The Resurrection – How can you believe that?

Some things in life are believable, whilst others seem so fantastic that they can only exist in fantasy films, games or fiction. And when you come to someone actually rising from the dead, then surely we have reached fantasy.It just doesn’t happen.
So for many years my take on the resurrection of Jesus was, either it was a myth devised by the church, or maybe it had a spiritual meaning – that Jesus was somehow alive in the hearts of his followers.
But then the day came when I had to rethink things.

The evidence
From my science lessons at school and university I had come to believe that the only evidence you could trust was that which was repeatable in laboratory conditions. (something which you cannot do with the resurrection of Jesus!) But there is other evidence which is just as compelling. In a court of law we accept the testimony of witnesses as true evidence (depending on the trustworthiness of the witnesses of course). And when we come to historical accounts we have to depend on such evidence. So when we look at the account of the resurrection who do we trust? We had the Sanhedrin on the one side who denied that Jesus was risen. They had every reason to want him to remain in the grave. They had felt the sting in his criticism of their religious views. They had seen the people flocking to listen to him. They had bribed one of Jesus’ followers to betray him. They had plotted to have him killed. They wanted him out of the way for good. Would these make good witnesses in a court of law? Their testimony was that because the body was not to be found, that the disciples (a bunch of followers, untrained in any physical combat, who fled for their lives when the authorities turned up to arrest Jesus) had overcome trained soldiers who were guarding the grave, and stolen the body away.
On the other hand you have the disciples. Men who were in total despondency after their leader was crucified, and in hiding from the authorities. Yet within a short time were going around proclaiming courageously that Jesus was alive again. They went about doing good to people. They preached a message of reconciliation and love. They sacrificed much for others. They were ready to face ridicule, prison and even death for the sake of insisting that Jesus had risen from the dead. Years later the apostle Paul could mention over 500 people who would testify to their having seen the risen Christ.

The reasoning
But how can this be? People don’t just rise from the dead? All we know about this world and all our experience fights against the notion that any one who has been killed could appear alive again.
But we are talking here about something which is beyond our experience. We are talking about the things which God can do. As creator he is outside the confines of this world. (Just as J.K. Rowling is outside the Harry Potter novels. Anything which she wants to happen can happen within her own creation – people fly on broomsticks, there are invisibility cloaks, chocolate makes you better) God the creator is above this world, and for him to raise Jesus is not beyond the bounds of reason as he laid down the principles of life and death.
But the Bible tells us that even within the rules and principles which govern life and death, the resurrection of Jesus is reasonable. Death we are told is the consequence of going against the creator’s good and perfect rule. Jesus however lived a life totally in accord with the rules of his Father in heaven. He pleased the Father in all that he did. (See the witness of God - a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."(Matthew 3:17); his closest friends – “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:22-23); his enemies - Which one of you convicts me of sin? (John 8:46)
So his death was not because he deserved it. He could be raised from the dead.

The meaning
So what? If you can prove that the resurrection actually happened, why should that bother me? Because you will one day die, and what Jesus did affects the significance of your death. If your death is a consequence of leaving God’s ways to follow your own, then when you give an account of your life to your creator, he will have every reason to condemn you. But Jesus died, not for his own sins but for the sins of others – he took the consequences of our rebellion against God upon himself. That’s why he died. And he says that by turning away from our rebellion, and trusting in Him, then our death is not a door to judgement, but to life.
Take time to think about these things, and make this Easter a different one. Read the story of Jesus again, and find someone who can explain the meaning of Easter for you. Or you can talks about the evidence for the resurrection at http://www.eauk.org/slipstream/

And have a happy Easter