preaching the Gospel, reveals even more witness of how Jesus IS always with him and with the Apostles and with those who believe.
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
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Again, the great commission to the Apostle John and the Twelve. The reassurance and proof of the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ of God, continues:
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,“Peace be with you.”27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
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John adds a statement of other proofs he does not present in his Gospel. (Some of these are later revealed by Peter and others to Mark and Luke). No Gospel explains Jesus’ reasons any better than the Apostle John. John closes his gospel stating his purpose.
The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Do you believe Jesus IS the Son of God?
Do you believe Jesus IS with you always, even to the end of the world?
Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
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Peter does not pray to the Father, Peter prays to the Lord. Peter does not pray to a Jesus who was, Peter prays to Jesus who IS One with the LORD GOD, Father and Holy Spirit!
He is the same Lord Peter addressed as Lord after the resurrection asking, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” [Acts 1:6] Peter prays to Jesus, his personal Lord and Savior – Jesus, his teacher and adviser.
Peter preached at the festival of Pentecost by the power of the Holy Spirit. The LORD spoke the Good News of the resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Teachers of the Law and officials of the Temple recognized that no fishermen and common disciples of Jesus could have such power of God and knowledge of scripture. (Some would later become followers of The Way.)
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words:
Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it…”
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No fisherman or tax collector (like Matthew) has such power to persuade, even with scripture if God has not ordained it and anointed these men with the fire of the Holy Spirit. How could an unlearned fisherman know or understand the power of such scripture? How could God choose such lowly men as Prophets to speak His very Word?
Only in Christ Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
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What will you do, learned twenty-first century man? What must you do, educated twenty-first century woman? What shall we do in this day, now that we have read, heard and understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Good News for all men and women until the end of the world?
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38 And Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
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Yes, the promise is for not only the Nations (the gentiles), but for the generations; for we are ‘the children far off, those whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’
Matthew, John and the Gospel writers offer witness and many proofs; yet it is by faith the Lord calls you.
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40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,
“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’
What do you think: When you run to the place where the body should be, do you have faith in the resurrection?
The dramatic events and turn of expectations at that last celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem must have been traumatic for the Apostles, dear friends and followers of Jesus of Nazareth. The turn of the triumphal entrance with crowds of believers and followers digressing into the stealth of an arrest in the night, trial away from the crowds and manipulative sentence of cruel punishment and humiliation of bloody death on a cross must have terrorized the hearts of all who believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the King promised by scripture.
What had happened? (No disciple could have imagined that it would have turned out like this.) He said so many things during those three years, but it is inconceivable to even the faithful mind that the Son of God would not now win back the Kingdom promised by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. What happened?
“You will surely die,” says scripture.
Yes. We will all surely die and so did Jesus! Even Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead and the young daughter of Jairus and son of the widow at Nain – those Christ raised from death – even they will die once again. The disciples of Jesus all knew this; yet in considering the resurrection they never considered the consequence of death which precedes. Eternal life! (What will it be like?) Yet first, death – even death on a Cross.
The women had seen His tomb empty. The Apostles had raced to the empty tomb only to find the wrappings of death left in the darkness, as if removed like a change of clothes. Then Jesus appeared, alive, in many forms and at many times! He IS risen and the Lord sends us to witness to the world this great love of God our Father. The Kingdom has come.
Even a once skeptical unbelieving leading teacher of Scripture met Jesus on a road to Damascus. In fact, Saul of Tarsus not only teaches Jews of the dispersion throughout the Roman Empire some thought Jesus would overthrow; Paul (his new God-given name) is an Apostle to the gentiles.
Paul, who travels at great risk even of his own death if caught by those who pursue him, comes to city after city preaching the gospel of the love of Christ Jesus for Jew, Greek and Roman. Paul, confirmed by the Apostles and Barnabas in Pisidia, the town of Antioch, later preached what the Apostles did not understand until after the risen Christ opened up the scriptures for them.
And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:
“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance.20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death,they asked Pilate to have him executed.29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
30 But God raised him from the dead,31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
“‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,
“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’
36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.
38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers,that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:
41 “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”
42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath.
43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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It’s all there in the Bible. The disciples of Jesus knew these scriptures. Yet like us, they wanted to understand God’s word applied in their lives in a way less painful and more victorious.
“Son of David,” they shouted. Surely God would establish a Kingdom even more glorious than that of David and Solomon. And imagine: a Son of God who would rule forever – a Son of Man like us. (Could He die?) God the Father will put the Son in charge. All will be resurrected to the Kingdom of the Son of God! He will be judge of all souls and rule with the righteousness of the Father.
We will surely die. Even the Apostles died. Paul died. All died. Your loved ones and your ancestors have died. You will die. I will die. Yet, finally we see a light from the darkness of death – a resurrection of the soul and a redemption for our sin.
This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that all who believe in him will be forgiven our sins. By grace we are given life eternal, which we do not deserve. Yet because of God’s love for us, the victory of the Cross changes everything.
Has your faith in the Son changed your life, knowing your hope after death?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The risen Christ; Jesus, their crucified friend, had to explain scripture and the victory of His resurrection over sin and death to His beloved and amazed Apostles. (It’s all there in the Bible for you to read even to this day.)
Do you believe it? While it is yet today, why not live for Christ? For to die is gain.
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Even a once skeptical unbelieving leading teacher of Scripture met Jesus on a road to Damascus. In fact, Saul of Tarsus not only teaches Jews of the dispersion throughout the Roman Empire some thought Jesus would overthrow; Paul (his new God-given name) is an Apostle to the gentiles.