Easter Sunday—Truth or fiction

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the most momentous event in the whole of history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our faith as Christians is built upon this truth. As Paul puts it:

if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1Cor.15:14)

Now we know that earlier in the same letter Paul reminds us that our faith is not built on human wisdom, but on the power of God. In Ephesians he reminds about something of the nature of this power, describing it as the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

There are three things for us to consider about the Easter story and it’s implications for our lives and our faith.

Is it true?

The question isn’t whether you believe it to be true or not, it’s simply a matter of fact: Is it true? Establishing truth is never an easy thing, especially in an age when everything appears to be relative. We no longer deal in absolutes.

We are all familiar with courtroom dramas where the establishing of truth is a matter of weighing the evidence. When it comes to the resurrection, it’s possible, as many have found to weigh the evidence and decide whether the case is proven or not. But beware, just because you believe something to be true doesn’t make it true, and possibly more significantly, just believing something isn’t true doesn’t make it untrue.

It the end the question is not: Do you believe that the resurrection really happened? The question is more like: What are you going to do about it if it is true?

Is it trustworthy?

The Bible is big on trust, especially trust in God. Throughout its pages God demonstrates his trustworthiness. In the wisdom of the Old Testament we read:

Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding (Prov.3:5)

Paul reminds us that our hope, a delicate thing, is safe in God’s hands. He tells Timothy:

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labour and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. (1Tim.4:9-10).

Jesus too, spoke about trust. He said:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1)

And he demonstrated his trustworthiness by coming back for the dead. He’s kept his promise once, he will keep again. When Jesus said, “I will come back for you,” we can be sure that one day he will return.

Is it transforming?

You only have to read the gospels to see how Jesus Christ transformed lives. People were healed; they were set free from things that had beset them sometimes over many years. The blind could see again, the deaf could hear again and the lame and paralysed danced once more.

And it the list doesn’t end there. A woman ostracised by her community suddenly finds herself accepted once more, another facing the anger of a crowd finds herself alone with no one left pointing an accusing finger.

If you could travel back in time and stand among the crowds that followed Jesus, if you could ask the disciples, “Did Jesus change lives?” The answer would be a resounding, “Yes.”

And the good news is that this transformation is still available to you and me today. Because Jesus died and rose again, we have the opportunity to experience God’s transforming power in our lives. The question is: Do you want it?