Tag Archives: the resurrection of Jesus

Is the Resurrection of Jesus a Thing?

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1 Corinthians 15:29-34

Why is believing in the resurrection of Jesus a big deal? You hear about people dying on the operating table, then coming back to life all the time. You read books about little boys who die, go to heaven, then come back to tell about it.

But you’ve only heard about one person who was dead for three days, then came back to life without the paddles or shots of adrenaline. Jesus died, was buried for days, then was alive again. Hundreds of people were eye witness to the fact.

Christianity is nothing without the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus. It is because Jesus is actually alive today that we can face whatever this life hands us. It’s because He lives that we can be assured of our eternal life in His presence. It’s because Jesus died and rose again that our sins are forgiven. God revealed Himself in the ultimate display of power when Jesus defeated death.

What a privilege to know Him, to serve Him, to be loved by Him. What a comfort in knowing that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in my life, changing me, molding me, protecting me, and fighting with me against the power of darkness.

Is believing in the resurrection a big deal? It’s the difference between believing in the One True God, and believing about Him. You can’t separate God from the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

So Jesus rising from the dead is not only a thing, it is the most important thing of all. It’s the fulfillment of God’s plan to save you from the penalty of your sin. It’s that big of a deal.

Can It Get Any Worse?

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2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34

I opened You Tube today and saw the title of a video that got my attention. I’ve never listened to this man before, but he titled his talk: This Pastor Is Worse Than You Thought – Andy Stanley, Jordon Peterson, Voddie Baucham – My Analysis. (The Gospel of Christ; John Henry).

He played a portion of a workshop given by Pastor Stanley, and even though I wasn’t at that workshop or watched the entirety of it, what I did hear left me speechless. Stanley said he no longer refers to the Bible when he teaches. He doesn’t say “The Bible says…,” or “God’s Word says….” In fact, he says Christianity shouldn’t rise and fall on the inerrancy or accuracy of 66 ancient documents we call books of the Bible. It rises and falls on the identity of a single individual… Jesus of Nazareth.

He said that. And he posted the same on Twitter.

Now, to be fair, Stanley said his position on referring to the Bible isn’t a change in theology. It is merely a change in how he talks about theology. It seems he believes he can talk about what is in the Bible without using it as the authority.

In a podcast, Stanley said that in the beginning of Christianity, no preacher said, “The Bible says…, the Bible says…” He pointed out that the ancient Christians didn’t have a Bible, many couldn’t even read, and surmised that what drove the faith was an event, not Scripture.

“We have to shift the focus from the Bible to the resurrection…”

I want to ask him how can we know about the resurrection without the Bible?

Anyway, after listening to this You Tube video, I opened my Bible (yes, I still do that every day). My chronological Bible had me in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles where I read how reading God’s Word changed everything for King Josiah and the nation of Judah. They didn’t realize the seriousness of their actions until they READ what God had to say about them. That lead to repentance and revival in the land.

Ok. You might argue that is all from an ancient ANCIENT document. It’s Old Testament, and we live after the cross. So let’s look at Jesus.

Jesus often used Scripture (the Bible in Jesus’ day). Read Matthew 27, 23; John 13, 15. When he walked with the men going to Emmaus after the resurrection, He talked to them, not merely about the resurrection, but about what Scripture said.

Paul, after the cross, refers to Scripture repeatedly: 1 Corinthians 3, 18, 26, 30; Romans 10,15, and on and on and on.

To say we shouldn’t base Christianity on Scripture negates 2 Timothy 3:16-17. And if we want to base Christianity simply on Jesus’ miraculous resurrection from the dead, we need only read John 1 which clearly states that same Jesus IS the Word!

I hope you’ll investigate this for yourself. If I’ve misrepresented Andy Stanley, please listen to the video I referenced, and go to Stanley’s Twitter account (although I believe he has taken down some of what was said earlier). But let me know if I am in error. I don’t want to put words into Stanley’s mouth.

But let me ask you: what is the authority on which you base your faith? Personally, I am standing on the written Word of God, and I will continue to proclaim the Bible as that authority.

I’ll thank God for the privilege of proclaiming His Word, all 66 books, as His inspired Word live and effective today. And I’ll continue to urge you to read it every day.