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| Did you know that most churches swell in attendance on Easter (and Christmas) with visitors who do not normally darken the doorway of a church? I must confess that I find it strange because when I was growing up my family considered holidays like Christmas and Easter too important to waste at church. They were for fun and celebration at home. But as a pastor, I am excited when people come on Easter because it celebrates the central truth of our faith. Yet there is a lot of confusion about Easter. An old comic sums up our cultural confusion quite well.
One man to another: "I didn't find a single Easter egg in my stocking this morning." The truth is Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, there are many aspects of Christianity that are appealing to people who are not followers of Christ. For instance, the idea that God is love is welcomed and heartily embraced by many. You don't see it taught in nature and you certainly don't find it in history, but it is found in the Scriptures. And there are other biblical truths that are embraced by many such as the brotherhood of mankind, the idea of forgiveness and release from guilt, the importance and need for inner and outer peace, and many other concepts as well. That is why I find it ironic that so many come to visit church on a day that celebrates one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the Christian faith--that Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is one of those things that is considered well and good for religious people--especially clergy--to believe but most people would not dream of taking it seriously. And even if by some stretch of the imagination it were true, what difference does it make? One can readily see how love and peace and forgiveness and brotherhood can affect our lives. But how can the fact that 2000 years ago one man rose from the dead possibly affect me and my family today? In other words, "So what? It is not relevant." The Apostle Paul addresses this specific question in one of his letters to the church at Corinth:
". . . if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." 1 Corinthians 15:14-17 Wow! Isn't Paul getting all worked up over just one point of doctrine? After all there is much more to Christianity than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of course there is much more to Christianity but Paul is saying--and the rest of the New Testament confirms--it all hinges on the resurrection! The veracity of Christianity, the truthfulness of Jesus Christ Himself depends upon His resurrection. Several times in the Gospels, Jesus is challenged to give proof of his claim to be the Messiah, proof of His claim to be the eternal Son of God, proof of the authority with which He spoke and acted. On each occasion he refused to give them an immediate sign. Instead, he predicted His own resurrection and pinned all of his claims and teaching on that one sign (see Matthew 12:39-40; John 2:18-21). Paul proclaims that Jesus "was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1:4). What is the big deal? The big deal is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the watershed issue of all history. If Jesus did indeed rise from the dead then nothing matters more to you and your family! How you respond to the risen Christ determines your eternal destiny. I encourage you to go to a church near you this Easter to discover what the big deal is all about! |
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by Rev. J. Patrick Curtis, Senior Pastor |
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