TGIF – 4/09/2017

WARNING PREACHY…

This week, on a Friday called “Good”, we remember the day that Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, bogusly tried and convicted, publicly beaten, humiliated, and finally nailed to a cross until he bled out, suffocated, and died.  But remember, we call it “Good”.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15,

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

The apostle taught that Jesus did not just die, but He died for us all. 

The day the Lord was executed, the apostles abandoned him.  They were confused because the Messiah was not supposed to be executed like a common criminal.  But he did and they were scared and dismayed.  They hid out together, behind locked door, in the Upper Room wondering what was going on and what they were going to do now.

That Sunday morning, after Sabbath had ended, the women with them went out to Jesus’ tomb to finish preparing his body for proper burial.  But when they arrive at the tomb they discover his body missing.  Luke tells the story this way.

Luke 24:1-9

¹ Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. ² They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire. ⁵ The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” ⁸ Then the women remembered his words, ⁹ and when they returned from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

This is the upset in the story and the point of contention in History.  Nobody argues about the reality of the crucifixion, because it isn’t unique.  The Romans executed a lot of “criminals” on crosses, the history cannot be contested.  It is reported that crossed with bodies on them lined the countryside as a warning of the severity of the Roman government.  But what is unique is the claim of the resurrection from the dead.  Now that, that didn’t just happen much in the history of the world.  And this is exactly where Christians and non-Christians divide: at the resurrection.

But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14

¹² Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say 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 futile and your faith is empty.

This has to be the most honest thing I have ever read in the entire Bible, because in these 55 words Paul tells us how to be able to ignore Christianity; if Jesus did not raise back to life then faith in Jesus is foolish and Paul and the others are liars for preaching it.  Paul further writes in verse 19 that “For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.”

In other words, if Jesus did not rise back to life from the dead then you can ignore Him (and Christianity) completely, “but” claims Paul in verse 20, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”

And here is the moment of impasse, for everything hinges on this resurrection from the dead.  Logic demands that if he did raise from the dead then everything he said and taught was true; and we need to heed Him.  And conversely, if we don’t believe that He rose again then we are free to move on with our day leaving the claims of Christ in our dust.

This coming weekend is a big one for the Christian Church as we remember the resurrected Jesus who died for us and rose back to life to prove it.  What about you?  Do you believe it, will you believe it?  It’s a matter of faith and a matter of choice.  Just as Jesus struggled and chose to go to his death on the cross, it often feels to me that making the choice to have faith in the resurrected Jesus is like choosing to die.  Even if we can make the leap of faith in our head, getting our heart to own it and put into practice His teachings is like choosing to go to our own death.

This Friday is “good” for those in the faith; I do pray that this Sunday will show you that.