UPDATE: You can listen to my teaching from Sunday (Death’s Last Day) by clicking here.
Since I can remember, I’ve struggled intellectually with the resurrection of Jesus. Not that resurrection could happen, but, that resurrection did happen. After all, when’s the last time you witnessed someone raised from the dead (I still joke with some charismatic friends, “Take me to the graveyard”).
Many (especially men) in our churches struggle with this. It does not help when people offer an attitude of “The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it.” While I envy such belief, it is an act of grace from God.
I shared with our church the two reasons I (currently) believe in the Christian claim that God raised Jesus from the day that Sunday morning celebrated around the world.
1. I believe because something happened. The disciples (women and men) had virtually nothing to gain and everything to lose in claiming that the itinerant preacher from Nazareth had been raised in the middle of human history. Another way to say it: The greatest argument for the resurrection is the church. Despite the church’s many sins and atrocities, the church transcends tribe, culture, and race.
Early followers of Jesus had no categories for resurrection in the midst of human history (like Native Americans who had no categories for Europeans who came in ships to Central and North America–some philosophers and sociologists believe that Native Americans could not visibly see the Europeans until they reached shore)–and yet, they were open to the conviction that God could do something new.
2. I believe because I want to believe. I want justice to reign, poverty to end, crooked made straight, wars to end, hunger to be undone. It’s the reason why children are drawn to Tolkien and Disney–humans are wired for a grand conclusion to the narrative that is human experience. I think for instance, this is one reason Peter ran to the tomb in Luke’s story, after the other men have disregarded the women’s testimony. Peter needed the story to be true. I used to apologize for this second element, but now I think it’s the difference between faith and belief. Those (until recently) have been separate ideas, now I’m beginning to understand why.
If God could do what God has done in Creation (debates between fundamentalists and evolutionists notwithstanding), why couldn’t God raise Jesus from death? I want to believe, “God, give me the gift of faith.”
I read your blog on resurrection. Heard your sermon on it.
I agree with Paul when he essentially said: If there is no resurection, we are to be the most pittied. So let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.
There is nothing left but some enslaving worthless religion.
The world is set up obviously intentionally to reveal opposite facts. Overall for intance, its random happenstance and outrageous fortune; and, at the same time, its extremely precise beyond measure and a worm cannot wriggle without “THE Name’s” express permission.
Accordingly, any and every belief “Has its facts”.
The cursed nature of things creates problems,then desires, then solutions are from God. But,its all from God.
Therefor, it was very perceptive of you to state that your belief comes because you want it to be true. That is very true of a Christian believer. And, such belief is not devoid of its facts, as said.
Such belief is not, in these finite senses, different from any belief except that one forgoes his earthly heritage and religion.
But it is not a constant war or debate. Not at all; for,
The crucial ingrediant is that THIS belief comes from a sovereign God. A believer could not avoid it or rid himself of it if he tried; and, he loves that fact.
The preacher man goes about offering the finite general calling, “Come one, come all to the Kings dinner.” but he has no power over it.
God even states thru Scripture even that He wishes all men to be saved. But, scripture is clear, God makes the effectual call to whomsoever he will; and, when He calls you come a ‘runnin’- regardless of the finite method He uses.
Since we know not, then we offer the general calling and aid as all we can do; but, make no mistake, there are believers and there are non-believers. AND, One has no business with the other.
So, I want to ask about your sermon comment that there are those at Otter Creek that do not believe in the resurrection of the Annointed One. I would like to ask what percentage you think those comprise; and, I think this leads to the obvious question, what percentage do you think do not believe Jesus of Nazareth was the One God Himself as a man?
(who would, of course, have no problem raising Himself from the dead.)
And, Do YOU believe this Jesus was THE One God Himself as a man and was raised from the dead?
To receive your express answer, I will share my belief as is only fair.
Not only is He God and raised Himself from the dead… but, bless God, we read He even folded his death clothes on the way out. He didn’t even leave a mess. He was perfect and faithful to the very end and that is all He can be.
I believe that – because God saw to it that I believed it; but, that’s quite enough staring at my own spiritual navel.
Lets talk about HIM and let it roll,
Phillip Maxwell
by Phil Maxwell (Apr 5 2010, 12:34 pm)