The Pastor's Corner

Power of the Resurrection
April 8, 2004
By Rev. Todd Crofford
Sr. Pastor
Laurel Wesleyan Church

Would you enjoy reading a 500 page novel with the last chapter torn out? In the same way, we must not spend this time of the church year focusing solely on the cross. The rest of the story must be told.

It is so important to declare that Jesus is risen because Jesus himself laid this down as the litmus test of his deity. In John 2, he is asked to display a miracle to show his authority and he replied that the only sign they would get is that he would rise again three days after his death.

In other words, we must ask if Jesus passed his own test. Briefly this week, let’s look at five historical essentials that form the best accounting of the known facts and demonstrate the reality of God’s POWER.

People. Both Biblical and Non-Biblical sources show both followers and skeptics of Christ become believers. Not only do his disciples go on to preach Christ crucified and risen, but well known detractors of Jesus including his own brother James, and zealous Pharisee Saul become believers.

When somebody’s avowed fan says something nice about that person we expect it. When someone’s arch enemy suddenly becomes willing to die for the opposing cause, we should sit up and take notice.

Oral Tradition. In a day where only 10% of people could read and 5% could both read and write, oral tradition is an important method of teaching and learning. Claims and teachings of Jesus being resurrected are overwhelmingly learned and passed on within 5 years of his resurrection. Those who had power to refute this could easily have intercepted this teaching early in the birth cycle of the church, but that did not happen.

Written Tradition. Not only did the early church talk the resurrection, they wrote it down. I Corinthians is the first written resurrection report we have and it is estimated to have been written in 55A.D. This is only 25 years after the happening.

Imagine someone having written a book in 1970 claiming there was no holocaust. There would have been many who could have stood up and debunked such writing as untrue. But in the case of written reports of resurrection, instead of disappearing, multiple additional resurrection accounts came out over the next 20-30 years.

Empty Tomb. The quickest and easiest way to be rid of the new belief would have been to display a body or an occupied tomb. Rather, enemies of the faith are relegated to explaining away the empty tomb rather then denying its existence. That’s only true for one reason… the tomb was empty.

Radical Commitment. No one questions that the disciples became energized radical proponents of the resurrection. So much so that no fewer than six non biblical sources proclaim their willingness to go to martyrdom.

September 11, 2001 is an example that people have been martyred for a cause they believed in that was a lie, but remember that almost no one is willing to go to death for something they know is a lie. In other words, something happened that caused not just one or two, but every disciple to be so convinced of the resurrection that they were willing to die for it.

The evidence of POWER shows that Christ was indeed resurrected. He passed his own test. He is the Son of God. In turn he said to us, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:9) There is hope beyond the grave for those who come to know the resurrected Jesus.

Why not take some time this coming weekend and stop in at church to find out more about this man of POWER? It just may be the life your life has needed.

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