Easter - Not Just a Story

Those who witnessed Christ's resurrection were adamant that it was not a story they made up, but that it was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Read what some of the witnesses said: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us." -John the Apostle

"For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." -Peter the Apostle

"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. " -Paul the Aposlte

He is Risen Indeed!

Easter - It Was Predicted!

"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" -Matthew 16:21

One point that is often overlooked in discussions about Easter is that Jesus himself spoke often about his impending death and subsequent resurrection from the dead. This he taught his disciples while the whole idea seemed ludicrious to them. It was only after it happened that they remembered his words. Listen to what Jesus said:

"When they came together in Galilee, he (Jesus) said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.' And the disciples were filled with grief." (Matthew 17:22-23)

"Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.' The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about." (Luke 18:31-35)

Jesus did not just say that he would rise from the dead, he foretold how he would die in great detail. He said how long it would be after he died that he would arise from the dead. All of which came to pass just as he foretold!

Easter - It Really Happened

I remind myself from time to time that my faith in Christ is not a blind leap nor is it grounded in irrationality. Unlike so many other world-views, religious or secular, that are based soley on philosophy and idealogy, the faith that that followers of Christ hold is rooted in events that really happened. Central to our faith is the belief Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And this belief was not just pulled out of a hat. The historic testimonies of that event have been recorded and preserved for us from antiquity! When Luke, a companion of the Apostle Paul, wrote the book of Acts, Here is how he prefaced his account:

"In my former book Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus begain to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." -Acts 1:1-3

As I prepare for Easter celebration, I've been visiting the resurrection accounts in the Bible during my devotions. In the days that followed the discovery of Jesus' empty tomb, He appeared to them physically, in the body, on a number of different occassions. They touched him. They felt the crucifixion nail wounds in his hands and the hole in his side where the Roman soldier pierced his side with a sword after he died. They ate and drank with him. He spoke with them. He proved to them that He had truly risen.

These accounts have been embraced and believed from that time 2000 years ago until today. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our faith is in vain in useless. It is because Jesus conquered death as he said he would that we are followers of Christ. If it is through Jesus that we too overcome death and enter into eternal life, then his words his words truly apply: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."