I was recently taking a mini-survey of my life up to this point and the overwhelming sense that I had was one of deep joy and gratitude. Speaking with a friend of mine, I casually mentioned that I did this and that I came to realize how wonderful it is to be a Christian.
I told him I thought of the many life-changing experiences that I have had. I remembered when I had first been born-again, spending time with other young people who had the same experience and enjoying their company and shared friendships. I thought of the many great books, bible studies and sermons over the years that have shaped my faith. I considered how I came from a love of rock and blues music to an understanding of how music of all styles (including the hardest rock) can find redemption and become thoroughly God honoring. I thought of my embrace of the Reformed Faith and then I thought of our church and the wonderful people I have come to love and what a blessing this all has been to my family and I.
And then I thought of my family. None of which I would have had I not become a Christian (I met my wife in church) and the only thing I could do was bow my head and say a prayer of thankfulness to my Redeemer and Friend who has shown a kindness and mercy to me that could never be repaid.
At this point, my friend snapped me back into our conversation again by mentioning he had been recently reading about the Shroud of Turin and how he believes it is authentic. For anyone who might not be familiar, the Shroud is an ancient relic of the church, the purported burial cloth of Christ that has an impression of a tortured and bleeding man superimposed on it as a negative photographic image. He told me he thinks the carbon dating of the Shroud in the 1980’s was inaccurate and that it is just not conceivable that a medieval artist could make such a rendering, and if they could, why would there not be other obvious examples of this from that period?
This discussion turned my attention to Easter, my favorite Christian holiday, which is soon approaching. Was the Shroud actual physical evidence to the Resurrection? And if so, are there other evidences that should be considered to prove that the tomb was empty on that glorious morning? What of the disciples, all of whom died torturous deaths, all the while maintaining they had seen Jesus alive again? If He was really dead and they were lying, wouldn’t they eventually just say so? What about the other eyewitnesses and the known conversion of so many enemies of the young faith? And if the tomb was guarded, where was the body?
Yes, there are evidences but perhaps neither the Shroud nor the testimonies of the early disciples are alone as strong evidences for the Resurrection. Perhaps there are other evidences that are equally as powerful. Again I thought of the Christian life and wondered if you and I and all believers for all times don’t constitute equally powerful evidences in their changed lives. The lives lived with joy, purpose, self-sacrifice and gratitude in answer to what God has done for them. Wikipedia lists only two propositions as being truly self-evident, and the first is stated as, “A finite whole is greater than any of its parts”. Perhaps this body of Christ - the millions of people who have claimed and continue to claim to know this risen Lord personally today, constitute a finite whole that is truly self-evident.
for this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
Oh make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never, out live my love for Thee.”
Bernard of Clairvaux 1091-1153
If you would like to do some further reading on the Resurrection of Christ in preparation for Easter, I recommend “The Christ of the Empty Tomb” by James Montgomery Boice. You can get it on Amazon.com or from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals at www.alliancenet.org.
Pat
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