Dearest Family,
Christ is Risen indeed! However, as I reminded you on Sunday, this confession with all its consequent convictions is not limited to Easter Day on the liturgical calendar. There is no manifestation of Christian life or any gathering of Christians anywhere, that is not premised on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that does not proclaim His living presence. So, what is actually different about Easter Sunday to any other gathering on any other Sunday, apart from the fact that you dress a little bit smarter? In truth, not much at all. But clearly, there is a historic component of this gathering at this particular time of year, at Passover, and there is an apologetic component, that begs to be addressed, that invites us to an annual catechism about some essential spiritual facts. The truth is that every Sunday, every first day of the week, is the memorialization and the celebration of the resurrection, and in fact, derives its very existence and meaning from the history of the “first day of the week” event as it is described in the gospels. The intensity and the authenticity of our worship should be no more or less on Easter day than on any other day.
But doesn’t Easter Sunday deserve and require some kind of special focus? Indeed, it does. Like Christmas Day, this day was once a pagan festival that was spiritualized. The very word Easter is a derivation of Oestre, the pagan goddess of fertility. Also like Christmas-tide, it became a Christian festival, but has now been repaganized, as spring fertility rites replace spiritual liturgies; chocolate bunnies displace sacraments, and the wonder elicited by the re-emergence of cherry blossoms outruns the awe at the resurrection of Christ. The most public expression of the cross is in the mention of hot-cross buns. Having said all that, today does present us with a clear opportunity, without fleshly fuss, finesse or fanfare, to state the non-negotiably true and obvious fact of the gospel – we go unashamedly public with the creedal proclamation of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. But what can be minimally said of such magnitude, such majesty, such magnificence? What I decided to do last Sunday was to remind you of what scripture tells us has happened, is now in effect, is now available, is now descriptive of our lives and deaths, because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.
The very first recorded sermon of the early church sets the pattern and example (Acts 2:22-36) and the core of Peter’s preaching here is repeated by Paul in his proclamation (Acts 13: 26-36). I suggested that you do an Easter devotional, and take time to slowly go through Peter’s meticulous three-point sermon that answers three questions:
What actually happened? Historical evidence for the resurrection: “Jesus of Nazareth was … God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of the fact” (v22, 32);
What does it mean? The spiritual and theological meaning of the resurrection: “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose … God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ.” (vs 23, 36);
How does it relate to me? The personal application: “When the people heard this they were cut to the heart … repent and be baptized.” (vs 37-40).
Christian faith takes history seriously; it takes facts and truth seriously. The objective historicity of the gospels (literally testimonies) and the facts about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and exaltation are foundational to faith. The grounds for belief are important. Present faith cannot be divided from past facts. The Jesus of the heart cannot be divided from the Jesus of history. That is why it is important to have reliable witnesses. To subvert Christianity you have to subvert all the witnesses, which of course includes every professing Christian there has ever been over the last two thousand years. The ball is in the unbelievers’ court. Paul reels off a list of some of these witnesses in 1 Cors.15: the witness of saints, the witness of scripture, the witness of sermons, the witness of sight, the witness of circumstance, and last but not least, the witness of self: “and he appeared also to me!” (v.8) By the way, don’t forget that according to his own testimony, it was the April 18, 2017 truth of the resurrection that led to Paul’s arrest and martyrdom: “With respect to the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you this day” – these were his words to the Sanhedrin. Paul gave his life for the truth about Jesus’ resurrection.
These same witnesses must continue to speak and be heard today, especially as the resurrection inevitably attracts such disbelief and despising from those who believe there is nothing beyond a naturalistic or materialist explanation to anything and everything. There is a wide range of antagonistic or antipathetic responses to the facts of the resurrection, that includes:
the presentation of resurrection as fraudulent invention, as fanciful imagination, as fanatical interpretation;
the presentation of resurrection as myth, as magic, as metaphor;
the presentation of resurrection as an experience of presence, as an expression of potentiality, as an expectation of possibility.
The attempts and theories to discredit the evidence are familiar: unknown tomb, wrong tomb, hallucination, Passover Plot, resuscitation theory, stolen body, criminal invention.
Forget the problems posed by: the Roman guard, a two-ton door, an empty tomb, 100lbs of spice and an absent body. Ignore the overwhelming circumstantial evidence: hundreds of eye-witnesses, changed disciples, worship, eucharist, baptism, mission, the church. But above all the rationalistic and agnostic chatter comes another voice: “I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?” (Jn. 11:25)
It is Jesus’ own testimony about His resurrection that is most crucial. You cannot have the rest of Jesus’ teaching without His words about His resurrection. His view of His own mission, His prophecies about his own death and resurrection, are both rooted in earlier prophecy but also corroborative of those prophecies. Jesus' prophecies of His Resurrection litter the gospels.
Jesus not only predicted His Resurrection but He also emphasized that His Resurrection from the dead would be the prophetic "sign" to authenticate His claim that He is the Messiah! Yeshua HaMaschiach! On Sunday, I reminded you that at every step of the story of Holy Week there was a repeated phrase: “that the scriptures might be fulfilled.” So the key issue on Easter day is not about what a pastor should say about the resurrection, but what does the scripture say?
So why is the resurrection central to faith? What does scripture say are the consequences of the resurrection for us, for all, for now and forever? I asked you a question at the beginning of my message: what difference does the resurrection actually make to your present life? I gave you over 40 scriptural answers that complete the sentence: BECAUSE JESUS WAS RAISED, I… How many of them can you remember according to scripture? Search the scriptures yourself, or in homegroup. (OK, or download the message!) It might just make for a “happy day”!
With rising expectations,
Stuart