Swallowing the Resurrection of Jesus
We believe…[Jesus Christ] arose bodily from the dead…
The central contention of the Christian faith is an insistence, not upon a doctrine, but that an event actually occurred in history: a dead man, Jesus, was raised from the dead and lives.
Since the scientific revolution people have snubbed the notion of miracles, especially resurrection from the dead. Such stories, they say, are the quaint superstitions of pre-scientific people. We now know better, they say.
But they try to salvage the good of Christianity by claiming there is deeper spiritual meaning in the “myth” of Jesus’ resurrection. Sophisticated people, they say, understand that the dead do not rise. Resurrection, they say, is a metaphor, to teach the eventual triumph of good over evil, encouraging us to always find a fresh start in life after crushing failure or devastating loss, to let go of the past, bury it, and ‘rise up’ to a new life, transformed and changed.
Such denial of the miraculous and spiritualization of the resurrection is nothing new. Paul’s mention of a literal resurrection raised the eyebrows and chuckles of Greek thinkers at Athens (e.g. Acts 17.32). Even some early Christians scoffed at the notion of a literal resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.12), most likely insisting that it was merely spiritual imagery.
The disciples themselves, when told that Jesus would be killed and rise after three days, didn’t know how to take Him (e.g. Mark 9.31-32; Luke 9.44-45, 18.34). Was it a parable? A figure of speech? They didn’t know. Peter finally took the words literally and protested such ‘nonsense’, and Jesus rebuked him for taking the devil’s side (Matthew 16.21-23)! If I were Peter, I would think, “Well, maybe Jesus didn’t mean it literally…”
Even the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning did not initially convince most of the disciples that Jesus had risen bodily from the dead (John 20.8-9). They were confused and didn’t know what to make of it.
Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist outspoken in his defense of conservative values but not a believer in Christ, was recently asked if he believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Dr. Peterson replied: “I behave as though I believe it.”
Peterson scoffs at the idea that dead men rise again. But he loves the positive notion of psychological “resurrection” – the triumph of good over evil, fresh starts after failure or loss, and letting go of the past to rise to a new and transformed life.
Such ideas are inspiring. But if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, His story has nothing to do with them. If Jesus is didn’t rise, His story would seem to teach us not to be deluded by wishful thinking about the triumph of the good or the hope of transformation or a new life. Preachers of “resurrection” are merely deceived deceivers – miserable, disappointed people (1 Corinthians 15.19).
But the first witnesses, the apostles, saw, not only an empty tomb, but the risen Jesus. Their message is that Jesus Christ “arose bodily from the dead…”. This we believe and confess.
Swallowing the resurrection of Jesus is the most difficult thing about Christianity, but without it, Christianity is not Christianity.
The central contention of the Christian faith is an insistence, not upon a doctrine, but that an event actually occurred in history: a dead man, Jesus, was raised from the dead and lives.
Since the scientific revolution people have snubbed the notion of miracles, especially resurrection from the dead. Such stories, they say, are the quaint superstitions of pre-scientific people. We now know better, they say.
But they try to salvage the good of Christianity by claiming there is deeper spiritual meaning in the “myth” of Jesus’ resurrection. Sophisticated people, they say, understand that the dead do not rise. Resurrection, they say, is a metaphor, to teach the eventual triumph of good over evil, encouraging us to always find a fresh start in life after crushing failure or devastating loss, to let go of the past, bury it, and ‘rise up’ to a new life, transformed and changed.
Such denial of the miraculous and spiritualization of the resurrection is nothing new. Paul’s mention of a literal resurrection raised the eyebrows and chuckles of Greek thinkers at Athens (e.g. Acts 17.32). Even some early Christians scoffed at the notion of a literal resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.12), most likely insisting that it was merely spiritual imagery.
The disciples themselves, when told that Jesus would be killed and rise after three days, didn’t know how to take Him (e.g. Mark 9.31-32; Luke 9.44-45, 18.34). Was it a parable? A figure of speech? They didn’t know. Peter finally took the words literally and protested such ‘nonsense’, and Jesus rebuked him for taking the devil’s side (Matthew 16.21-23)! If I were Peter, I would think, “Well, maybe Jesus didn’t mean it literally…”
Even the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning did not initially convince most of the disciples that Jesus had risen bodily from the dead (John 20.8-9). They were confused and didn’t know what to make of it.
Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist outspoken in his defense of conservative values but not a believer in Christ, was recently asked if he believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Dr. Peterson replied: “I behave as though I believe it.”
Peterson scoffs at the idea that dead men rise again. But he loves the positive notion of psychological “resurrection” – the triumph of good over evil, fresh starts after failure or loss, and letting go of the past to rise to a new and transformed life.
Such ideas are inspiring. But if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, His story has nothing to do with them. If Jesus is didn’t rise, His story would seem to teach us not to be deluded by wishful thinking about the triumph of the good or the hope of transformation or a new life. Preachers of “resurrection” are merely deceived deceivers – miserable, disappointed people (1 Corinthians 15.19).
But the first witnesses, the apostles, saw, not only an empty tomb, but the risen Jesus. Their message is that Jesus Christ “arose bodily from the dead…”. This we believe and confess.
Swallowing the resurrection of Jesus is the most difficult thing about Christianity, but without it, Christianity is not Christianity.