I have talked with and know pastors and parishioners in churches in Monroe and all across the United States who do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not believing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not new.
All through the centuries people have claimed not to believe in the resurrection. In fact, when the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15, only a few years after he claimed Jesus appeared to him, to warn people who did not believe it.
Certainly, people are entitled to their unbelief. My desire is that people make an informed decision when they make this claim, because there are consequences if Jesus did not rise from the dead. The Apostle Paul listed six.
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 1 Corinthians 15:13–19 (NIV84) Let’s breakdown Paul’s logic into smaller pieces so we can appreciate clearly what he said. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ must remain central to the Christian faith, otherwise, 1) preaching and faith about a resurrection would be useless, verses 13-14. 2) Christians would be false witnesses about God because he claimed to raise Jesus from the dead, verse 15. 3) Nobody then would ever rise from the dead, verse 16. 4) Faith in the resurrection would be futile and all of us would take our sin to the grave, verse 17. 5) Dead Christians would have no eternal life either, verse 18. And 6) All would pity more anyone who believed in an afterlife, verse 19.
To talk about anything beyond the grave would be silly and pointless because there would be no afterlife, no heaven, and no reunions.
To think of a new start in a wonderful place called heaven would be equivalent to a fairytale, nice to think about, but meaningless.
People who deny the resurrection often have not thought about those alternatives. But the evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead is very convincing. Jesus appeared to Peter afterwards. He appeared to all his disciples at once. He also appeared to several ladies after they found his tomb was empty. Then to more than 500 people.
Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not an unreasonable decision.
What should you do if you are having trouble deciding?
The prophet Jeremiah said,” If you seek him, you will find him,” Jeremiah 29:13. It seems to me that seeking and finding him is a much better choice than not believing and having the six truths of no resurrection as your only alternative.
Easter Sunday is April 17 this year. You have time to seek and find the resurrected Lord Jesus and join millions of others who have found him also. God bless you in your search.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Rick Haworth is pastor of Hope Evangelical Free Church in Monroe.
