He is Risen!
Upon this basis, Christianity rises or falls. If he is not risen, our faith is in vain, and as the apostle says, “We of all people are most miserable.”
So, what of the evidence? The evidence for his resurrection is substantial by any historical standards. But set those standards aside for a moment—we will get back to them. If we paid no attention at all to the evidence, what sort of things we notice might be convincing?
The answer is in the people God has called. Many of the people called we might see as people of a “religious” mind, and pay them no attention, especially their testimony, as we see it as “tainted evidence”. Tainted by the desires of the people. But any look at the variety of people who have come to Christ will quickly dissolve the idea of “tainted evidence”. We have only to look at the Sauls of Christianity.
Who are the Sauls of Christianity? Like Saul of Tarsus, who became the greatest of the apostles, these people are people who have radically changed their outlook, and they go to their deaths proclaiming the good news of the resurrection. It seems like they occur in every generation. There are a couple of big names in this generation. Lee Strobel and J. Werner Wallace come first to mind; skeptics who bothered to examine the evidence. They are both famous authors who came to realize that He had risen indeed. Chuck Colson is more of my generation. Whittaker Chambers of my father’s generation. These people have in common the idea of a risen Lord, and look at their respective changed lives. It would take a book to note all their changes alone.
That should be “arresting”, if not compelling evidence of Jesus resurrection. Any person, looking at just those lives, should be able to see that “something” radically changed them. But the evidence is just beginning. I have not time to tell all—this would be a book. But the manuscripts are wonderfully preserved and date from early apostle times. The record is that there were hundreds of witnesses to the marvel that God had done. Exactly what we would expect, if someone had finally defied death, and set the course for the rest of us.
We see the birth of the church, against all odds, succeeding where failure was the likely outcome. Why? Just maybe, just maybe there really was a resurrection. And that leads us to the next tenet. Maybe Jesus was exactly who he said he was. God come in the flesh, to reset mankind to a new life. That deserves your consideration. Just like it has in every generation.
He is risen indeed!
He Lives!
He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near.
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary,
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading,
Through all the stormy blast;
The day of His appearing
Will come at last.
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him,
The Help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.
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