The Resurrection: The Starting Point of Discussing Life

Over the past few months I have really been thinking about Christianity as the only way to God (the teachings of Jesus Christ, salvation by faith….). I actually began to cringe at the exclusivity that is promoted within the Christian Faith, especially the doctrine of  “Sola Christus” or Christ Alone, which simply means that Jesus Christ is the only way one can be justified, sanctified and His blood is the only way one’s sins can be atoned for. Which leads to the idea that one has actually “sinned”. Which is one doctrine that is disputed.

This leads to this post. I began to attempt to dissect Christianity. Historically I could defame the name of Christianity because of the atrocities. I could even start to at least take a swing at the bible while getting some good licks in. I could dismantle what is considered “church” today and its so called/self appointed leaders.

However, in spite of some success I was left with one gaping hole. That hole was the claims of every single disciple and the words of Jesus Himself about His resurrection. Hundreds of people not just the 12 claimed to have seen Jesus raise from the dead.  One of the most interesting books is that of 1 John. John talks about a real person. Not a God who was distant, who dropped off some books and left. Not a God who had a human messenger, not even a God who came in some spirit form and left. Nope but a God that they walked with for some time. They touched Him, ate with Him, slept with Him, denied Him, questioned Him and yet the dude bets His life (even after seeing or hearing about hundreds if not thousands dying, even some of his close friends I am sure) on this thing that Jesus Christ is real and that He physically rose from the grave and is alive today. Not only that but that we can have “fellowship” with Him.

I want so badly for other world religions and effort to be the way. That somehow a person can stack up enough good. Be nice enough, or confused enough, that maybe they can somehow get by as a really nice atheist; however, if Jesus really arisen then He is who He says He is. And the only evidence or testimony of Him that is even remotely acceptable is that of the eyewitnesses, then we are left with the only viable option that Jesus is God, and He demands repentance, trust in Him and a renewed life that He provides us through indwelling us with this Holy Spirit that He talks about.

That means He demands moral faithfulness and this morality is defined the way He said it not the way we fabricate it. He demands love and not the love we want to give but the love He empowers us with. He demands commitment in the fact that He tells us to “lay down our lives and pick up our cross and follow after Him”.  But what is even more convicting is that He doesn’t leave us to our own ability but provides a comforter, counselor, and convictor who will guide us into all righteousness.

If the resurrection is real, the scriptures are true (though we still have human mediators), the Church is His body and Satan is as real as the eyes in our head. If the resurrection is true then Paul is to be heard and the rest of the apostles to be taken serious on other matters. That even means the OT as unpalatable as it may be, is true and I am to submit my uncomfortableness to its word and interpret it through the lens of Jesus Christ. But most importantly I realize that I am sinner and that my life is but a vapor apart from Him and that every time I drive past a cemetery that is packed full of people who were nice, mean, good (relatively speaking) buttholes, givers, takers, criminals and law abiding but only those who have trusted in Christ will be raised to everlasting life while the others everlasting death. That frightens me because death is only a traffic light away, or a blocked blood vessel away or a blood clot away, even a robbery gone wrong, maybe being at the wrong place at the wrong time and that at any given moment my life can end I will be faced with the weight of my sin, while simultaneously life was ever before me in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

My entire existence revolves around this resurrection thing and so does yours. Regardless of the bad rep, the historical atrocities done in His name, and even the nutbags and dingwits who are concocting all types of elaborate stories and schemes for their own personal gain, look at Jesus and His resurrection and then His claims, if you find them to be true (and who would create such a a loving and humble God, the word humble and God should never be mentioned in once sentence but He calls Himself humble) then turn to Him for everlasting life, the consequences of not will be everlasting also.