 
# The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

###### Grace Communion International

###### Copyright 2015 Grace Communion International

###### www.gci.org

###### Cover art: Ken Tunell. Copyright Grace Communion International

###### Scripture quotations, unless noted, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The "NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

### Table of Contents

Jesus — Alive Forevermore!

Can You Believe It? A Study of John 20:18–29

On the Road to Emmaus

Believing Thomas

Evidence of the Resurrection

The Empty Tomb: Reasons to Believe

The Empty Tomb — What's in It for You?

He's Alive!

The Power of the Resurrection

Jesus' Resurrection Pictured in the Old Testament

Trumpets: A Festival Fulfilled in Christ

Rejoice! Christ Has Risen

Christ's Resurrection: Our Hope of Salvation

Celebrate the Spring Festivals

Easter Sunday

Three Rs for Easter

Easter in the Church

Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Passover-Easter-Quartodeciman Controversy

What Does Jesus Have to Do with Easter?

Is It a Sin to Observe Easter?

A Note About Easter

About the Authors

About the Publisher

Grace Communion Seminary

Ambassador College of Christian Ministry

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Editor's note: Some of our articles about Jesus are in the volume titled _Exploring the Word of God: The Four Gospels._ See other e-books for articles about the birth of Jesus, the incarnation, the life and death of Jesus.

## Jesus — Alive Forevermore!

Jesus did not stay dead for long. Early Sunday morning, near sunrise, some disciples discovered that the Son of God had risen. They did not see the resurrection itself, but they saw Jesus, alive and well. Over a period of 40 days, they saw Jesus on numerous occasions. Then he rose into heaven.

But Jesus is not taking a vacation. His ministry continues, even in heaven. He serves and leads the church, interceding for us, helping us, preparing us for eternal glory. Christ will return, and after he has subdued every enemy, he will give everything to the Father. Mission accomplished.

### Resurrection

Many people have a hard time believing that Jesus rose from the dead. In their experience, dead people always stay dead. They are skeptical of such an extraordinary claim. The disciples must have been mistaken, they say, or else they made it up.

The disciples were skeptical, too. When they went to the tomb, they expected to find a body. When they did not find a body, they first assumed that someone had stolen it. They did not expect a resurrection. It was only when Jesus _appeared_ to them that they believed that he was alive again.

Most Jews believed that there would be a resurrection at the end of the age, when everyone would rise for judgment (Daniel 12:2). But a resurrection into glory before the end was just as unexpected as a crucified Messiah. Although Jesus had taught both these ideas (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; Mark 9:9), the disciples didn't understand or believe this (verse 10). They expected him to stay dead.

But if Jesus is the sinless Son of God, then he is unique among the billions of people, and he did not deserve death. We should be surprised if he were _not_ resurrected. We also have evidence that gives us confidence that Jesus rose from the dead (as we will cover in our next article).

Many of us also have experiences in our own lives that convince us that God exists, that he sometimes causes miracles, that Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is active in his people. This gives us further reason to believe that Jesus is alive.

### Significance of the resurrection

The resurrection meant life for Jesus—but a far better life than what he had on earth, the glory that he had with the Father before his incarnation (John 17:5). By his resurrection, he was powerfully revealed as the Son of God (Romans 1:4)—the resurrection declared who he had been all along. The resurrection proves that God will judge the world through Christ (Acts 17:31).

But the resurrection also means life for _us._ As Paul says, we will "be saved through his life" (Romans 5:10). If you "believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14). Our salvation depends not just on Jesus' death, but also his resurrection (1 Peter 3:21).

Justification, most commonly associated with Jesus' death, is also a result of his resurrection (Romans 4:24-25). Our salvation depends on the entire sequence of incarnation: his birth, ministry, death and resurrection.

Our baptism pictures our participation in Jesus' death and resurrection. Rising from the water pictures our new life (Romans 6:4) and it pictures our future: "We will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection" (verse 5). "When he appears, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2). Our resurrected bodies will be like his (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

God has "made us alive with Christ...raised us up with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5-6). We were "raised with him" (Colossians 2:12). By faith in Christ, we are spiritually united to him. Our sins are given to him and paid by him, his righteousness and life are given to us, and we join him in his resurrection. "He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you" (Romans 8:11). His resurrection is a promise that we will also live again!

### Ascension

After Jesus was resurrected, he "gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). On the last day, "he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight" (verse 9). He did not simply disappear. He went up bodily into the sky, as a visible indication that he was going into heaven. His post-resurrection appearances had come to an end. (His later appearance to Paul was abnormal—1 Corinthians 15:8.)

As the disciples stared at the sky, two angels appeared and told them that Jesus would return "in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). What were the disciples to do in the meantime? They were to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit (verse 4), and then they were to be witnesses for Jesus throughout the world (verse 8). They testified that he is alive, that salvation is available through him.

### At the right hand

Jesus did not just go to heaven—he was "exalted to the right hand of God" (Acts 2:33). "God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior" (Acts 5:31). Being at the "right hand" is a figure of speech meaning "in highest authority." He is exalted above the heavens, ruler of all things (Hebrews 7:27; 1:2).

At least 12 times, Scripture says that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. Five of these are quotes from Psalm 110:1: "The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The picture is that the Father gives Jesus a throne, even while there are enemies to be subdued. God will take care of the enemies; Jesus is secure in his authority. Using the Latin word for "sit," this is sometimes called the "session" of Christ—being seated on his throne.

### Ministry

Using his position of power in heaven, Jesus continues working for our salvation. He sends the Holy Spirit to us (John 15:26; 16:7), and the Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus and helps us understand what he taught (John 14:26; 15:26). The Spirit is the way that the Father and the Son live within us (14:18, 23).

Jesus is our Advocate (1 John 2:1). He is like a defense attorney who "speaks to the Father in our defense"—if anyone accuses us, Jesus is there as a perpetual reminder that our sins have been covered by his sacrifice. It is therefore pointless to make accusations (Romans 8:33-34) — there is no condemnation for anyone who has faith in Christ (verse 1).

The risen Christ intercedes for us, to defend us from accusation and to give us help. "He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25). "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). Because he can sympathize with our weaknesses, we can be confident that he will give us the help we need in our struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16).

The book of Hebrews calls him our high priest, who sacrificed himself for us and now lives to help us (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1). Since our sins are forgiven through his death, we can approach God with confidence (Hebrews 10:19). "Since we have a great priest over the house of God," we are encouraged: "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" (verse 22).

Jesus is our mediator, who resolves conflicts and brings us to God (1 Timothy 2:5). He ushers us into the throne room of heaven, assuring us that God will hear us with favor. This is part of the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is also our Shepherd (John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20), implying that he loves, protects and provides for us. Peter brings similar images to mind when he calls Jesus "the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" (1 Peter 2:25). Jesus watches over us. The book of Revelation tells us that we are shepherded by a Lamb, a gentle guide who sacrificed himself for us (Revelation 7:17). He will supply our needs, because he knows what they are.

God assigned Jesus to be Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 4:15), and the church is to submit to his leadership in everything (Ephesians 5:24). He has supremacy over all things (Colossians 1:18; 2:10). Jesus already has all authority on heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). God has seated him above every power and authority (Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 2:10).

Through faith, we join Jesus in his amazing journey. We are crucified with him, we rise with him, we are joined with him by the Holy Spirit. We will be given glory with him and will reign with him forever (2 Timothy 2:11-12). Believe the good news!

### Resurrection appearances

Before dawn, Mary Magdalene finds the tomb open and reports the body gone (John 20:1-2). Other women arrive and are told by angels to tell the disciples (Matthew 28:5-7; Luke 24:1-9). They visit the tomb and find it empty (John 20:3-10).

##### 1. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18).

##### 2. Jesus appears to two women (Matthew 28:9-10).

##### 3. Jesus appears to two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33).

##### 4. Jesus appears to Peter (verse 34).

##### 5. Jesus appears to 10 of the Eleven (verse 36; John 20:24).

##### 6. One week later, Jesus appears when Thomas is present (John 20:26-29).

##### 7. Seven disciples see Jesus at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-22).

##### 8. The Eleven meet Jesus on a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20).

##### 9. Jesus appears to 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6).

##### 10. Jesus appears to James at another time (verse 7).

##### 11. Jesus appears to the Eleven just before ascending to heaven (Acts 1:6-11).

Adapted from Murray J. Harris, _3 Crucial Questions About Jesus,_ pages 107-109.

Michael Morrison

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## Can You Believe It?  
A Study of John 20:18–29

Jesus died on a cross. So have many other people. But only one came back to life—Jesus. The early church announced the resurrection of Jesus, and it has been a key teaching of Christianity ever since.

But some people find it hard to believe. There must be some sort of mistake—either a mistake in the diagnosis of death or a mistake in thinking that the person is alive again.

Jesus knows that it's hard to believe—an incident with Thomas illustrates this and has a lesson for us as well. In John 20, we are told that some disciples found that Jesus was no longer in his tomb. He soon appeared to Mary, and she told the other disciples about it. But one woman's word was not enough to convince them.

### The disciples see Jesus (verses 19-20)

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!'" We do not know exactly how Jesus got into the room on that Sunday evening, but John implies that it was in some supernatural way. Jesus could still do miracles.

He greeted them with peace, and "after he said this, he showed them his hands and side." Apparently there were still holes in his hands and a spear wound in the side—although the wounds caused by scourging were presumably gone. "The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." They believed.

### Authorized to preach (verses 21-23)

Jesus repeated his greeting and then added, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." This is John's version of the Great Commission. Just as Jesus was sent to earth with a mission, so now this mission is given to the disciples.

Jesus had promised that he would not abandon the disciples—he would come to them in the form of "another advocate...the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16-18). Jesus fulfilled that promise: "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

Some scholars think that Jesus was reissuing the promise and that it was not fulfilled until 50 days later, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Others say the disciples received the Spirit at this time, and the Spirit came again in a visible way on the day of Pentecost. We do not need to resolve that question now, but we see here that Jesus was not a ghost, vision, or apparition—he was a living, breathing human being with a real body.

Jesus described the results of their mission: "If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Does this mean that God may want to forgive someone but will be thwarted by disciples who are not quite so gracious? No, Jesus is not giving the disciples the power to control what God can or cannot do.

Rather, he is speaking about what people _experience._ The context is the mission of the disciples: preaching the gospel. When the disciples preach forgiveness, people will experience forgiveness. When the disciples don't preach it, people will not have the joy of knowing they are forgiven. Jesus wants the disciples to announce forgiveness to all the people God forgives (and that, as we find out elsewhere in the Bible, includes everyone).

### Thomas believes (verses 24-29)

However, one disciple was absent from the Sunday evening gathering. "Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!'"

But he was skeptical. He said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." He wanted not just to see, but also to touch.

Jesus gave him what he wanted: "A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!'

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'" Jesus not only appeared—he knew what Thomas had said a week earlier.

We do not know whether Thomas touched Jesus, but he responded with faith. "Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'" Earlier, Thomas had called Jesus Lord (John 14:5); now he calls him God. As John tells us in the opening verse, "The Word was God" (John 1:1). John wants Thomas's response to be ours as well, that we accept Jesus as our Lord and our God.

Jesus himself moves the discussion to future believers, including us: "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"

Michael Morrison

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## On the Road to Emmaus

It's a familiar story, so I'll just go through it quickly, and save my comments for the end. In Luke 24, we read that the women went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, and they found the tomb empty. Two angels appeared, and told them that Jesus had risen. So the women ran to tell the apostles the good news, but the apostles did not believe the women, because their words didn't seem to make any sense. Let's read the story starting in verse 12:

#### Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

#### Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

#### He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

#### They stood still, their faces downcast.

#### One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

#### "What things?" he asked.

#### "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

#### In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

#### He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

#### As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

#### When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

#### They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Who were these two disciples? One was named Cleopas, but we do not know the name of the other one. Maybe it was Mrs. Cleopas – we don't even know whether the person was male or female.

Maybe we can put our own name into the story at this point – maybe Luke doesn't tell us the name of the other disciple so that we can imagine ourselves as part of this story.

OK, so we were walking with Cleopas on the road to Emmaus, talking about all the things that have happened in the last few days.

Was it only a week ago that Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? Weren't all the children singing Hosanna? Didn't all this happen to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah about the king of Israel, riding on a donkey?

We were sure that Jesus was the Messiah, come to rescue us. We were sure that he was going to set up the kingdom of God. He kept talking about it – that's what he wanted to do, and that's what we wanted him to do, too.

And we could sure see God working in him. He kicked scoundrels out of the temple courts, and nobody stopped him. He told parables that clearly said God was rejecting the Pharisees and Sadducees, and would give the land to someone else. He showed that all those so-called leaders couldn't even interpret the Scriptures right.

He predicted the end of the age, and the Son of Man coming in glory with the clouds of heaven. And he gave us signs of a new covenant, a new relationship with God. We were sure that he was the Messiah.

And then he got killed.

(I'll skip the gruesome details.)

Remember that guy named Judas the Galilean? He said he was the Messiah and attracted a big following on the other side of the Jordan. But he got killed and all his followers scattered. Maybe we got sucked into that kind of thing. Just because we think somebody is the Messiah doesn't necessarily make him the Messiah. Jesus did some amazing stuff – I guess Judas did, too. Lots of people thought he was the Messiah. But they were wrong – and it looks like we were wrong, too.

Now it's time to get out of town, as inconspicuously as possible. We can't do it on Saturday, because that's the Sabbath, and we'll look pretty conspicuous. So we'll just stay inside and keep the doors locked. We can't leave on Sunday morning, because that's when everybody is heading into Jerusalem for more festival celebrations. The best time to leave is on Sunday afternoon, when people start going home to the nearby villages. We'll just blend in with those people, if we leave on Sunday afternoon.

And so here we are, walking away from Jerusalem, talking about what a great disappointment we've had. We thought this was going to be the best week of our life, but boy, did we get all our hopes smashed!

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever hoped that Jesus would rescue you from some sort of problem or another? Have you ever hoped that Jesus would give you a problem-free life? Have you ever felt that instead, God had abandoned you? If he really existed, then he sure didn't seem to care about you?

That's what these disciples were talking about on the road to Emmaus. Sometimes Christians are on that road, trying to walk away from it all without attracting too much attention to themselves. They were following Jesus, but they became really disappointed in him. Their faces are downcast. They are just trudging along, going away, not quite sure where they are going to.

"We hoped that he was the one who was going to rescue us, but it sure doesn't look like that now." Maybe there won't ever be a rescue, and boy, is that depressing!

And along comes Jesus, and he chews them out, "You idiots! If you don't believe in me after all I've done for you, then good riddance! Just go away. I don't need disciples like you!"

No, Jesus didn't do that, did he? It's true that he doesn't need disciples like us, but it is also true that this is the only kind of disciples he has. We are all weak in faith. If we had been in Jerusalem that year, we would have walked away, too. We would have gone fishing, gone back to whatever it was that we were doing before. We might have hoped that Jesus would be the Messiah, but we would have given up on that hope.

Sometimes we hear other people talking about Jesus, but it just doesn't make any sense right now. The tomb might be empty, but we can't see Jesus anywhere around. It sure seems like he hasn't done anything for us. He might as well be dead, for all we are concerned.

And so we are walking away from Jerusalem, talking with our buddy Cleopas about how we got ripped off.

Jesus is not offended. He just walks with us for as long as he needs to. We don't even know that it's Jesus, but he is walking with us whether we know it or not. He'll let us talk, and tell our disappointment.

That's OK – Jesus does not feel compelled to be everything that we expected him to be. Sometimes we expected something, or hoped for something, that Jesus really isn't. Eventually, if we give Jesus a chance, he'll explain to us what sort of Messiah he really is.

For Cleopas, he talked about the Old Testament scriptures. For us, he might talk about something else, or explain things in a different way. Did you really want a Messiah who would prevent you from making mistakes? Did you really want a Savior who would suspend the law of cause and effect? Did you want a "Lord" who would do what you wanted him to, as if you are the one who is really in charge?

Do you want a Jesus who shows you mercy, but does not show mercy to other people? Do you want a Jesus who brings you personal happiness while leaving other people in misery? Do you want a Messiah who tells other people to behave themselves, so that you can have a better life?

Just what is it that you wanted from a Messiah? If you are disappointed with Jesus, just what is it that you expected, and was it a realistic expectation?

The conversation could go a thousand different ways, depending on what our difficulty is, but it eventually comes around to this: Didn't the Christ have to be the way he actually is?

Isn't death the biggest problem that humans will ever face? Whether we are rich or poor, good-looking or bad-looking, powerful or weak, all of us are going to die. And if death is the biggest problem we will face, wouldn't it be necessary for our Savior to show that he has been there and done that, and come out OK? Don't we need a Savior who has been killed, and then resurrected?

Isn't one of the biggest problems we face broken relationships? To give us assurance that Christ has overcome that, too, wasn't it necessary for him to be betrayed by one of his closest friends? Wasn't it necessary for him to be betrayed by his own people, to be betrayed by the best that human governments had to offer at the time?

There is no question about it: Life in this age is far from perfect. Everybody we meet is dysfunctional in some way or another. No matter what sort of people you have to deal with, Jesus has been there, and he's been hurt by it. He knows what we are going through, and by his example, he assures us that we can go through it, too, and come out the other side.

If we want to get away and walk to Emmaus, or even further, Jesus is willing to go with us, and keep talking with us. Eventually the time will come when it begins to make sense again. We will see that Jesus has been with us all along.

And then we'll whip out the handcuffs and lock Jesus up so that he will never leave us ever again. No, it doesn't work that way. Sometimes when we see him, he is soon gone. We have a dramatic moment when our eyes are open, and just as soon as we recognize it, the moment is gone again. We do not get a chance to put Jesus in our briefcase so that we can pull him out whenever we happen to want him.

No, we cannot control him.

So what should we do?

We should return at once to Jerusalem, to hear what the other disciples have to say about Jesus. Yes, he has risen and appeared to Peter – and to James, and John, and even Thomas – and can you believe it, even to a Pharisee named Saul!

We can hear their stories, and we can tell our stories, too, of how we met Jesus. Maybe it was something as ordinary as eating an evening meal; maybe it was an extraordinary experience with miracles at an empty tomb. We can tell of how we were walking in the depths of despair, and Jesus gave us unexpected hope. Or we can talk about how we were wallowing in guilt, and Jesus gave us freedom from our greatest oppressor. Or when we were trapped in a habit of some sort, and Jesus set us free. Or when life seemed pointless, all of a sudden we saw the point.

You know, life on this planet is filled with problems. If we are crippled by the fear of death, Jesus can set us free. If we are poisoned by one bad relationship after another, Jesus can heal us. If we are blind to the needs of other people, Jesus can open our eyes. If we are filled with lame excuses, Jesus can give us strength to be a better person.

Basically, if there were no Jesus, then we'd have to invent one to help us cope. But the truth is, that we are so dysfunctional that we can't invent a Jesus who can even identify our problem, much less help us cope with it. We need a Jesus who is different than what we want, because there's something seriously wrong about what we want. If we are to rescue ourselves, we need to desire a Jesus who is different than what we desire.

But of course we do not need to invent Jesus – he has been here walking with us all along, for almost 2,000 years now.

He is not in the tomb. He has risen, just as he said. He is not in Emmaus, but he is in his disciples – and we can sometimes see him, even if ever so briefly, when we eat together, and when we help each other, and when we talk with one another.

Each Easter, we celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. That is really good news for him, you might think, but what does it matter to me? The truth is, that it really doesn't do us much good, until he rises inside each of us. He needs to live in us. He can't do that unless he is actually alive, of course, but he also won't do that unless we let him.

He is walking with us on the road to Emmaus. We may think that we are walking away, but the fact is that we can never get far away from Jesus, because he is walking right beside us – whether we know it or not.

As Paul says in Ephesians, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—even when we were totally unaware of it—and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms—all when we were totally unaware of it. He has been walking with us all along.

Many of you – most of you – already know that this is really good news, because you have seen Jesus in your life. Maybe in the breaking of the bread, maybe in some other way. You've seen that he is not only alive, but that he is living in you.

Others are not quite so sure, and that's OK. Or maybe you were once really sure, but you are beginning to have some doubts. That's OK, too. Sometimes when we are going through a really difficult time, like when we are faced with cancer, or when someone we love has just died, at times like that we have questions that have no answers, and what we need more than answers is just somebody to be with us.

Jesus is that somebody, whether we know it or not, whether we see him or not. He has been in our situation. He has faced betrayal and suffering and death. He knows what we are going through, and he has already gone through it with us, and for us. He is walking with us, even when we are trying to walk away from him.

That is really good news. We have a Savior who will let us walk, and he'll let us talk, and he will never let us get so far away that we can't get back, because he is right beside us all along.

The resurrection of Jesus is really good news, but he is not going to force it on you. Eventually the time will come when our eyes will be opened and we will recognize him for who he is, and we can join the conversation with our story: The Lord has risen, and he is living in me!

Michael Morrison

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## Believing Thomas

I don't know how you deal with disappointment, but I have a method I've used since I was a child. I imagine a worst-case scenario, so if it happens, I won't be disappointed, it's just what I expected. If things don't go wrong, I should be pleased. The problem is I'm not, and my negativity makes me and everyone around me miserable.

A few years ago, for Father's Day, my daughter, a psychologist, sent me Eeyore. For those of you who may not know, Eeyore is a character from A.A. Milne's stories of Winnie the Pooh. Eeyore tends to think negatively and cynically about everything. For example, if you said, "Good morning, Eeyore." Eeyore would probably respond, "Good morning – but I doubt that it is, and if it is, it will probably get worse." Or if you said to Eeyore, "Hey, let's have a picnic today," Eeyore would likely reply, "Okay, but it will probably rain, and if it doesn't, ants will probably get into food." Sadly, I can identify with Eeyore.

There's also a person in the Gospels I can identify with as well. His name is Thomas, one of the 12, usually known as Doubting Thomas. I don't think Thomas was as much a doubter as he was a cynic, the kind of person who believes the worst and doubts the best. I can identify with that.

The first time we meet Thomas in the Gospel of John is in chapter 11 verses 7 through 16. Here Jesus had just told the disciples that he's going back to Jerusalem, and the disciples warn him that he should not go because there are those there who will seek to kill him. Jesus tells them he is going anyway, and invites them to go with him. We notice Thomas's reaction to this in John chapter 11 at verse 16. Thomas says, "Then Thomas called Didymus said to rest of the disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.'"

Negative? Yeah, but brave. I like that. Thomas was a realist. What I'd like for us to do now is take a look at Thomas's encounter with the risen Christ in the Gospel of John chapter 20 verses 19 through 29, and explore what maybe we can learn from the story about our own doubts and cynicism as well as consider what we learn about God's reality versus our reality. So let's look at John chapter 20 verse 19.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews [and by this he means the Jewish religious leaders], Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Now, we might ask, "Why did Jesus show them the wounds (evidently) in his hands and his side?" I think one reason is to say, "Look, I'm not an apparition. I'm not a ghost. You're not having a delusion. I'm here, I'm real, it's the same me. You're looking at the same Jesus that you have known now for years. The same Jesus whom you saw crucified, and the same Jesus who came out of the tomb is the one who went in, and I'm here, and I'm real."

When the disciples saw that, they were happy and they rejoiced. We continue reading. Verse 21: "Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them."

Here we find that Jesus is sending out his disciples. He's telling them that they're going out with the same authority and the same mission that he has had from his Father. They are to continue in his ministry on the earth even after he has left and gone back to heaven. He is sending the Holy Spirit, and in the Holy Spirit, they will be able to work with him in his ministry, and then the power of God at work on earth through the followers of Jesus.

The next thing that Jesus says to them after he breathes on them is, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone their sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." This particular verse over the years has been subject to many different interpretations, and indeed it is a challenging verse to look into. The Roman Catholics have used this as a proof of needing to go to a priest and receiving forgiveness for your sins from the priest in the act of confession.

Protestants have looked at it in several different ways, including a communal view, where it is the community of faith, the church, which either lets people into the church, allows them to be baptized, or denies them admission from the church, or even sometimes excommunicates them from the church. But let me give you another view of this scripture which works for me, and I hope that it will work for you. Let me use an analogy:

Let's say a man robs a convenience store, steals all the money, makes a getaway, but from that day forward, he lives with the feeling of guilt. He knows he has done wrong, and so for the next 20 years every time he sees a police car, every time he hears a knock at the door, he wonders, "Is this it? Have they finally caught up with me? Will I be going to prison now?" He can't sleep at night. He lives in guilt for all that 20 years, and then suddenly one day, there's a knock on his door and of all things, it's the sheriff, so he puts out his hands and says, "All right, put the handcuffs on me. I know you've been looking for me. I knew my day would come, take me away to prison."

The sheriff looks at him and says, "No – you're not guilty. Let me tell you what happened. Even at the very moment that you robbed that convenience store, the governor simultaneously pardoned you and declared you not guilty. We've been looking for you for 20 years to tell you that you are a free man." The person who robbed the store would probably say, "Why did it take you so long to tell me that? I've lived 20 years of my life under guilt, and in fear, and you tell me that I'm not even guilty of a crime!"

To be free, to be declared not guilty and not know it is to continue subjectively to live with the feeling of guilt, not knowing that you're free. How many people do not know that God and Jesus Christ has indeed forgiven them of their sins, and because of not knowing, they're living a life of condemnation, a life of guilt, a life where they fear what the final judgment may be? Wouldn't it be nice if someone would find those people and tell them that they have been declared not guilty, and that in Jesus Christ they are free of the sins?

That analogy works for me and helps me understand what this particular scripture says, for he says, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, it is as though they have not been forgiven.

Verse 24: "Now Thomas called Didymus [meaning, a twin], one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came." I have asked myself the question, "Why wasn't Thomas there? Was he discouraged, was he like Eeyore, saying, "I knew he was going to die. I knew it was not going to work out. I knew this was all going to fail." Perhaps, he just in his own mind faced the situation realistically and felt, "It's all over. Jesus is dead." The other disciples met; Thomas stayed home.

Verse 25: "So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But Thomas said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will _not_ believe it.'"

This is interesting, that Thomas would not even take the word of the other disciples. Perhaps he was somewhat of a scientist, and without an experiment to verify and prove it, he could just not accept this. "How could this be Jesus? Jesus is dead. People don't come back from the dead! Do they?"

Isn't this really a question about God's reality versus our reality? Thomas, like many of us, knows human reality all too well, and according to human reality, people do not come back from the dead. But in God's reality, they do. Which reality is more real? I'd say, they're both real, but God's reality is even more real than what we know as humans as our reality.

Let's take another case in point. Can humans walk on water? I think many of us would say, "Well no, of course not. Humans can't walk on water." And yet in Scripture, we're told that both Jesus and Peter walked on water. Which is real? Is it real that humans can walk on water, or is it real that humans cannot walk on water? Have you ever walked on water – and I don't mean ice, I mean water? I have not walked on water – don't know that I could. Why? That's my reality, but in God's reality, according to God's will and by the power of the Holy Spirit, humans _can_ walk on water. I ask you, which is most real?

Now, many of us as Christians would say, "Well, God's reality is most real," but then we have to ask ourselves, why is it we're not walking on water? Why is it that we like Peter when he first accepted God's reality and began to walk on water, but then look at the human reality of the high waves, and the wind, and then doubted, and then began to sink, and called out to Jesus to save him.

Isn't that the way it is for most of us? We believe in God's reality, but our human reality often interferes with our acceptance of the reality that is the most real of all. I think we can understand why Thomas had a problem with accepting the fact that Jesus had come back from the dead.

But now let's notice what happens in our story. Let's look at verse 26: "A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" Here we have Jesus appearing behind locked doors.

Some say, "Did he pass through the doors, did he come through the walls, how did Jesus get there?" What is clear is that Jesus is no longer veiling his divinity. For the time that the disciples had known him, Jesus was fully human and fully God, but his divinity was veiled, was hidden from them. Now, he is fully present as a human but also in his divinity, and as the Son of God, he is the Lord of all creation, including space and time, and so Jesus appears behind locked doors through closed windows into the room with his disciples.

Let's read on: "Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" Verse 27: "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'" Here Jesus allows Thomas to make a scientific experiment. Stop doubting – believe – accept God's reality. It is far greater reality than the one that you know as a human. "I am the same Jesus you knew, fully human but also a fully God, come back from the dead, and I still bear the scars in my body."

Some ask, "Well, were the scars not healed, why did Jesus still manifest these scars?" One reason is that Thomas and the others would know he was Jesus, he was the same human that they had known for so many years. He is not some different being. He is not some ghost, some spirit, some thing of their imagination. He is really and truly Jesus, fully human and fully God standing before them.

Listen to what Thomas says in his reply, verse 27: "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'" Verse 28: "Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God.'" I don't think Thomas should be known as Doubting Thomas. In fact, in this verse, he's probably made one of the most important and powerful statements in the New Testament about the divinity of Jesus Christ. He has called him my Lord.

The Greek word for Lord, _Kurios,_ is the same word that's used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the Hebrew word Yahweh. So what Thomas is saying here, in a sense, is "Yahweh, my Lord and my God."

I feel for so-called Doubting Thomas, and on behalf of all realists everywhere, I would like to suggest that we now call him Believing Thomas, because Thomas now accepts God's reality as the most real reality of all, and he becomes a faithful believer. Let's read on and notice how John concludes the story in verse 29: "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"

Thomas was blessed. He saw, he believed, and gave a great profound announcement of faith, and yet, what about you and me today? We have not seen Jesus literally, physically with our own eyes. We have not been able to perform a scientific experiment of touching scars and yet we believe. We _do_ know that Jesus is alive. We experience him in the spirit, and he becomes to us over time, communing with him, our best friend.

I was sharing that fact with one of my very close friends who is a non-believer, and I was explaining to him that Jesus is really my best friend. I spent lots of time with him every day. I talk with him, I ask him questions, I share my burdens, I share my problems, and Jesus is always there for me, and he always comforts me, and he always understands. He doesn't agree with what I do, but he always loves me, and always encourages me, and offers me hope.

My non-believing friend looked at me like, "Yeah, we're glad that's working for you." I knew he didn't believe, but I did, and I do, and I hope you as a Christian know Jesus and believe as well, because he is your best friend. He is real. He is alive. Thomas came to know that.

I hope and pray that everyone of us can come and know Jesus as well as Thomas knew him, confess him as Lord and God even though we have not yet seen him. We have not seen the scars in his hand or in the side – or have we? How do you view Jesus when you pray? Do you pray to the Father, through Jesus, and in the Spirit? Do you see Jesus at the right hand of God? How do you view him and how do you picture him? I tell you how I do. When I see Jesus interceding for me, mediating between all of humanity and the Father, but most particularly for me and my time of need, I see the scars in his hands.

I see the scar and the side, and for me, they're still there, even as Isaiah said, "He has born our sorrows. He has taken our iniquities upon us, and by his wounds we are healed." If you have need of a Savior, when you pray, see that Jesus, see the same the Jesus that Thomas saw, the one who forever bears our burdens for us, who has the scars in his hand and the wound in his side, there for us, because he deeply cares for us and always will.

What do we take home from this story? Let's consider some points. We realize the same Jesus the disciples knew is alive today – eternally incarnate and glorified.

We have not seen him with our eyes nor put our hands upon his scars, but we have experienced him in our lives. We believe in him and we know him. In his scars, we believe as Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises, we are healed."

When we go before God's throne of grace, we can believe, as did Thomas, that Jesus is alive, he is our best friend, and he has taken our sins and burdens upon himself, and he has set us free, and given us eternal life. Let's not doubt that, let's be as Thomas, and know for a certainty that Jesus is alive. He is our Savior, our best friend, our Lord, and our God.

Dan Rogers

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## Evidence of the Resurrection

Christians, Jews, and atheists agree that Jesus was crucified and buried. The crucial belief for Christianity is that he was also resurrected — as evidence that he is the Son of God, the teacher of truth, the door and the way of salvation, the firstfruits of the resurrection. This article presents the evidence for his resurrection.

First, most historians agree that the early disciples _believed_ that Jesus had risen from the dead. Although at Jesus' death they were dejected and fearful, they were soon dramatically different: They risked their lives repeatedly to preach about Jesus. Even Christians in the second and third centuries (as well as many today) put their lives on the line to preach about Jesus. People sometimes give their lives for erroneous ideas — but only if they think they are true. People do not put their lives on the line for things they don't believe. The disciples never wavered in their belief in Jesus' resurrection. None of them ever changed their story under the pain of persecution. Even agnostic historians can admit that the disciples believed that Jesus had been resurrected.

How did dozens of disciples come to such a conviction? Perhaps the first possibility we could consider is that Jesus didn't really die. Perhaps it wasn't really him on the cross. Maybe Judas led the soldiers to the wrong man, or a substitution was somehow made at the last minute (as some Muslims believe). Is it possible that the disciples were in such a state of shock that they did not recognize the substitute on the cross, nor when they took him down to anoint and wrap his body for burial? Was it then a coincidence that the tomb somehow became empty, and his disciples thought he had reappeared? This stretches the imagination so much that this is not seriously considered.

### Reconstructing the argument

How did people respond to the claims that Jesus had been resurrected? The initial reaction for almost everyone (including the disciples themselves) was probably "That's preposterous." A more serious response is reported in Matthew 28:11-15:

#### While [the disciples] were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You must say, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.

Some critics believe that this passage was invented by Matthew, but the story is too complex for that. It shows several levels in the argument. It reports not just a distant memory, but a fact that could be verified when it was written: unbelieving Jews were claiming that the disciples stole Jesus' body while the guard slept.

Matthew probably included this passage in his Gospel to respond to such a claim, and he probably considered it as the claim most worth refuting. The unbelieving Jews apparently agreed that Jesus' tomb was empty; they made no allegations that Jesus was buried elsewhere, or that the disciples went to the wrong tomb.

To reconstruct the argument:

##### First, the disciples say that the tomb is empty.

##### The unbelieving Jews then say, that's because the disciples stole the body.

##### The believers then say, We couldn't have, because there was a guard.

##### The unbelievers say (rather than denying the existence of a guard), the disciples stole the body while the guard was asleep.

##### Finally, Matthew explains that the guard was bribed to say that this happened while he slept.

The argument assumes that in Matthew's day, the unbelieving Jews talked of a guard at the tomb. It was the first of many attempts not just to deny the resurrection, but to explain the evidence in a different way.

Perhaps Jesus did not die on the cross — he just went unconscious, and then later revived. Is this a plausible historical possibility? Would Roman soldiers crucify someone and take down a body without noticing that the person was still alive? Would this severely injured person then be able to revive, unwrap his own grave clothes, roll away his own tombstone, and convince his disciples that he had good health? Then after 40 days he would never be seen again? No, this borders on the preposterous.

Perhaps the disciples helped Jesus revive. They rolled away the stone, unwrapped the clothes, bandaged the wounds, and told a story about getting their leader back alive out of the grave — a story that turned quickly into a tall tale about resurrection and miraculous appearances, a story that the disciples never tried to set straight. Not only is this historically implausible, it turns the disciples into frauds and deceivers — and yet, as we mentioned above, people do not give their lives for something they know is false. This does not provide a believable explanation for the rise of Christianity, rooted in the early first century in the conviction that Jesus had risen from the dead — and this faith spread first in Jerusalem, where the facts could be investigated most easily!

It is not historically likely that Jesus could have survived the crucifixion. Well then, could the disciples have made up the resurrection? Did they steal the body, hide it somewhere, invent the story of a guard, and then preach a resurrection with conviction? This does not make sense, either. These fishermen did not make up the biggest lie in history, going against all the facts of life and death as they knew it, going against all religious beliefs of the day, going against Jewish and Roman authorities, risking their lives to tell the story they made up, without any of them ever betraying the conspiracy. No, these folks were not conniving liars. Their words and deeds do not suggest any such deception. Their behavior matched their message.

As a side point, we might also observe that the evidence of the empty tomb is indirect. (If it wasn't empty, the Jewish leaders could have stopped the whole problem by producing the body.) Yet according to the Gospel stories, the empty tomb did not convince all the disciples. They were convinced only when Jesus appeared, and it is on the basis of the appearances that they preached the resurrection. If they had gone to the trouble of stealing the body, surely they would have used the empty tomb as part of their evidence. The fact that they didn't, tells us that they had what they thought was much better evidence: eyewitnesses of a living Jesus.

As another indirect evidence of the authenticity of their faith, we can observe that the Gospels report that women were the first eyewitnesses of the empty tomb and the risen Christ — and the testimony of women was not accepted in that culture. If the disciples were trying to make up a story, they would have invented witnesses who had more authority. It is not likely that these fishermen would have been so subtle in creating evidence, and yet be so bold in preaching.

What about the fact that the Gospel stories vary somewhat? If this had been an enormous conspiracy, wouldn't they ensure that the story was told in exactly the same way by everyone? The most believable explanation again is that the disciples genuinely believed Jesus to be resurrected, and each one told it the way he or she remembered it.

Now let's consider another possibility: graverobbers (hoping for riches in the rich man's tomb) got the guards to drink so much wine that they fell asleep; then the graverobbers took the body and dumped it in the desert. The guards, wanting to cover up their failure and knowing the fears of the religious leaders, made up the story of the angels and the resurrection, and were bribed to blame the disciples. Then the disciples had hallucinations of a risen Jesus.

However, did all the disciples have the same hallucination, several times, against their expectations, against their religious beliefs? Did the hallucination eat and drink, speak, and then suddenly cease 40 days later? This is not the way hallucinations work. The evidence does not match this hypothesis, either.

Let's consider one more idea, that the idea of resurrection was just a religious allegory (sometimes described as a "myth," meaning religious ideas expressed in allegorical stories), and Christianity made a big mistake in taking it literally for almost 2,000 years.

There are several problems with this idea. First, the Gospels are not written in a mythological style. The resurrection was understood in a literal way even in the first century, when eyewitnesses of Jesus were still available to either support or refute the story. There was no time for legends to develop. The biblical writers give us history: This is what I saw. This is what it meant. They denounce the idea of myth. They are presenting what they saw.

The disciples were not deceived, nor were they deceivers. They tell us what they believed, and it is clear that they believed that Jesus died and was buried and was resurrected. The reason they believed this is because they saw it with their own eyes.

#### That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)

The disciples believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Why did they believe this? The most plausible explanation is that Jesus actually rose from the dead. All other theories are far-fetched and historically unlikely.

When we also take into consideration the need for God to intervene in humanity to save us, and the Old Testament predictions of a suffering servant who would give his life for his people, the explanation that makes the most sense is that the disciples believed that Jesus was resurrected because Jesus appeared to them and told them he was resurrected. That is why they had such a transformation in their beliefs, and why they preached with such conviction. As Luke puts it, by looking at the evidence we "may know the certainty of the things we have been taught" (Luke 1:4).

Michael Morrison

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## The Empty Tomb: Reasons to Believe

Jesus Christ's resurrection from a rock sepulcher galvanized the faith of early Christians. The empty tomb and the appearances of the risen Lord were the crowning proof that the Master they loved and served was not just another moral teacher. He was, as he claimed to be, God in the flesh.

This conviction energized the early church. "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard," the apostle Peter testified to the Jewish religious authorities, who could not quench the faith of those early believers (Acts 4:20).

We who read the accounts almost 2,000 years later need to remember that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not, as Paul boldly declared before the elite of his nation, "done in a corner" (Acts 26:26). Just the opposite was true. The disciples testified in the laboratory of public scrutiny and debate. People in their audiences could refute them at every point, if they were not telling the truth.

To first-century Christians, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the pivotal event in history. Their dramatic encounters with Jesus after his escape from the rock tomb were vivid and unforgettable:

#### That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. (1 John 1:1-2).

John, an apostle and disciple of Jesus Christ, wrote as an eyewitness to Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead (John 20:30-31; 21:24-25).

Luke, an educated man who wrote a detailed study of the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth, authenticated the report that went from tiny Judea into the world beyond: "Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account...so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:3-4).

Paul distilled the essence of the new faith he helped spread across the Roman Empire: "What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

### Full public scrutiny

The apostles faced the test of informed public opinion, a jury of their contemporaries. Some in their audiences already had Jesus' blood on their hands. The execution of one or two more fishermen from Galilee wouldn't make much difference.

Yet the disciples had unconquerable confidence. Their words still pulsate with moral fervor and authority. The good news of the resurrection was big news on the streets of Jerusalem. It was hard-hitting. It was effective. It changed lives.

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know," Peter trumpeted (Acts 2:22). "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (verse 36).

This bold preaching threw the Jerusalem religious hierarchy completely on the defensive. "You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood," they protested (Acts 5:28).

If the disciples had been perpetrating fraud or deceit, their testimony could have been easily overthrown. It wasn't. The willingness to risk all for the truth of the resurrection was convincing testimony from fallible human beings—men who had earlier deserted Christ and fled (Matthew 26:56). That willingness, and the powerful miracles being done in Christ's name, made the gospel compelling. It rocked Jerusalem.

No wonder Christ's newly energized disciples were "highly regarded by the people" (Acts 5:13). Remember something else: Other popular movements had come and gone in first-century Judea. Sensational leaders had arisen before Jesus of Nazareth, people the world at large has forgotten (verses 35-39). One of them, Judas, was also a Galilean, who lived not far from where Jesus was reared.

Around a.d. 6, Judas gathered a following and set himself against the Roman power. His movement failed and he was killed. But no one in the first century claimed that this Judas of Galilee was raised from the dead or that he and his followers had many prolonged talks after a resurrection. Still less did anyone risk life and limb for the Judas movement years afterward. Yet ordinary human beings risked their all for Jesus of Nazareth.

### History not dogma

The late F.F. Bruce, evangelical author, notes:

#### The Christian gospel is not primarily a code of ethics or a metaphysical system; it is first and foremost good news, and as such it was proclaimed by its earliest preachers.... This good news is intimately bound up with the historical order, for it tells how for the world's redemption God entered into history, the eternal came into time, the kingdom of heaven invaded the realm of earth, in the great events of the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. ( _The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?,_ pages 7-8)

The disciples were convicted by seeing and touching the Lord Jesus. They believed in the power of the resurrection. Their testimony was believable because they believed. How about us? Do we believe?

We should. The same Jesus Christ who walked the dusty paths of Galilee is alive today, alive and glorified. He intervenes for those of us who turn to him in faith and belief, just as he did for Peter, Andrew, James and John. The empty tomb could not hold him, and the evil powers of this world — natural and supernatural— could not stamp out the truth of his resurrection.

To experience this transforming power for ourselves, to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10), we will also have to believe in the empty tomb and in the power of the resurrection. We are not asked to make a commitment to Christ without evidence. The empty tomb stands as stark evidence that our Lord and Savior is risen from the dead.

Peter, preeminent preacher of the empty tomb, said it best: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you" (Acts 3:19-20).

The decision is yours. Will you believe?

Neil Earle

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## The Empty Tomb—  
What's in It for You?

We don't know precisely when. We are not sure exactly where. But early one morning nearly 2000 years ago, something happened in Jerusalem that affects the life of every human being who has ever lived.

Jesus, a carpenter from Nazareth, had been arrested, condemned and crucified. As he died, he entrusted himself to his heavenly Father and his Holy Spirit. Then, his battered corpse had lain in a tomb carved out of solid rock, sealed by a heavy stone rolled across the entrance.

Even so, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, had authorized a guard at the tomb. Jesus had prophesied that the grave would not hold him, and Pilate was afraid the followers of the dead man would try to steal the body.

However, that seemed unlikely. Those followers were demoralized and in hiding. They had seen the brutal end of their leader—flogged nearly to death, nailed to a cross and, after six hours of agony, stabbed in the side with a spear. They had taken the battered body down from the cross and quickly wrapped it in linen. It was only intended to be a temporary burial, as a Sabbath was approaching. Some planned to come back after the Sabbath to prepare Jesus' body for a proper burial. They had no illusions about what they would find in the tomb. Their beloved leader was dead—he was going nowhere.

The body of Jesus lay in the cold, dark tomb. Then, sometime early in the morning of the third day, the shroud that covered the mangled flesh stirred, and out of it stepped something that had never existed before—a resurrected and glorified human being. Jesus had been resurrected by his heavenly Father and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Not just in a way that restored his human existence, as he had done for those he brought back from the dead. They would later die again, but Jesus had become a _new_ kind of creation, never to die again. He folded the burial shroud, and walked out of the tomb to continue his work. Nothing would ever be the same again.

### Don't fully understand

When he was with us on earth, Jesus was one of us, a flesh-and-blood human being, subject to hunger, thirst, weariness and the limited dimensions of a mortal existence. He also lived in communion with God's Holy Spirit, as one of us. Theologians call this "the incarnation." But he was also one with God as the eternal Word or Son of God. This is a concept that is difficult, and perhaps impossible to completely grasp, given the limitations of our human minds.

How could Jesus be both God and human? The contemporary theologian J.I. Packer put it well: "Here are two mysteries for the price of one—the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus... Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the Incarnation" ( _Knowing God_ [Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1993], 53). It is a concept that is contrary to everything we know about ordinary reality.

What science is uncovering shows that just because something seems to defy explanation, that does not mean it _isn't_ true. Scientists working on the leading edge of physics have come to terms with phenomena that turn conventional logic on its head. At the quantum level, the rules that govern our everyday life break down, and new rules apply, even if they are so contrary to logic as to seem preposterous. Light can act as both a wave and a particle. A particle can be in two places at the same time. Some subatomic quarks must spin twice before they have "gone around" once, while others need to make only half a revolution. And so on. The more we learn about the quantum world, the more unlikely it seems. But experiment after experiment demonstrates that quantum theory is right. But our ordinary experience gives us no clues that this would, or even could, be the case.

What science is uncovering shows that just because something seems to defy explanation, that does not mean it isn't true. Likewise, we accept that even though we may not fully grasp how Jesus was God in the flesh, that was the way it was. We have the tools to investigate the physical world and are often surprised at its inner details. So why should it be a surprise that the spiritual world is also sometimes counterintuitive?

We do not have tools to investigate divine and uncreated realities—we have to accept them the way God reveals them to us. We were told about these things by Jesus himself and by those he commissioned to preach and write. The evidence we have from Scripture, history and our own experience supports the belief that Jesus was one in being with God and one with humanity.

While it is intriguing, it is not essential for us to understand every detail about how this can be. Insisting on it may actually get in the way of fully appreciating what happened on Resurrection morning. When Jesus the man was resurrected, the two natures reached a new dimension of being together that resulted in a new kind of creation—a glorified human being, no longer subject to death and decay.

### Escape from the grave

Many years—perhaps as many as 60—after this event, Jesus appeared to John, the last of his original disciples, who had seen him die. John was now an old man. Jesus told him, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (Revelation 1:18).

Read that again! Let the impact of it trickle into your understanding. Once we become familiar with a scripture, there is a danger when we read it quickly, thinking we know what it is saying, but end up skipping over important details. Most of us have grown up knowing that "Jesus died for us." It has become a cliché, and once that happens, it reduces its power to shock. Once a verse or an idea becomes too familiar, it is tempting to hurry through it, thinking, "Yes, I know that."

When Jesus the man was resurrected, his two natures reached a new dimension that resulted in a new kind of creation—a glorified human being, no longer subject to death and decay.

Revelation 1:18 is a verse that needs to be unpacked carefully. So look again at what Jesus is saying. He _was dead. He is now alive._ As if that were not enough, he says he will _stay alive forever._ He also has a key that opens up the way for _others to also escape the grave._ Even death isn't what it used to be after Jesus' resurrection.

Wow! At least, we should respond with a "wow." What this verse is saying is that Jesus has revolutionized what it means to be a human being. Not just for himself, but for everyone. That is the astonishing promise of another verse that has become a cliché: "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that _whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"_ (John 3:16). Jesus, resurrected to eternal life, has opened up the way for us to also live forever.

### But wait—there's more

Look again at what Jesus prayed before he died: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world" (John 17:24). Jesus, having shared our mortal existence for about 30 years, says he wants us to be with him in his immortal environment forever.

Paul, writing to the Romans, believed it: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that _we may also share in his glory"_ (Romans 8:17-18).

Jesus was the first human to transcend mortal existence, but God never intended that he be the only one. We were, as Willie Nelson sings, "always on his mind." "Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among _many brothers and sisters"_ (Romans 8:29).

Although we cannot yet understand the full impact of this, our eternal future is in safe hands. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has _not yet been made known._ [So don't worry about it.] But we know that when Christ appears, _we shall be like him,_ for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). What is his can become ours, his kind of life. God's kind of life.

Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus has shown us what it means to be a human being. He is the first to reach the full perfection that God had in mind for human beings from the beginning. But he is not the last.

We can't get there by ourselves. "I am the way and the truth and the life," Jesus explained. "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). But he, "by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).

When we read the Scriptures carefully, an exciting preview of the future of the human race begins to unfold.

"What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?" asks the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews. "You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet" (2:6-8).

This much he knew. He was quoting a Psalm that had been written centuries before. But he continued: "at present we do not see everything subject to them. _But we do see Jesus,_ who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God _he might taste death for everyone"_ (verses 8-9).

When the women came back to finish preparing Jesus' body for burial, they found the stone rolled back and the tomb empty except for the neatly folded shroud and head covering. But that empty space was filled with promise—for them, the other disciples, and for every human being.

Jesus' destiny is our destiny. His future is our future. The Resurrection of Jesus demonstrates God's willingness to irreversibly bind himself to all of us in an eternal relationship of love, lifting us up into the very life and communion of our Triune God. That was his plan from the beginning, and Jesus came to save us for that. And he has done it.

John Halford

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## He's Alive!

Did it really happen? The question is far more than academic. Because if Jesus Christ really died on a Roman cross and was raised again to life, it changes everything.

### On the best authority

It's funny how we sometimes believe things that don't make sense or that have no supporting evidence whatever. Conspiracy theories abound today. The tabloids do a multimillion-dollar business tantalizing believing readers with a steady diet of the sensational, if not the ridiculous. You've seen the headlines: Elvis is still alive. JFK was abducted by aliens. Hitler is living in Argentina. Miners discover an opening to hell. Half alligator, half human baby. World to end in 2005.

There are facts we simply take for granted in our modern world: The world is a sphere, not flat like a pancake. The earth revolves around the sun, not vice versa. A virus causes measles. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope.

Most of us believe these things, not because we have personally proven them, but because we trust the authorities who tell us they are true. We use the phone; who invented it doesn't really matter to us. We go to the doctor when we get sick; it doesn't matter to us who discovered a given vaccine. We can enjoy a beautiful sunset without giving much thought to planetary dynamics.

We live in a world of facts, but most of the facts we know have little, if anything, to do with who we are and how we choose to live. The resurrection of Jesus is different. It may be easy to believe Jesus was raised, as though it were just another fact for a history exam. But this fact is not like other facts. It changes everything.

If Jesus Christ really was raised from the dead, then he is far more than just another great figure in history. He is who he claimed to be—the Son of God. If that's so, then he, and everything he said, has to be taken seriously. The resurrection of Jesus stands at the heart of Christian faith. We believe in Jesus because Jesus did not stay dead. He told his disciples he would be raised on the third day after his crucifixion—and he was! The fact of his resurrection verified his claims: He was indeed the Son of God. It verified that God had acted decisively to deal with human sin.

### Celebrate!

If there is any one characteristic that is universal among Christians of all denominational stripes, it is celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The celebration may occur in a variety of ways, but ever since that first Sunday morning when the tomb was found empty, Christians have remembered. It's much more than memory. It's participation.

On the night before he was betrayed and arrested for trial and crucifixion, Jesus ate his final meal with his disciples. As he blessed and broke the ritual bread, he told his disciples, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). As he lifted and blessed the cup of ritual wine, he told them: "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:27-28).

Jesus died for you and me. On the third day, he destroyed the power of sin and death. In him we possess the greatest hope imaginable. There is rich meaning in this simple ceremony we call the Lord's Supper (Jesus' final meal), Communion (communion with God through Christ and with fellow believers) or Eucharist (thanksgiving). Paul wrote: "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16).

When we eat and drink the bread and wine (or grape juice) of the Lord's Supper, something wonderful, yet incomprehensible, is going on. A communion with God is taking place, and through Christ, a communion with all believers. Through this command of Jesus to eat his flesh and drink his blood, we are not only kept in memory of what God has done for us, we are also brought together, united by faith, into an intimate relationship with God and into his presence in a special way.

### Out of slavery

We humans know about slavery to sin. We know the invisible, yet humanly invincible, chains that bind us in self-destructive habits and cravings. We know about the pride, the personal walls, the ego defenses, the crippling envy, the resentment, the greed, the burning lust. We know the powerlessness, the failure, the frustration, the depression. We know the loneliness, the isolation, the fear. We know about the end of it all—the separation we call death.

God, who loves us, knows it too. That's why he sent his one and only Son, who, without sin, subjected himself to the cruel and unrelenting environment of our sin-darkened world. God's love is why Jesus took our broken condition on himself, yet without sin, walked in our shoes and suffered, even to death, at the ignorant and violent hands of us sinners. But for Jesus, death was not the end of the story. Because of Jesus, it's not the end of the story for you and me either. Jesus was raised to life, and through him, we, too, are raised to a bold and fresh and glorious new life—eternal life.

### Life of the age to come

We often think of eternal life as something God will give us in the future. But the fact is, Jesus said that those who believe in him, those who eat his flesh and drink his blood, have already entered into eternal life. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54). Being raised up at the last day is something promised to those who already possess eternal life!

Maybe we tend to limit our concept of eternal life to the future because the words _eternal life_ sound like something we don't yet have. After all, we are still mortal, and we know we are going to die before we receive immortality. But eternal life and immortality are not the same thing. Immortality refers to our physical bodies. At the resurrection, our mortal bodies will be changed to immortal. But eternal life—or the life of the age to come —is something we entered when we became believers.

Eternal life might be easier to understand when we realize that the Greek words John used in quoting Jesus, _aionios zoe,_ are literally translated, "age life," meaning, "the life of the age to come." When we became believers, we passed from death to life. We entered into the new life, the life of the age to come. That life, which is a life of joy and self-sacrificial love in the power of God, will fill all the universe after Jesus returns. It has already begun in his believers.

### Because he lives

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). Greater words of comfort have never been spoken! It doesn't matter how far from God we have been. It doesn't matter how dark and vile our sins have been. When we believe the word of God, the good news that God is redeeming sinners through his Son, God forgives us, accepts us and gives us fresh, new life in his eternal kingdom.

We have it on the highest authority, the very highest, that we will not be condemned on the day of judgment. Jesus says believers have already crossed the great divide separating death from life, and because he lives we are now on the side of life!

The kingdom of heaven has already begun to show itself in the lives of those who have entered it. Not perfectly. In fact, sometimes we make a rather rotten show of it. Sometimes we drop our cross, or maybe even throw it down, but Christ in us always moves us to pick it up again and follow on. The fact is, now we are his, and he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

### The crux of our faith

Our Christian faith and hope are based squarely and entirely on the fact of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. On that central truth hangs everything we believe and everything we stand for in earnest hope. Because he lives, we live too!

That's why the Easter season is important to us. It's a time of reflection, self-evaluation, recommitment and rededication. Above all, it's a time of thanksgiving and joy in the unsearchable riches of the grace of God! He died for you and me. On the third day, he destroyed the power of sin and death. In him, we, together with all the saints, even as we tread the path of the cross, possess the greatest hope imaginable.

Praise God! He's alive!

J. Michael Feazell

#### That church, armed with such an improbable claim and beginning from a handful of uneducated fishermen and tax gatherers, swept across the whole known world in the next three hundred years. It is a perfectly amazing story of peaceful revolution that has no parallel in the history of the world. It came about because Christians were able to say to inquirers: "Jesus did not only die for you. He is alive! You can meet Him and discover for yourself the reality we are talking about!" They did and joined the church. And the church, born from that Easter grave, spread everywhere.

Michael Green, _Evangelism Through  
the Local Church,_ Nelson, 1992

#### Jesus' resurrection was instantly recognized as the firstfruits of general resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20; Colossians 1:18). Jesus was regarded as the first born from the dead, the one through whom the believing community learned to look for the final coming of the kingdom of God, and the fulfillment of the apocalyptic hope.

Thomas C. Oden, _The Word  
of Life,_ Harper and Row, 1989

#### There is no justification for reducing the meaning of "the resurrection of Jesus" to something like, "the continuing significance of Jesus," or "the disciples' realization that Jesus' message could not die." By "resurrection" they clearly meant that something had happened to Jesus himself. God had raised him, not merely reassured them. He was alive again, made alive again with the life which is the climax of God's purpose for humankind, not merely retrieved from the jaws of death but conqueror over death, "exalted to God's right hand." It was this glowing conviction which lay at the heart of the chain reaction which began Christianity.

James D.G. Dunn,  
_The Evidence for Jesus,_ Westminster Press, 1985

#### Through the cross, God meets us in our lostness and finds us, setting us on the road which leads home—a road on which Christ has gone before us, blazing a trail in which we may follow, knowing that by doing so, we pass from death to eternal life.

Alister McGrath,  
_Understanding Jesus,_ Zondervan, 1987

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## The Power of the Resurrection

Christians accept the resurrection accounts on faith, but it is a faith sealed by the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit. Faith is not blind, unintelligent trust. Theology has been defined as "faith seeking understanding." Christians worship God with their minds as well as their hearts.

The four Gospels record an event hard to explain away in face of the most obvious evidence – the existence of the Christian church. Something unprecedented happened in Jerusalem in the first century. This forces the question: What kind of history do we encounter in Scripture?

Arthur Glasser calls the Bible "interpreted history." He said, "Its great truths [come] enfleshed in historical events, human experience, and prophetic exposition" _(Kingdom and Mission,_ pages 18, 16). Hugh Anderson sheds more light:

#### We expect the historian today to be as scientifically accurate as possible in his reporting of facts.... By contrast the historians of Israel viewed history as the sphere of God's activity. Their purpose in telling the story of Israel was to confront men with the sovereign authority of a high and holy God, calling upon them to surrender their lives to Him. _(Historians of_ _Israel,_ Vol. 2, pages 26, 28)

The Gospel writers were in that tradition: They were concerned with spiritual meaning and eternal life. Thus, their writings give us history plus interpretation. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were preachers before they were historians.

Yet the resurrection accounts provide a compelling example of faith meeting understanding. They make sense once the Holy Spirit enables us to believe.

1. First, there is the almost embarrassing honesty of the resurrection accounts. The doubts of Thomas, Peter and the other apostles are candidly set forth (Mark 16:9-14). The New Testament is hard on its heroes. Who in the early church could have written such things about prominent church leaders still alive unless those things were really true? The transformed lives of the apostles are exactly what we would expect if Christ was resurrected (Acts 4:13).

2. Who among the disciples could invent such a story as that of Jesus of Nazareth? The disciples were often chided for their slowness to believe and their lack of spiritual imagination (Matthew 16:5-12). Could they invent such challenging phrases as: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)?

British Bible scholar C.H. Dodd recorded that as a young man he fretted about the time interval between the events mentioned in the Gospels and when those events were written several decades later. He later changed his mind:

#### When Mark was writing...there must have been many people [alive] who were in their prime under Pontius Pilate, and they must have remembered the stirring and tragic events of that time.... If anyone had tried to put over an entirely imaginary or fictitious account of them, there would have been middle-aged or elderly people who would have said... "You are wasting your breath: I remember it as if it were yesterday _(Tradition: Old_ _and New,_ page 41)

Wise words, even though the complexity of the Gospels is part of their fascination.

3. It is still hard to account for the Christian faith's sweep across the Roman Empire without a spectacular primary cause. The resurrection was that catalyst.

#### One of the compelling proofs of the resurrection is that the crucifixion left the disciples in despair and that, hopeless, they were transformed by their experience of the risen Jesus.... Even more important was the conviction nourished in Christians that by the resurrection Jesus had been vindicated and had been shown to be the Son of God with power. (Kenneth Latourette, _A History of Christianity, Vol._ 1, pages 58-59)

That power, that life, proved invincible. It still is.

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## Jesus' Resurrection Pictured in the Old Testament

In the spring months of each year, our thoughts are directed toward the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our spring celebrations are of "first importance" to us, for they remind us of the meaning of Jesus' death and the importance of his resurrection.

Because of God's great love for us, he sent his Son to die for us, to redeem us from sin. This is a central truth of our lives as Christians. I hope that we never grow tired of celebrating and observing these monumental events. They should never become stale or routine.

As often as we observe the Lord's Supper, we should let it remind us afresh of God's love for us, a love that will never fail, a love that will never get smaller. Though humans may be unfaithful, God will never leave us or forsake us. Though we may struggle and stumble many times, God never abandons us. He is always ready to welcome us back.

As we commemorate Jesus' death, we are gloriously confident of God's love for us. We do not need to worry that our sins, no matter how many or how serious, have cut us off from him. God always welcomes his children.

We are mindful that Jesus died because of sin. He went to the cross because humans chose to decide for themselves what is right and wrong. We have all done that, and we have all repented of that — many times. We seek to do God's will, not our own. We do not want to participate in self-willed life, for that is the approach to life that alienated us from God, sentenced us to death, and led to our Savior's death. So the Lord's Supper is a reminder to us to humble ourselves (even as Jesus did, even unto death on a cross) and seek to serve others (Philippians 2:4-8).

Each of us is woefully inadequate to the task set before us! It is hard for us to put aside our own interests and serve others! It is impossible for us to escape this body of death!

The good news is that God has provided the way, and it comes not only through the death of Jesus Christ, which reconciled us to God, but through his life (Romans 5:10). For a balanced understanding of the Christian life, we must remember that our Savior is a living Savior, resurrected from the dead, ascended into glory, seated in a position of honor and power with God the Father. He intercedes for us, and he lives in us, and we in him. Because of his life, we walk in newness of life, living in a state of forgiveness instead of condemnation.

Jesus died for our sins. We also need to remember that he was raised for our salvation. If he had not been raised, Paul said, we would still be in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17).

### The Festival of Unleavened Bread

The Festival of Unleavened Bread was a reminder for the Jews that they had to leave Egypt in haste. Just as the Passover pictured an escape from death, the Festival pictured an escape from slavery. The Israelites pictured this by living without leaven in their diets for one week.

Spiritually, what do Christians escape from and live without? It is sin. When the Israelites ate unleavened bread, they pictured living without sin. But the festival does not picture _us_ putting sin out of our lives. The sin is removed _before_ the Festival begins! The Festival of Unleavened Bread does not picture the _removal_ of sin — the Passover pictures that. Only Jesus' death can remove sins from our lives. Our role after that is to live a new life, a holy life in the presence of God. How can we live a new life? Only by having Christ live in us — symbolically portrayed in the old covenant by eating unleavened bread. Jesus Christ is the sinless bread of life. He must live in us.

The Festival pictured the life and work of the risen Christ. How does it do that? One powerful symbolism can be seen in the wavesheaf ritual, which was always done during the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:10-11). It was always done on "the morrow after the Sabbath." No grain could be eaten until this first sheaf had been waved toward heaven (verse 14). This pictured the rising of Jesus Christ to his Father in heaven. None of the spiritual harvest can be done until the firstfruit, Jesus Christ, had been offered (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

### A yearly ritual

The old covenant had a yearly ritual regarding the rising of Jesus Christ. It is natural for Christians to have such a celebration, too, since we have a better understanding of what was being symbolized. Christians in some countries call this resurrection festival by a Greek term for the Jewish spring festival — "Pascha." That is because the resurrection celebration began in Greek-speaking areas when Jewish influence was still strong in the church.

In English, the celebration is named by an Anglo-Saxon word that is sometimes claimed to have a dubious origin — "Easter." But we do not need to throw out the celebration just because of the name that some people call it! We have many terms in English, such as "Saturday," that come from pagan names. We do not need to avoid such words. The meaning of a word is established by how people use it now, not by how they used it centuries ago!

There is no reason to condemn Christians who have an annual Sunday celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Nor is there reason to condemn the name Easter. Some people condemn the way in which Easter is calculated. It does give us the irony that some Christians celebrate the resurrection before other Christians commemorate his death! But that is not a reason to throw stones at other Christians. God has simply not given us _commands_ on how to calculate an _optional_ celebration!

The date of Easter is calculated not on the basis of the Roman calendar, but on a combination of equinox, phases of the moon, and the day of the week — similar in many respects to how the date of the wavesheaf ritual was selected. The early Christians calculated the calendar differently from the way the Jews did, and there is no sin in that.

Christians should remember Christ's resurrection, just as we remember his death. The two go together. The New Testament does not require Christians to commemorate the resurrection in any particular manner or on any particular day. Yet millions of Christians throughout the centuries have found it helpful to do so. The Bible does not forbid them to do so.

It is not a sin to celebrate the resurrection, not a sin to use to the word Easter, no matter what its origin. It is not a sin to gather at sunrise to worship our Savior. Easter is the spring celebration of Christians honoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not done to honor an Anglo-Saxon goddess.

I encourage Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some may choose to do it one day, some on another, some perhaps on several days each year. Wonderful! Let good news be celebrated! Christians should rejoice about the victory over sin and death that Jesus won.

### Other customs

It is not a sin to paint eggs, or to search for and eat painted eggs. Nor is it a sin to eat chocolate eggs and chocolate rabbits. These things are no more pagan today than the names of the days of the week and month are. Whatever pagan associations these names may have once had are now gone. No one suspects that egg-dyers or egg-hunters are worshiping other gods.

We should not put our focus on customs that have little or nothing to do with the resurrection. But neither do we superstitiously have to avoid those other customs. Some Christians will have nothing to do with such things; others will see no harm in participating in them. Different people will "draw the line" in different places, and we should live in peace with one another. Differences do exist, and emotions can run high on this issue. So seek peace and pursue it. Those who participate in Easter customs need not flaunt it; those who refuse need not make a big deal about it. Neither approach is evidence of being more righteous.

Each of us must answer to the Lord, for it is to the Lord that we live and die — and we are not called to judge the Lord's other servants. We are each called to do the work God has called us to do, and we are to do it whether or not other people are doing what they are supposed to be doing.

We need tolerance, not mutual criticism. We need grace, not more legislation. Let's celebrate and worship together!

Joseph Tkach

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## Trumpets: A Festival Fulfilled in Christ

September is a busy month! In addition to back-to-school activities, there are celebrations of all sorts of things. In the U.S., September 15 is National Cheese Pizza Day and the first Monday of the month is Labor Day, which celebrates the achievements of workers and marks the unofficial end of summer. In Australia, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Queen's birthday is celebrated with a holiday in September.

September often includes the Jewish festival called "Rosh Hashanah," which in Hebrew means "the head of the year." Among the traditions practiced by the Jews on that day are eating the head of a fish to symbolize the head of the year and greeting one another with "L'shanah tovah," meaning "for a good year." Tradition also correlates Rosh Hashanah with the sixth day of creation week, when God made humans in his image.

In the Hebrew text of Leviticus 23:24 the day is referred to as "Zikhron Teru'ah," meaning "a memorial with the blowing of horns." In English, the day is often called the _Festival of Trumpets_. Many rabbis teach that on Rosh Hashanah, a shofar (a trumpet made from a ram's horn) was blown a minimum of 100 times, including a series of 30 blasts indicating the hope of the Messiah's coming. I have a shofar, and I can tell you it's hard to make any sound when you blow into it. I've read that at Rosh Hashanah services, it was common to have a second trained person in the wings just in case the first one was unable to complete the task of blowing the shofar the required number of times.

Jewish sources indicate that three types of notes were blown that day:

##### • _Tekiah_ —a long unbroken tone symbolizing hope in the strength of God and praise for who God is

##### • _Shevarim_ —three shorter, more broken sounds, indicating wailing and sorrow for sin and fallen humanity

##### • _Teruah_ —nine quick, staccato notes (like the sound of an alarm clock) representing the broken hearts of those who come to God.

Regarding _Teruah_ , the Talmud says this: "When there's judgment from below, there's no need for judgment from above." Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (known as Maimonides), perhaps the greatest Jewish scholar and teacher of the middle ages, adds this important qualification:

#### It isn't enough that God is my King alone. If all humanity doesn't recognize God as King, then there is something lacking in my own relationship with God. Part of my love for the Almighty is to help guide all people to an appreciation of Him. Of course this is largely an expression of my deep caring for others. But it also affects my own sense of God's all-encompassing Kingship.

Ancient Israel initially used ram's horns for their trumpets, but Numbers chapter 10 notes that some trumpets were made of silver. The use of trumpets is mentioned 72 times in the Old Testament. They were sounded for various reasons: to announce national crisis, to call the nation to solemn assembly, to make announcements, and as a call to worship. In time of war, trumpets instructed soldiers as to how to prepare for and then proceed into battle. Trumpets also announced the arrival of the king.

In our day, some Christians observe the Festival of Trumpets as a mandatory day of worship, often viewing it as pointing to future events—Jesus' second coming or the rapture of the church. As well-meaning as these interpretations of the festival may be, they miss how it points to what Jesus has done already.

The old covenant, which included the Festival of Trumpets, was temporary, given to point people to the coming Messiah, who is Prophet, Priest, Sage and King. The blowing of trumpets on Rosh Hashanah not only signaled the beginning of a new cycle of annual worship in Israel, it proclaimed the celebratory message, "our King is coming!"

For me, the most meaningful element of the Festival of Trumpets is how it points to and is fulfilled in Jesus' first coming through his incarnation, atoning ministry, death, resurrection and ascension. Through these "Christ events," God not only fulfilled his covenant with Israel (the old covenant), but changed all time, forever. Jesus is the head of the year—the head of all time, especially since he created time. He is our tabernacle and we have new life in him. As Paul wrote, "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus is the new (the second) Adam. He succeeded where the first Adam failed. Jesus is our Passover, our Unleavened Bread and our Atonement. He is the One (and only One) who takes away our sin. Jesus is our Sabbath in which we have rest from sin. As the head of all time, he now lives in us, and all our time is holy as we live the new life that is ours in union with him. Jesus, our King, our Lord and Master, has blown the trumpet once and for all!

Joseph Tkach

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## Rejoice! Christ Has Risen

In one of Paul's most emphatic statements, he declared, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14). If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, everything else is a waste of words. If he is not alive right now, Christianity is a hopeless fraud. But the good news is that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead—as our Savior, and as the promise that we will also rise from the dead.

The doctrine of the resurrection is an essential of the faith. All of Christianity depends on the truth of this doctrine. But it is more than a doctrine—it is wonderful good news, news that should fill us with joy, hope, confidence, excitement and celebration!

1. Did Jesus not only predict his death, but also his resurrection? Matthew 16:21; 17:23; Mark 9:9. Did the disciples understand and believe Jesus? Mark 9:10; John 16:17-18;Mark 16:11; Luke 24:11.

2. What convinced the disciples that Jesus rose from the dead? What did they see in Jesus' tomb on Sunday morning? Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-8. What evidence did they see later that same day? Matthew 28:7-10; Mark 16:9-14; Luke 24:13-16, 30-43; John 20:10-22. When did they begin to believe?

3. What evidence did the disciples see after that first Sunday? Matthew 28:16-20; John 20:26-29; 21:1-14; Acts 1:3, 9. What did they later testify about what they had seen? Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30-32; 7:56; 10:39-41; 1 John 1:1.

4. What evidence persuaded Saul of Tarsus, a hostile nonbeliever? Acts 9:3-6. What did he conclude from this experience? Acts 13:33; 22:6-8, 17-21; 26:14-18. What did he then preach? 17:3, 18, 31; Romans 1;4; 1 Corinthians 15:8; 2 Timothy 2:8.

Comment: Although Jesus had clearly predicted his own death and resurrection, the disciples did not believe it. They could not imagine a Messiah who died, and as a result they did not understand any need for a resurrection. Even after Jesus' death, the disciples did not believe. Even after seeing an empty tomb, they did not believe. They did not expect to see Jesus ever again.

What convinced the disciples that Jesus had risen? Jesus did. He appeared to them with real flesh and bones. They saw him and touched him. The disciples saw the risen Christ in several places, in several circumstances. This was not wishful thinking, nor hallucinations.

Hundreds were convinced that Jesus was alive—and they were so convinced that they preached this even when threatened with death. They did not invent the story—people do not risk their lives for something they know to be false. Their boldness shows that they believed, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Jesus was really alive.

No other explanation makes sense. A badly beaten and left-for-dead victim of scourging and crucifixion could not have escaped the tomb by himself. Nor would it make sense for the Jews or Romans to steal the body. The Jews could have stopped the "heresy" of the disciples if they had simply produced the dead body—but there was no dead body to be found! The empty tomb may not have been enough to convince the disciples, but a full tomb would have been enough to stop everyone.

It was not a hoax. It was not a mistake. Jesus was really alive, and hundreds testified to what they had seen and heard. Even Saul of Tarsus, an enemy of the message, became convinced when Jesus appeared to him. It was not a wishful thought, not a fraud, not a hallucination—it was an event that changed Saul's life. Jesus' resurrection changes our lives, too.

5. What does the resurrection prove about Jesus Christ? Romans 1:4; Acts 17:31.

Comment: When God raised Jesus from the dead and he ascended to God's right hand, it was a stamp of approval on Jesus himself, showing that he was God's Son and his Messiah. It showed that he was not a sinner, and that what he taught was true.

However, the apostles made little use of this argument. Jesus was the Son of God even before he was resurrected, and what he taught was true, whether or not he was resurrected. The apostles give more emphasis to what Jesus' resurrection means for us—for our salvation.

6. Is the resurrection of Jesus a prominent part of the gospel message? Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:4; 2 Timothy 2:8. Is it part of the symbolism of baptism? Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21.

7. Jesus died for our sins, so that we might be forgiven. But is his resurrection also needed for our forgiveness and our justification? Acts 13:37-39; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17. Are we saved not just by Jesus' death, but also because of his resurrection? Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:4-6; 1 Peter 1:3.

8. Is Jesus only the first to be resurrected? Acts 26:23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; Revelation 1:5. Does his resurrection serve as a promise that we will also be resurrected? Romans 6:5; 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14. Has Jesus broken the power of death not only for himself, but also for us? Acts 2:24; Romans 6:9; Hebrews 2:14-15.

Comment: The Jews believed that there would be a resurrection at the end of the age (Daniel 12:1-3; John 11:24). But how did Jesus' resurrection happen before the end came? It signaled the beginning of the end—the old covenant era had come to an end; a new era had begun.

Although the last days began with Christ (Acts 2:16-17; Hebrews 1:2), the new age is not yet completely here. We are living in a transition era. Some aspects of our salvation are already here; others are not yet here. Jesus is resurrected, but believers are not—but his resurrection does affect us, as pictured in our baptism. We are described spiritually as having been raised with Christ so that we might live a new life. This affects the way we live. Since we have been raised with Christ, we are to seek the things that are above (Colossians 3:1-4).

We look forward with confidence to our complete redemption (Romans 8:23). Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we can be sure that God will also raise us from the dead, and we will be like Jesus in his glory (1 John 3:2). His resurrection is therefore tremendously important news not just about Jesus, but also about our own future.

What will we be like in the resurrection? We will be like Jesus Christ. Paul says that our mortal body will be clothed with immortality; it will be changed from perishable to imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:35-53). The old body will rise and will be given new characteristics.

In verse 44, Paul describes our mortal bodies with the word _psychikon_ (from psyche, the word for "soul"). He describes the resurrection bodies with the word _pneumatikon_ (from _pneuma,_ the word for "spirit"). He is not talking about bodies made of soul, or bodies made of spirit—he is just saying that our resurrection bodies will be bodies, characterized in some way by spirit. Our bodies will be raised with a changed nature.

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, his body had flesh and bone, but it also had supernatural capabilities. He was not subject to the same laws of physics. The grave clothes were left in the tomb, but Jesus' body was not. It was changed from perishable to imperishable—a supernatural body. It was his body, but it had been changed.

9. What happened 40 days after the resurrection? Acts 1:3, 9-11. Where is Jesus now? Acts 2:33; 5:31; 7:56; Ephesians 1:20-21; Philippians 2:9; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 1 Peter 3:22.

Comment: By visibly rising into the sky, Jesus showed that he was leaving his disciples and going to his Father in heaven. He would no longer appear in bodily form to them—he was leaving.

But in another sense, in another way, he continued to be with his disciples (Matthew 28:20). He still lives in his disciples (John 15:4; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). He is the one who sent the Holy Spirit to fill the church (John 16:7; Acts 2:33).

Throughout his epistles, Paul describes the Christian life as being "in" Christ. We are spiritually united to him. Christ is in us as well as in heaven. He can therefore serve as our connection to heaven.

10. What is Jesus Christ now doing in heaven to help us? Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1. What terms for his work are used in the book of Hebrews? Hebrews 2:17-18; 3:1-6; 4:14-16; 7:24-28; 9:15; 13:20. What is Jesus now doing in the church? Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23; 4:15-16; 1 Peter 2:25.

Comment: Jesus cares for the spiritual health of every believer, interceding for them, forgiving them, strengthening them. We can pray with confidence, knowing that we have a high priest who understands our difficulties. He has not only begun the work in us, he will complete it—he is the author and the finisher of our salvation.

Jesus Christ continues to lead and guide the church he built. He remains actively involved in his people so that we might become more like him, growing in him until we are fully conformed to his image. The church depends on the risen Christ. Our salvation depends on the risen Christ. All our faith depends on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' resurrection was a time of triumph, of victory, of joy, worship and celebration. It was a demonstration of the hope that all Christians have of conquering death, of becoming imperishable, of rising to glory. It expresses faith, hope and joy. It is no surprise that Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Michael Morrison

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## Christ's Resurrection:  
Our Hope of Salvation

"If Christ has not been raised," the apostle Paul taught his converts, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). The resurrection of Jesus Christ is of momentous importance for every Christian, indeed for everyone on this planet.

Because Jesus Christ conquered death, we, too, have a chance to live again — and so do our friends and relatives who have already succumbed to the most certain thing in every life — death. That is why the most exhilarating message human ears have yet heard was the one announced to some devoted but astonished women outside a rock tomb in first-century Jerusalem: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" (Luke 24:5-6).

### A foundational teaching

The resurrection of Christ has always been seen as the central teaching of Christianity. "If the resurrection is not historic fact, then the power of death remains unbroken, and with it the effect of sin" (James Hastings, _A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels,_ vol. 2, page 514).

Michael Green in _Man Alive_ is emphatic: "Without faith in the resurrection there would be no Christianity at all." W. Robertson Nicolls, quoting another writer, puts it plainly: "The empty tomb of Christ has been the cradle of the church" ( _The Church's One Foundation,_ page 150).

### Anchored to history

To mention Jesus Christ and his life, death and resurrection is to get to the root of the Christian faith, for Christianity claims a basis in historical fact. "There are ancient myths in pagan literature about dying gods who attained some form of resurrection," writes Philip Rosenbaum, "but no other sacred writing intersects human history the way the Bible does. For it is the historical fact of Christ's life, death, and resurrection that separate God's Word from all others" ( _How to Enjoy the Boring Parts of the Bible,_ page 116).

But the New Testament accounts have come under intense scrutiny and attack. Scottish philosopher David Hume argued in the 1700s that miracles — including Christ's resurrection — violated all known workings of natural law. In our century, theologian Rudolph Bultmann concluded, "An historical fact which involves a resurrection from the dead is utterly inconceivable."

In light of such arguments from rationalists and critics, it is no wonder that theories have been devised for the events of crucifixion week:

##### 1) The Swoon Theory: This is the idea that Jesus didn't really die but faked a death on the cross, then conned his disciples that he had conquered death only to live out his life elsewhere.

##### 2) The Theft Theory: This is the idea that the disciples, other sympathizers, perhaps robbers or even Christ's enemies, stole the corpse. This is the oldest and most widespread argument against Christ's resurrection.

These are bold contentions, almost as bold as the resurrection claim itself. They are rhetorical daggers aimed at the very vitals of the Christian faith. Peter wrote, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories...but we were eyewitnesses" (2 Peter 1:16).

### Who is right?

What about the Swoon Theory? This theory insinuates that Jesus Christ plotted — for whatever reasons — the biggest hoax in history. Did Jesus, by some amazingly cunning strategy, fake a death on the cross?

Let's keep in mind that the four Gospels are the primary documented evidence for Christ's death, burial and resurrection. We have good internal evidence for believing. These writings are emphatic that Jesus Christ's execution was a public and state-certified spectacle (Mark 15:29).

"This thing was not done in a corner," Paul argued before King Agrippa, the most influential Jewish official of his day (Acts 26:26, New King James Version). How right he was. Jesus Christ's mortal enemies — the leadership elite of his nation — were on the scene. They were watchfully determined to stamp out the Jesus movement (John 11:46-53). That is why they schemed behind closed doors to carry out their plot at risk to their own standing among the people (John 7:25-52). It had to be the perfect crime.

Pontius Pilate, the chief Roman official on the scene, double-checked to verify if Christ had died (Mark 15:44-45). The testimony of John 19:23 and Mark 15:39 indicates that at least four Roman soldiers, including a centurion, carried out the execution. You can have faith in the fact that Roman occupation troops of the first century knew what death was.

Consider this: Would Christ's implacable foes — opponents eager to crush out the infant Christian movement have allowed Christ, once in their clutches, to fake a death? This hardly seems logical or consistent with their motives and with the biblical narrative.

John Stott demolished the Swoon Theory with common sense. He asks if we can really believe

#### that after the rigours and pains of trial, mockery, flogging and crucifixion he could survive...in a stone 58epulcher with neither warmth nor food nor medical care? That he could then rally sufficiently to perform the superhuman feat of shifting the boulder which secured the mouth of the tomb...without disturbing the Roman guard? That he could appear to the disciples in such a way as to give them the impression that he had vanquished death?... Such credulity is more incredible than Thomas' unbelief. ( _Basic Christianity,_ page 49)

### First-century propaganda

The oldest argument advanced against Christ's resurrection is the intriguing theory that Christ's body was stolen. This is a significant claim. The one crowning blow to disprove Christ's resurrection would have been a public display of his body. A display of the corpse would quickly end any "myth" that was allegedly developing about the resurrection of Jesus.

Public exhumings have happened more than once in history; why didn't the rulers of first-century Judea do that? There was a good reason: Christ had been bodily resurrected. The body was gone. The Gospel account makes the most sense.

Don't forget that the rulers of Jerusalem "gave the soldiers a large sum of money" to circulate the story that Jesus' disciples stole his body (Matthew 28:11-15). Yet the Theft Theory, too, is indefensible, no matter who some think the robbers were. In the first place, if the guards were sleeping, how did they know who had stolen the body? Second, the Jerusalem hierarchy had outsmarted themselves — they had posted a guard to prevent this very sort of thing from happening.

As Paul Little asks in _Know Why You Believe:_ "What judge would listen to you if you said that while you were asleep, your neighbor came into your house and stole your television set? Who knows what goes on while he's asleep? Testimony like this would be laughed out of any court."

In his book _The Resurrection and the Life,_ George Hanson made this point: "The simple faith of the Christian who believes in the Resurrection is nothing compared to the credulity of the skeptic who will accept the wildest and most improbable romances rather than admit the plain witness of historical certainties."

Any explanation, to be credible, must fit all the facts. The Theft Theory doesn't. The case against it is devastating. Even the existence of the New Testament church is evidence that _something_ happened in Jerusalem, something no adversary could explain.

There is no doubt that these defenses of the resurrection ring true. Sincere and learned scholars have labored hard to nullify the claims advanced against Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.

### A question of faith

Christianity is more than a series of clever arguments. It is more than a list of intellectual debating points that can be argued back and forth. This is why the validity of the Gospel testimony does not remain at the mercy of the latest "debunking" best-seller or archaeological find in the Middle East. In the end, Christianity rests on faith, faith based on a living and ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ, a living Savior!

Thomas wanted the strongest form of proof: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were...I will not believe it" (John 20:25). Thomas saw, he tested, and then he believed (verses 26-28). Yet Jesus Christ followed this dramatic encounter with the words: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (verse 29).

As Oliver Barclay wrote: "The historical Jesus Christ was an amazing power in the lives of men years after his death. It is not so much the fact that a miracle happened.... The chief reason that the disciples spoke so often about it was that Jesus was alive and with them again" ( _Reasons for Faith,_ page 115).

This is why the disciples came storming out of Jerusalem and so influenced the world with their message (Acts 17:6). The living Christ had changed their lives. He can do the same for you.

Neil Earle

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## Celebrate the Spring Festivals

Praise be to God! He has given us the victory through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The spring festival celebrations remind us of the wonderful truth of the gospel — the good news that Jesus has obtained the victory, and that we share in that victory through faith in him.

We share in his death. "All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.... We were therefore buried with him through baptism.... We have been united with him like this in his death.... Our old self was crucified with him" (Romans 6:3-6).

We share in his resurrection. "You have been given fullness in Christ.... In him you were also circumcised...having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God.... God made you alive with Christ" (Colossians 2:10-13).

We share in his victory over sin through the Holy Spirit. "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.... By the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body" (Romans 8:9-13).

In the spring festivals, we celebrate these truths! We remember the Lord's death, and we participate with him as we look forward to his return (1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:26). After commemorating Jesus' death for our sins, we celebrate his resurrection! The old covenant pictured this in the annual wavesheaf ceremony with just-harvested barley. This simple ritual had an earth-shaking, breath-taking fulfillment in the dramatic rise of Jesus Christ into splendor and glory.

Words cannot describe how important the resurrection of Christ is! If he had not been raised, his death would have been in vain, our faith would be in vain, and our lives would be in vain. We would still be in our sins and captive to death and decay — but thanks be to God, for he has given us victory through Jesus Christ our living Savior. Our eternal life depends on the fact of Jesus' resurrection.

We celebrate not with rituals using grain, but with open proclamation that our Savior has risen from the dead and has ascended to our Father in heaven. We rejoice that our Savior is not dead, but alive — powerfully alive, with God, interceding for us, living in us, guiding us, strengthening us!

The spring festivals help us focus on the key truths of the gospel. Though we have many physical trials, we rejoice in the good things of God that are pictured in our annual cycle of celebrations. He satisfies our deepest longings, and he loves us more than we can comprehend. Let us love him with all our being.

Joseph W. Tkach

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## Easter Sunday

Let's explore Easter Sunday and its message concerning Jesus' resurrection. This celebration powerfully proclaims the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Details about Easter are often debated, including its chronology and even whether it should be celebrated, given the pagan origins of some of its traditions. Celebrating Jesus' resurrection is not pagan. But we need to go further, understanding that Easter proclaims the very heart of the gospel by celebrating the most significant event in human history—a "game changer" for everyone who has ever lived—an event that makes all the difference in our lives now and for all eternity.

Unfortunately, Easter celebrations often present a truncated gospel—one about a transaction related to personal satisfaction and individual fulfillment. Such presentations say, in effect, "You do your part and God will do his—accept Jesus and obey him, and in return God will reward you in the here and now and grant you entrance into heaven in the afterlife."

This sounds like a good deal, but it is _right_ _?_ It is true that God takes away our sin and in exchange gives us the righteousness of Christ so that we may inherit eternal life. But this is not a transaction—it is not a "deal" at all. The gospel is not about an exchange of goods and services between consenting parties. Marketing the gospel as though it is about a transaction leaves people with a very wrong impression. This approach puts the focus on us—on whether or not we desire to "buy in" to the transaction, or can afford to do so, or think it's worth the cost. The focus of this transactional gospel is on our decision, our action. But the gospel proclaimed in Easter is not fundamentally about us—it's about Jesus, about who he is and what he has done on our behalf.

Together with the other Holy Week celebrations, Easter points us to the "fulcrum" of human history—events that redirected all history to a different end, placing all humanity and the whole of creation on a new pathway. Everything changed with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Easter is far more than a metaphor of new life, pictured by eggs, rabbits and new spring clothing. Jesus' bodily resurrection was far more than the culmination of his earthly ministry. Through the events of Easter Sunday, a new era began and a new phase in the ongoing ministry of Jesus commenced. Jesus now invites those who have acknowledged him as their Savior to join him in that ministry, which is announcing to all humanity the good news of the new life that is theirs in Christ. Notice the apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians:

#### So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

#### As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2)

God's plan from the beginning to re-create humanity and all the cosmos reached its climax in Jesus' bodily resurrection. This event of the past reshaped all of time, including our present and our future. Today we are living in "Easter time"—a time that calls us as followers of Jesus to live on mission, a life of great meaning and purpose.

Joseph Tkach

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## Three Rs for Easter

Teachers tell us that to lay the foundation for a good education, students need to master the three academic _R_ s— _R_ eading, ' _R_ iting and ' _R_ ithmatic. During the Easter season, let's focus on three spiritual _R_ s that help us understand God's plan for all humanity— _R_ **edemption,** _R_ **estoration and** _R_ **econciliation.**

These three are "feel good" words, even when not used in a religious context. We like it when something is reconciled, restored and redeemed. Like when our checkbook reconciles with our bank statement. Or when a broken life is redeemed. How about when something that is broken is fixed and thus restored? I have a huge model of a sailing ship in my office. During the relocation of GCI's home office from Pasadena to Glendora, it was broken. My good friend Scott Wertz restored it. Now you can't tell where it was cracked. I love that it looks brand new.

In his parables, Jesus often used the "feel good" aspect of redemption, restoration and reconciliation to help us understand how God "feels good" about bringing humanity to salvation. There is the parable of the lost coin, and also the one about the lost sheep. Jesus wants us to know that God loves us. We are his highly-valued possessions, and he wants us back with him, where we belong.

It's God's nature to seek to live in friendly relationship with his creation. Jesus told us: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). How sad that the relationship is often portrayed as almost adversarial: _IF you do everything God tells you, THEN he will, almost grudgingly, let you in_. Many people have received the communion elements, but were worried that they might be eating and drinking damnation to themselves. The assumption is that God is going to strike them for every tiny infraction. What a travesty of the truth!

The night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for his disciples, and all who followed them, with these words: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world" (John 17:24). Paul added this thought in Ephesians 1:4: "He [God the Father] chose us in him [Jesus] before the creation of the world..." Let's not read over this exquisite point— _the Triune God wants us!_ We belonged to him before the world was created. To borrow an old phrase, we were a gleam in God's eye before he spoke the cosmos into existence with all its matter, energy and attendant processes and multiplicity of life forms. We belonged to God from even before that beginning. God's love has been outgoing throughout eternity and he is drawing people back to himself.

All that exists is the fruit of God's free will and divine love. The universe is not necessary and not self-sufficient. The universe and everything in it are contingent and dependent. As created things, we can never be just ourselves alone. God maintains the core of our being, or we cease to exist. But it is his will that we do exist—not just for a few decades, but forever.

Once this fact of God's love and purposes for us and all creation has sunk in, there can be only one response— _gratitude_ —and it is expressed in worship. Worship is so much more than singing a hymn, saying a prayer or giving an offering. These are components of our worship, but there is much more to worship than those actions, which usually are done in a church service.

Worship that expresses gratitude to God is not the product of our religious experience, faith, repentance or decision. Instead, as noted by J. B. Torrance, it is "the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son's communion with the Father." In worship, Jesus first offers himself to the Father on our behalf and in our place. Then, on the basis of that self-offering, Jesus shares with us his human-Godward act of worship—his praise, prayer, repentance and adoration. While this response to God in worship becomes our own as we participate in faith, it always is in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. The ultimate worshiper and our worship leader is Jesus.

Viewed from this Trinitarian perspective, our worship of God is a 24/7 activity. United to Christ and filled with his Spirit, all our time is holy; all our activities are part of a life of worship—a response of gratitude to our triune God. May you all have inspiring and meaningful times of worship during Holy Week, culminating in the celebration of our Lord's resurrection. He is risen!

Joseph Tkach

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## Easter in the Church

The death and resurrection of Jesus have been the central events of the church's faith confession since it was founded (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It's not surprising that the Lord's crucifixion and rising to life should become the focal points of communal Christian worship and remembrance.

There is evidence that the apostolic church celebrated Jesus' resurrection in worship gatherings on the first day of each week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). The Lord's death was remembered in the bread and wine communion that was probably part of Christian fellowship meals (Luke 22:19-20).

### The "Easter" festival begins

At some point in the first two centuries, it became customary in the church to have a yearly celebration of the Lord's death and resurrection called "Pascha." It is the same word used for "Passover" in the Greek version of the Scriptures. Our Easter1 season has grown out of the old Pascha celebration. In time, the Pascha became observed throughout the church.

The early church saw the symbolic continuity between the slaughtered lamb of the Passover and the crucified Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. When Paul speaks of Christ as "our Passover Lamb" (Greek, _pascha_ ) in 1 Corinthians 5:7, he is affirming that the God who acted mightily in ancient Israel's release from Egyptian bondage, typified by the Passover, is the same God who acted in Christ to free us eternally from all spiritual prisons of sin and death.

Originally, the great Paschal celebration of the church was a unified commemoration of the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord. Only later were the events divided into separate commemorations, with the ascension observance being moved to the 40th day of the Easter season.

Gradually, in the early centuries of the church, with an increasing emphasis on Holy Week and Good Friday, Pascha took on its distinctive character as the Christian celebration of the resurrection. Good Friday commemorated Jesus' crucifixion and death. The feast of the resurrection, which completed the work of redemption, became the most prominent part of the Christian Pascha, and identical with our Easter Sunday.

Since as early as the fourth century, Resurrection Sunday (what we call "Easter Sunday" in the English language) has been the center of the Christian liturgical year and calendar.

### When to observe Easter?

Before A.D. 325, Christian communities in different regions celebrated Easter on a variety of dates and on different days of the week, and not always on Sunday. However, the Christian Council of Nicea of that year issued the "Easter Rule." The Council decided that the resurrection of Jesus should be celebrated by all churches throughout the world on the same Sunday.

The council standardized the Easter observance date so that Easter is the first Sunday following what is called the Paschal Full Moon for the year. The date of Easter Sunday can range between March 22 and April 25, depending on the lunar cycle.

The Eastern Orthodox churches use the same calculation, but base their Easter date on the old Julian calendar and use different Paschal Full Moon tables. The situation is that the Orthodox Easter Sunday in most years follows the Western Easter by one or more weeks.

Discussions began in the last century in hopes of forging a possible worldwide agreement on a consistent date for Easter. Various proposals were put forth by churches, Christian organizations and clergy of various denominations. One idea is to disregard the moon altogether in determining the date of Easter. None of the proposals have been adopted by any church up to now.

Whatever change in the Easter date occurs in the future, it won't affect our worship. Christians do not worship days or "holy time." They use such days and seasons as opportunities to worship Christ. Easter is a time when we can reflect on and contemplate the meaning of the wondrous events of our common salvation — a pure gift of God in Christ.

### Endnote

1 Some claim the word "Easter" is "pagan" because it may have once been associated with ancient heathen gods. However, Christian churches were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus in spring long before the English word "Easter" was used by English-speaking Christians. The objection against "Easter" is irrelevant in other nations because a different word is used for the Christian spring festival. In most other languages of the world, the name for the festival is derived from _Pesach,_ the Hebrew name of the Jewish Passover. The holiday is called in French Paques, Italian Pasqua, Spanish Pascua, Scottish Pask, Dutch Paasch or Pashen, Danish Paaske, and Swedish Pask, to name a few.

Paul Kroll

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## Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

On a Sunday morning long ago, when the disciples of Jesus first encountered their risen Lord, they "came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him" (Matthew 28:9). Since that time, Christians have set aside time each year to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This observance has been known in other languages as the (Christian) Passover. English-speaking peoples refer to it as Easter.

By the middle of the second century, different dates had emerged in different Christian communities for the annual celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

The traditions of some Christians in Asia Minor was to have their annual celebration on the same calendar date each year (the Jewish date of Nisan 14). They ended a period of fasting on Nisan 14 and celebrated the Lord's resurrection. These communities claimed to have received this tradition from the apostle John.

Most Christians outside of Asia Minor had their own early tradition regarding the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. This was based on the Roman calendar, rather than on the Jewish calendar. The tradition of most Christians from the second century forward was to have their annual celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on a Sunday, near the time of the spring equinox. They claimed to trace their tradition to Peter and Paul.

Eventually discussion arose between those Asian churches that followed the Nisan 14 tradition (known in church history as Quartodecimans [fourteeners]) and the rest of Christianity, which followed the Western tradition, as to how best to determine the date for the Christian celebration of the anniversary of the Lord's resurrection.

Around A.D. 154, Polycarp, bishop of the church at Smyrna in Asia Minor, visited Anicetus, bishop of the church at Rome. They discussed their different practices, and each recognized that the other had a legitimate tradition. They agreed to respect one another's customs.

A generation later, about A.D. 190, Victor, bishop of Rome, tried to impose the Western tradition on the churches in Asia Minor that still followed the Nisan 14 tradition. Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, resisted this, and his appeal to fellow Christians for tolerance was supported by some Western bishops, including Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons in Gaul (modern France), even though these bishops did not follow the Nisan 14 tradition. Victor was persuaded not to insist, and the two traditions regarding the resurrection celebration continued together for another 150 years (Eusebius, _Ecclesiastical History,_ chapter 24).

The council of Nicea (in Asia Minor) resolved the differences in A.D. 325. In the interest of uniformity, the Council decreed that the churches of Asia Minor would abandon the Nisan 14 tradition and adopt the majority tradition, that of the Western churches. Henceforth all Christian churches would be expected to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the Sunday following the full moon after the equinox of March 21. The practice of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Nisan 14 persisted for a while in a few areas of Asia Minor.

Both ways of understanding the date for celebrating this festival trace back to apostolic traditions. One focused on the day of the month (as determined by a Jewish calendar). The other traditional observance, known today in English-speaking nations as Easter (nations using French, Spanish, Italian and Greek still refer to this observance of the resurrection of Jesus as Passover), focused on a day of the week determined by the Roman calendar.

The Roman calendar, since its reform by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is the basis of the calendar we use today. To continue the Nisan 14 tradition today is to follow an ancient Christian tradition based on a Jewish liturgical calendar. But there is also something to be said for celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord at the same time, measured by the same calendar, as the rest of our fellow Christians in the Western world. The purpose is to commemorate a sacred event—not to make a particular day sacred.

### Easter—Festival of Ishtar?

The annual Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, known in English-speaking lands as Easter, is sometimes said to be named after a Teutonic pagan goddess, Eastre or Eostre. This notion seems to have originated with the eighth-century English monk Bede.

Alexander Hislop, in his book _The Two Babylons,_ mistakenly equated the goddess Eostre with the Babylonian-Assyrian fertility goddess Ishtar, and with the Phoenician fertility goddess Astarte. Questionable word-origins and the mistaken research of Hislop has led some to conclude that the festival of Easter is pagan in its name and its origins.

However, the annual spring celebration of the resurrection of Jesus was not called Easter until centuries after Christians began celebrating it, and etymological authorities (those who study word origins) have cast doubt on Bede's theory.

In a footnote in a mid 19th century edition of Eusebius' _Ecclesiastical History,_ the translator, Isaac Boyle, suggested that "our word, Easter, is of Saxon origin, and of precisely the same import with its German cognate Ostern. The latter is derived from the old Teutonic form of _auferstehn, auferstehung,_ i.e. resurrection."

The _Evangelical Dictionary of Theology_ (Baker Books, 1984) article on Easter, after mentioning Bede's account, says it is "more likely" that the word Easter "came from a German root for dawn or east (the time and place of the rising sun)." The _Oxford English Dictionary_ relates Easter and the east to a common root meaning dawn or morning. If these are accurate, Easter did not derive from the name of a spring goddess Eastre. Rather, both words came from a root that means "dawn," or "morning/rising/new light," or by extension, "resurrection."

More likely than Bede's explanation, it is possible that the resurrection celebration was named Easter because the word described the promise of new light and new life brought to humanity by the new-risen Son.

### Eggs—not just for pagans?

Some pagan religious practices involved sin, error, distortion and sometimes horror. However, pagan religious philosophies also contained what C.S. Lewis called "good dreams"— hints and shadows of truth given by God to the pagans to prepare their minds for the fulfillment that would one day come in Jesus Christ.

The early Christians appear to have been alert for any sign of these hints in pagan belief and practice that in some way could be seen as foreshadowing the work of Christ. Such practices provided Christians with points of contact that enabled them to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in terms familiar to the pagans.

When Paul was in Athens, he noticed an altar "to an unknown god." He must have realized that here was a symbol of a god whose existence the pagan Athenians suspected but who they realized they did not know. That was the God he wanted to tell them about! So he took their familiar symbol and drew out of it a new and unfamiliar significance. What might have been an obstacle to the gospel became a bridge for the gospel.

Paul's genius for bridge-building is seen again in his letter to the church at Corinth. Christians there could not understand the idea of a bodily resurrection from the dead, so Paul used the analogy of a seed to explain the concept. Just as a seed falls to earth and "dies" only to rise again in a different form, he explained, so it is with the human body, which dies then rises renewed to eternal life.

The Greek Corinthians were familiar with Adonis, a "corn god" who died and rose again every season, symbolically parallel to the grain sown in the field to "die" and "rise again" the next spring. So Paul made use of the kernel of truth in their symbology, to build a bridge to Jesus, the true fulfillment of their symbol.

How did eggs and rabbits come to be associated with the celebration of Christ's resurrection? Pagan philosophies had great interest in new life, in renewed life and fertility, visible in and symbolized by the fertility and life of nature and the seasons. They used symbols such as eggs and rabbits to represent that new life. This interest in new life was recognized by early Christians as something God had given them that might help pagans understand the concept of the new life offered through the gospel.

In a similar way as Paul used themes familiar to pagans such as the altar to the unknown god and the image of a seed "dying" to bring forth new life, so Christians from the first century forward have used motifs familiar to pagans, but have shown how Jesus Christ was the true fulfillment dimly foreshadowed in pagan observances and symbols. In this way symbols of new life such as rabbits and eggs became associated with the festival of Easter, which was a festival celebrating the risen Christ, who brings new life to redeemed humankind.

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## The Passover-Easter-Quartodeciman Controversy

Early church history contains records of an obscure, but once quite heated controversy — the Quartodeciman controversy. (Quartodeciman refers to the 14th day of the month.) It is sometimes called the Passover-Easter controversy. Others have called it the Easter controversy or the Paschal controversy. Perhaps it is not even fair to call it a controversy.

That some scholars refer to it as an Easter controversy is unfortunate, since Easter is an English word. Today the word implies, for most English-speakers, a host of cultural assumptions alien to the original controversy. The disputants in the Quartodeciman controversy did not use "Easter" to describe what they were arguing over. Therefore, to describe the Quartodeciman controversy as a Passover-Easter controversy can obscure the nature of the dispute rather than clarify it.

### Focus on three events

The controversy involved three events: the controversy between Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, and Anicetus, the bishop of Rome, that occurred around A.D. 155; the more heated controversy between Polycrates, the bishop of Ephesus, and Victor, the bishop of Rome, that broke out around 195; and the decree of Constantine following the Nicene Council in 325.

Scholars disagree about the controversy's details. They do agree that its arguments revolved around whether the primary Christian spring festival should happen on a day of the month (Nisan 14, the Passover day) or on a day of the week (Sunday).

Eusebius is our primary source for the controversy between Polycarp and Anicetus. Polycarp knew the apostle John and was of such stature that many considered him John's spiritual, though not apostolic, successor in Asia Minor. Polycarp believed that Nisan 14 was the correct time for the spring festival, but Anicetus, bishop of Rome, favored Sunday.

An annual Lord's Supper was not the issue, neither was Easter, or at least what we think of as Easter. No one was arguing that the Lord's Supper should only be kept once a year. No one was arguing over Easter bunnies and colored eggs.

Furthermore, none of the Quartodecimans claimed that it was wrong to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. To the contrary, the evidence indicates that both Polycarp and Anicetus celebrated Jesus' resurrection annually. Polycarp's claim seems to have been that the best day to do so was on Nisan 14. Anicetus argued for Sunday.

What is more intriguing for us is that Polycarp claimed his practice came from the apostle John. In other words, the practice of celebrating Jesus' resurrection on Nisan 14 was an apostolic practice, at least for the apostle John. His argument was not so much scriptural as it was traditional.

Eusebius, in his _Ecclesiastical History,_ chapters 23 to 25, makes it plain that the Quartodeciman controversy involved in part when to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. He tells us that the churches in Asia Minor, focusing on the crucifixion as of primary importance, argued for Nisan 14 as the day to commemorate the entire story of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. The church at Rome, focusing on the resurrection, argued that there was no need to depend on the Jewish calendar and that Sunday was the most appropriate day of all.

### Not about day of Jesus' resurrection

No one in the Quartodeciman controversy argued over the actual day of the resurrection. This was not in dispute. When Rome said they memorialized the resurrection on Sunday, neither Polycarp nor anyone else argued that the resurrection wasn't on Sunday. The argument was not over the day of Jesus' resurrection, but over what day was most appropriate to commemorate it annually.

To resolve the dispute, Polycarp traveled to Rome. A since-lost letter by Irenaeus, quoted by Eusebius and others, tells us what happened:

#### When the blessed Polycarp was at Rome in the time of Anicetus, and they disagreed a little about certain other things, they immediately made peace with one another, not caring to quarrel over this matter. For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe what he had always observed with John, the disciple of our Lord, and the other apostles with whom he associated.... Neither could Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it.

So what did they do with this impasse? Did Anicetus call Polycarp a Jew for commemorating the resurrection on the Passover? Did Polycarp call Anicetus a pagan, or one who had denied the faith for celebrating the resurrection on a Sunday? Did he accuse him of breaking God's law? Not at all. Both men decided they would not quarrel. They chose to live in peace.

What happened next we would have thought extraordinary. Irenaeus' letter records that Polycarp and Anicetus took the Lord's Supper together. It didn't matter to them what season or day it was. Taking the Lord's Supper together symbolically showed their unity in Christ. After this, "they parted from each other in peace."

We can be certain that this happened because Irenaeus' letter, written only a few decades after the original event, called on another bishop of Rome to repent and follow the well-known example of his predecessor.

A few decades later Polycrates and Victor did not get along nearly as well. The discussion began to degenerate. In anger, Victor excommunicated the Quartodeciman Polycrates and those who shared his views. Many bishops protested, such as the aforementioned Irenaeus, though they did not agree with the Quartodeciman position. Victor's attempted excommunication apparently failed.

By the 300s the Quartodecimans were much less influential. Though the Nicene Council dealt primarily with the issue of the Word's eternal divinity, it also considered and rebuked the Quartodeciman position. Where once churches found unity despite their diversity, some types of diversity were now beginning to be seen as a threat to unity.

The passage of several hundred years since John's death saw the church combat many heresies. Not every diversity had proven healthy to the faith. As persecution became less of a problem, the church spent more time defining orthodoxy. The Nicene Council decreed that Christians should celebrate Jesus' resurrection on a Sunday.

After the Council's close, Emperor Constantine supported its judgment with a vile anti-Semitic attack against the Quartodecimans. He ordered a severe persecution of those who refused to comply.

### Celebration of Christ's resurrection

In summary, the Quartodeciman controversy was not an Easter-Passover controversy, as we understand those terms today. The Roman church apparently did not initiate the celebration of Jesus' resurrection, and the Asian churches had no objection to this practice. Evidence indicates that they and the apostle John did the same. It was not a matter of "false Christians" at Rome rejecting God's law, substituting pagan festivals for God's Holy Days. There is no evidence that the early Roman church chose Sunday as the day of their celebration just to be different than the Jews. They chose Sunday based on their understanding of when the Gospels said Jesus rose from the dead.

The issues that separated the Quartodecimans from other Christians were over the timing of their customs, not the value of the customs or the timing of the resurrection. Initially, those holding differing views considered each other Christian. They understood each other to be a part of the body of Christ. To display their unity they took the Lord's Supper together whatever the date.

It should go without saying that celebrating the foundational events of our faith, especially events having to do with Jesus' earthly ministry, is fitting. Celebrating his resurrection is the joyful response of believers to the message: "He is risen!"

It is not surprising that early Christians formalized such celebrations as a part of their annual cycle of worship. By contrast, those who argue over dates often miss the profound significance of the events being celebrated.

Ralph Orr

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## What Does Jesus Have to Do with Easter?

Hints of sunrise dimmed the eastern stars. Through the darkness Mary Magdalene hurried to the garden tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had donated for Jesus' burial. She and the other women could not sleep. They arose early to finish their hastily done job of preparing Jesus' body for burial. There had not been enough time to buy all of the spices and to wrap the body properly before the Sabbath. Now that the Sabbath was over, the job could be completed.

Grief, love, adoration and faith brought these women to the tomb. Through his life and teaching, Jesus had shown them, as no one before him, the riches and depths of God's love. Now he was dead. The hopes and dreams they identified with him seemed dead as well. Crucified, mocked for claiming to be king of the Jews, his message announcing the kingdom of God appeared frustrated, beyond hope of being true.

Was Jesus a false prophet? Did he cast out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons? If so, how could they explain the good in his ministry? What prophet except Jesus ever healed a man born blind? Did this not make him greater than Elijah? And his teaching, did it not sound greater than that of Moses? With such tragedy, what would tomorrow bring?

"Who will roll the stone away?" they asked. "How can we use these spices if we can't get in the tomb?" As they hurried along, the women felt an earthquake. The soldiers guarding the tomb would later report that at the time of the earthquake a dazzling angel appeared. The angel rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb. Initially frozen with fear, the soldiers fled the garden before the women arrived.

As the women approached the garden the eastern sky proclaimed dawn's coming. The darkness shrouding the world would soon pass away. Dawn's bright light was about to shine on the earth. The Lord would have his day.

In the predawn light the women saw the open tomb. Mary Magdalene, disturbed as to what this might mean, looked in. Shocked to find no body, she ran to tell Peter. "They've stolen his body! We don't know where they've taken him!"

As the sun slowly rose in the eastern sky, the women returned to the tomb. The rays of early morning had nearly chased away the blindness that darkness brings to all.

Mary Magdalene wept. Two men approached her. They asked, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She explained her deep sorrow. "They have taken my Lord! I don't know where they have put him."

After saying this, Mary turned around. Again she was asked: "Woman, why are you weeping? Are you looking for someone?" Mary assumed the man speaking to her was the caretaker. "Please sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him."

The man said, "Mary." Joy and exaltation exploded within her. Only one person could say "Mary" that way. "Teacher!" she cried.

"Go Mary. Go and tell the others. Tell them that you have seen me. Tell them that I am risen and will be ascending to my Father and your Father. Tell them, Mary."

Fearful to speak at first, Mary and the other women with her could not contain their joy for long. "He is risen!" they proclaimed. "He is risen!"

____________

Awakening before first light, Mary sleepily prepared herself a cup of coffee. While it brewed, she stumbled to the bathroom where she showered and dressed in her Sunday best. Time to get the kids up, she thought.

Quietly she walked to the girls' bedroom. Slowly opening the door, she paused to look at her daughters' innocent faces. Elizabeth, age 7, and Ruth, age 5, lay sound asleep.

Since her husband, Jim, died four months ago in a car accident, life had been rough. Raising two girls while working full-time was hard. Mary's nearly unbearable grief compounded her struggle. Jim had been a loving and caring man. When he was alive, life had seemed so good. Mary's emptiness was deep and profound.

Mary walked over to Elizabeth and Ruth's bunk bed. She gently nudged them. "Get up girls. It's time to get ready for church." "Oh Mom," groaned Elizabeth. "It's not even light yet."

"It will be shortly. Look out the window. It's getting lighter all the time." "Can't we sleep for just a few more minutes?" pleaded Elizabeth.

"No, I'm sorry. We don't want to be late for church. You and Ruth need to eat some breakfast and then get dressed. No more talking. Climb out of those beds. You can eat cereal while I cook you some eggs."

Secretly Mary agreed with Elizabeth. It would be nice to sleep in today. During the week she rarely got enough sleep. But this Sunday was special. It was Easter. So, tired or not, she and the girls were going to church.

Jim had always taken the family to the early Easter morning worship service. A devout Christian, Jim had wanted his children to learn to rejoice over the resurrected Christ. He had especially liked the early service. It helped him imagine what that morning must have been like when Jesus, resurrected, first showed himself to the women. For Jim, Easter dawn had had a special meaning.

This Easter would be the first since Jim's death. Until this morning, Mary had put that fact out of her mind. But now, as the girls ate their cereal and she cooked the eggs, the thought overwhelmed her. Mary wept.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" asked Rachel. "I'm sorry, dear. I was just thinking of your father." "I miss Daddy," Rachel said sorrowfully. "So do I. So do I."

Mary wiped the tears from her eyes and her cheeks. Giving her girls a big hug, she said: "Go ahead now and eat your eggs. You need to hurry so you can get dressed. Don't forget the pretty new dresses I bought for you." "Hurray! New dresses!" they shouted as they gobbled down their breakfast.

After breakfast Mary had to settle a few sibling squabbles, remind the girls to hurry up and then help them comb their hair. Finally they were ready. Gathering her purse, Bible and car keys, Mary hurried the girls out the front door.

"Come on Ruth. Get in the car. What are you doing?" "Mommy, my foot came out of my shoe." Having solved that crisis, Mary backed the car out of the driveway. The sun was beginning to rise, its warm rays dispelling the chill of night. By now the girls were excited, wanting to show off their frilly new dresses and talking about the chocolates they would enjoy later that day.

Mary did not share their joy. Despite the beautiful spring morning, she felt no excitement. She had no anticipation. Mary was tired and depressed. Why get up so early? Why go to church at all? Try as she might, all she could think about was Jim. If only he were here. Why are we doing this anyway?

A few blocks away a small crowd was gathering at the church. As they usually did for Easter, people came in their finest. New dresses were everywhere. The sanctuary would be nearly full. People who rarely made it to church often came to one of the Easter services.

The worshippers commented on the beautiful sunrise and the lovely lilies placed near the pulpit. The pastor, Henry Greenloe, had prepared a finely crafted sermon. He had prayed that God would use his message to move the uncommitted to faith in Christ.

Just a few minutes before church started, Mary's car approached the church parking lot. By now some of the depression had left. She had begun to fondly remember Easters past. As a child she had had the same excitement that Elizabeth and Ruth now had. And she had learned from Jim to focus more on what Easter was about than on how it was observed.

"Easter is about hope," she told herself. "It's about how death is not the end. It gives us a reason for carrying on, no matter what the trials of life."

After parking the car, she and the girls walked toward the front door of the church. As she approached the building, she looked up to read the sign that announced this week's sermon. In bold letters it simply read, "He Is Risen!"

Mary paused. Clasping her girls' hands a little tighter she said to herself: Yes, we should be here, if for no other reason than this: Jesus is alive. Nothing remains the same. Death has no lasting claim. The Sun of Righteousness has arisen. Jesus is alive! He is risen!

____________

Paul leaned over the parchment. His letter to the Corinthian church was becoming unusually long. Yet before he stopped writing he needed to cover one more subject.

Paul was concerned. The problems at Corinth were not simply behavioral. Members there had begun to doubt the central truths of the faith. The salvation of some was in jeopardy.

With a heavy heart he wrote in what we now call 1 Corinthians 15: "I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."

After so much struggle, after what Jesus had done for them, the last thing Paul wanted for the Corinthians would be that their faith had been in vain. So, to emphasize the situation's seriousness he wrote, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance."

Paul understood that time can blur the vision. Priorities can become confused. Apathy can set in. Paul wrote to fight against such corrosion, praying that the Holy Spirit would give him the words the church needed to hear.

What was of first importance? Paul reminded them it was "that Christ died for our sins... that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day." For Paul, the gospel did not leave Jesus on the cross. It also raised him from the grave. Paul supported his testimony of Jesus' resurrection by listing many of its eyewitnesses. Starting with Peter, Paul's list grew until finally he wrote, "And last of all he appeared to me."

That appearance forever changed Paul's life. It should forever change ours. Nothing before or since has been as historically important as the resurrection of our Lord. All eternity hinges on that event.

Paul went on to say, "This is what we preach, and this is what you believed." How could some Corinthians believe there is no resurrection?

Paul understood that one cannot abandon the doctrine of Jesus' bodily resurrection without also abandoning the faith. Paul affirmed: "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God."

A few lines later he wrote: "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost."

Paul assured the Corinthians that departed Christians were not lost, for "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.... In Christ all will be made alive."

As Paul concluded his letter, he did not realize how important his words would become. What was initially a letter to one congregation became an everliving epistle to the whole church in every age.

Through the centuries Christians have found strength in his words. They have faced adversity, poverty, suffering and death by focusing on Paul's reminder of the reality and centrality of the resurrection of their Lord Jesus Christ.

For almost two millennia Christians have mourned the death of loved ones. For almost as long, the words of 1 Corinthians 15 have lifted their spirits and given them hope. Take the resurrection of Jesus away and you destroy their hope. The gospel does not leave Jesus on the cross or in the grave. It proclaims, "He is risen!"

For two millennia believers have said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Let's continue to say that we are not ashamed. _Why_ are we not ashamed? We are not ashamed, for he is risen!

Ralph Orr

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## Is It a Sin to Observe Easter?

Some Christian churches teach that Christians should not observe Easter because the holiday supposedly originated in paganism. We feel especially qualified to address this issue, for we once taught this but have come to understand that our objections were misguided.

In its worst form, the idea is that people who assemble on Easter morning, who participate in such customs as decorating or hunting for eggs, are unwittingly worshipping an ancient pagan goddess. But this is based on several misunderstandings, and the New Testament gives no grounds for prohibiting Christian fellowship and worship on Easter.

### The word "Easter"

Let's examine a few objections that are sometimes made against Easter and see whether they have any merit. Let us start with the word "Easter" itself. (This objection is irrelevant in many nations, because the word for this holiday in other languages has no connection with the word "Easter." Jesus' resurrection was being celebrated centuries before the word "Easter" became associated with it.) Critics claim that the word "Easter" comes from the name of a Germanic goddess of spring, Eastre. Venerable Bede, an English monk who lived in the eighth century, taught this. However, many English words, such as "cereal" and "Saturday," come from the names of pagan deities — but it is not a sin to use such words.

Bede may have been wrong, and the word "Easter" may not have come from the name of a goddess. The King James translators certainly did not understand the word "Easter" in this way when they used it to translate the Greek _pascha,_ or Passover, in Acts 12:4! Another explanation is that "Easter" derives from an Old German root, _ostern,_ for dawn or east, which is the time and place of the rising sun. This makes more sense as a reason why a day commemorating Jesus' resurrection would have been called "Easter." Jesus is thought to have risen shortly before sunrise on Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2). Since he is called "the sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2; Psalm 84:11), it would be appropriate to call a day in honor of his resurrection, "Easter" — the dawn of the Rising Son, Jesus.

In any case, even if the word "Easter" was associated with an ancient goddess, it does not mean we cannot use the word today. We have many words in the English language that were connected with ancient deities. For example, our word "cereal" comes from the name of the ancient goddess of agriculture, Ceres. The word "cloth" comes from Clotho, the spinster goddess who was said to spin the thread of life. The word "hymn" is thought to come from the god of marriage, Hymen, and in ancient times meant any song offered in praise or honor of a god or gods. But when we use "hymn" in church services we mean a song sung in praise of the one true God. When we use the word "cereal" we're not thinking of the goddess or worshipping her, but of corn flakes or granola. Cloth is fabric to us, not Clotho.

### Sunrise services

In connection with the word "Easter," the concept of an Easter _sunrise_ service is also labelled as pagan by detractors. They point to Ezekiel 8:14-17, which describes individuals with their faces toward the east, worshipping the sun. This practice in Ezekiel is called idolatry and an abomination in God's sight. Easter is said to be a replica of this vain worship in ancient Israel.

However, in Ezekiel the individuals were forsaking the worship of the true God, as is evidenced by them turning their backs on the temple of the Lord (verse 16). They were purposely worshipping the sun. When Christians attend an Easter sunrise service they worship God and Christ, remembering and rehearsing the meaning of Jesus' resurrection. The rising of the sun reminds them that Jesus is the dawn of our salvation, and that he rose early Sunday morning.

Did pagans worship the sun? Yes, they worshipped many things, including stars, the moon, many animals, and even the earth itself. Devout Christians see this, and sometimes confuse ancient forms with modern substance. They point to the association of some modern traditions with ancient religious celebrations, and shout "pagan." They think, "Once pagan, always pagan." While they may admit the transforming power of Christ for people, they act as if Christ cannot transform days, customs and traditions. Yet many of the practices God approved for ancient Israel had previously existed in paganism. Sacrifices, prayers, temples, priests, harvest festivals, music in worship, circumcision and tithing all had ancient pagan counterparts. God can transform days and customs for his use. The fact that Christians use some of the same methods as pagans does not mean that we worship the same gods.

The annual festivals or holy days God gave Israel as part of the old covenant were based on the cycle of the moon. The festival of Trumpets came on the new moon of the seventh month. Israelites even had a new moon celebration with a blowing of trumpets (Psalm 81:3). Yet, the moon was regularly worshipped as a god or goddess in nearby cultures. That's where we get our name for "Monday." It was the day of the moon's worship. Even though pagans worshipped the moon god on the day of the new moon, the Israelites could worship the true God on the same day. Just because pagans did something does not automatically mean that God's people cannot do it.

God transformed many pagan customs into a form of worship devoted to him. Even the sun, worshipped as a god by many pagan cultures, God used to symbolize an aspect of Jesus' glory. Luke called him "the rising sun" (Luke 1:78). Jesus is also called the "bright Morning Star" in Revelation 22:16. God can use symbols misappropriated by pagans and transform them for his own use, making them acceptable for worship.

The point is that even if there once was a pagan "Easter" festival, and even if the word had some pagan significance, it doesn't matter. No one takes the phrase "Easter sunrise service" to mean a pagan rite or thinks that he or she is worshipping the sun.

As pointed out about Monday, all the names of the days of the week have a pagan significance on which different deities were worshipped. Sunday was the day of the sun; Monday was the moon's day; Tuesday was Tiw's day; Wednesday was Woden's day; Thursday was Thor's day and Friday was Frigga's day. The latter four were all Norse deities. But we don't worship pagan gods when we say or use these names for our days. We don't think of worshipping old gods when a new day comes. That's the way it is with the word "Easter." Whether or not it had a pagan connection in the past doesn't matter. We don't think of it in these terms anymore; the word does not mean that any more.

The same applies to worship services on Easter Sunday morning or during resurrection Sunday. If there were pagan "resurrection" celebrations to various gods on Sunday — and there probably were — it doesn't matter. God's people can use those days to worship Christ, and they are not stuck in some time warp that turns them into unwitting idolaters. The words and the days have no power of their own; they do not change adoration of God into secret veneration of an idol. In modern times, on Easter Sunday, Christians worship Christ. That's what is important. Christians who keep Easter are not pagans. They do not worship nor regard pagan gods. They honor Christ as Lord and Savior.

Unless we are to conclude that celebrating Christ's resurrection is in itself a detestable thing, its celebration on what was once a pagan holiday is irrelevant.

### Eggs and rabbits

We should explain one other objection to Easter. What seems particularly offensive to some people is the use of colored eggs at Easter. A related objection has to do with references to rabbits, which are known for their prodigious reproductive capacities.

Of course, pagan people used eggs in rituals and ceremonies dedicated to their gods and in fertility rites. But let's first ask why eggs might have been used in religious activities. They are a symbol of new life, and thus would have been a ready metaphor of fertility. Since nature comes alive in the springtime, we shouldn't be surprised that eggs may have been associated with festivities at this time. It is also true that many of the pagan fertility rites were associated with abominable practices such as temple prostitution and other revelry.

On the other hand, let us look at fertility and eggs from another point of view. God created the egg. Since he is the giver of life, it would not be wrong to think of the egg as a reminder of the blessing of life that God gives to us. We don't confuse the egg with life. We know God created life and that it comes from him through the egg. Fertility is something God himself commanded. He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). Children are a blessing from the Lord. So is an abundance of livestock and birds. The ability of life to reproduce is a great and necessary gift of God.

The ancients were not wrong in understanding the key role of fertility in life, nor in knowing that sex and reproduction are gifts of God. What they erred in was worshipping the created rather than the Creator, and then worshipping in ways that were abominable to God — such as in fertility revelry and temple prostitution.

But there is nothing inherently evil about eggs or rabbits. When associated with Easter, neither are used in the way pagans may have used them. In fact, eggs are hardly thought of in a religious way at all. The egg-hunting festivity is merely a secular time of fun for children, and nothing more. We put chocolate rabbits in Easter baskets, but they have no religious association. The pagan linkage simply no longer exists. Just as the word "cereal" is no longer pagan, the eggs and rabbits are no longer pagan. There is no need to look on eggs or bunnies as evil, for God created both.

### Not commanded in the Bible

Another objection to Easter observance made by some is that it is not mentioned in the Bible. These people feel we should not set apart any day for worship unless it is specifically mentioned in the Bible. Since there is no example of celebrating the resurrection, these people say we should not do it.

Of course, there is no command in the New Testament not to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. But that doesn't matter. If we could only have those religious worship times and activities that the New Testament specifically mentions, then we would be able to do very little in terms of worship and Christian ceremony. None of the apostles are shown to have performed a wedding ceremony or conducted a funeral, for example. But these are a part of our lives and Christian worship.

The central issue regarding Easter observance is this: How much freedom do Christians have in the new covenant, either individually or as a church, to express their faith, worship and thanks toward Christ in forms not found in the Bible? Are Christians ever free to do anything new in worship? May church leaders establish special days to celebrate the great acts of salvation?

True, the Bible nowhere tells us to celebrate Easter. But it also nowhere says not to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on this day. The fact is, the Bible gives examples where God permitted human beings to set up times and forms of worship other than what he specifically commanded.

When Israel added Hanukkah and Purim to its religious calendar — events that celebrated God's saving acts in Jewish history — these were acceptable to God. So, too, was the addition of the synagogue and its traditions; God did not command it, but he allowed the innovation. Jesus attended temple worship during Hannukah, then called the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22), and he attended synagogues (Luke 4:16). In John 7:37 Jesus referred to the Jewish water-drawing ceremony, which pictured the salvation they looked for. Jesus did not condemn this ceremony but used it as a convenient vehicle for explaining that he was the one who would bring true salvation.

Examples such as these have led many Christians to conclude that the church also has the freedom to add to its calendar festivals that celebrate God's intervention in human affairs. This would include the birth of Jesus at Christmas and his resurrection at Easter time.

It is not a sin to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. After all, his resurrection is a cause of great rejoicing and celebration. It is our hope for eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:12-26). God is pleased to see his people worshipping Jesus and commemorating this event that is so important for their salvation.

Love, not command, is what motivates many Christians to celebrate Easter. To criticize those who choose to practice their faith in this spirit of devotion conflicts with many New Testament principles. The fact that non-Christians or even some Christians celebrate Easter as a secular holiday, or perhaps even in a profane way, is no reason to avoid Easter. That's not the problem of Easter but of the people who celebrate it in a wrong manner.

The decision to observe Easter, and if so how to observe it, is a personal matter. The church hopes that Christians who celebrate Easter and those who do not are both seeking to honor Jesus Christ (Romans 14:5-6). We encourage all who celebrate Easter to make Christ the center of their celebration.

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## A Note About Easter

Christians should remember Christ's resurrection, just as we remember his death. The two go together. The New Testament does not require Christians to commemorate the resurrection in any particular manner or on any particular day. Yet millions of Christians throughout the centuries have found it helpful to do so, and the Bible does not forbid them to do so.

Some churches stigmatize their members against celebrating Jesus' resurrection. Often, this is based on accusations made without investigating to see whether they are true. Rhetoric about pagan customs in northern Europe, for example, is irrelevant, because Christians were celebrating Jesus' resurrection long before northern European customs were involved.

It is not a sin to celebrate the resurrection, and not a sin to use to the word Easter, no matter what its origin. It is not a sin to gather at sunrise to worship our Savior. Easter is the spring celebration of Christians honoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not an occasion to honor Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess.

I do not think we can be "neutral" about celebrating such a key event in our Savior's life, such a key event in our own salvation. Christians are not neutral about the victory over sin and death that Jesus won. So I _encourage_ Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some may choose to do it one day, some on another, some perhaps on several days each year. Wonderful! Let good news be celebrated!

It is not a sin to eat chocolate eggs and chocolate rabbits, or to eat eggs that have been colored and dyed. These things are no more pagan today than the names of the days of the week and month are. The same logic that one might be offended by the word "Easter" would suggest that the same person should be offended by "Sunday," "Thursday," or "Saturday." Whatever pagan associations these names may have once had are now gone. No one suspects that egg-dyers or egg-hunters are worshiping other gods.

I encourage people to celebrate Jesus' resurrection, but I am not exhorting people to immerse themselves in customs that have little or nothing to do with the resurrection. But neither do we superstitiously have to avoid Easter eggs and other customs. Some Christians choose to avoid such things; others see no harm in participating in them. Different people will "draw the line" in different places, and here I ask that we live in peace with one another. Differences do exist, and emotions can run high on this issue. So seek peace and pursue it. Those who participate in all the Easter customs need not flaunt it; those who refuse do not need to make a big deal about it.

Each of us must answer to the Lord, for it is to the Lord that we live and die — and we are not called to judge the Lord's other servants. We are each called to do the work God has called us to do, and we are to do it whether or not the other person is doing what he or she is supposed to be doing. We need tolerance, not mutual criticism. We need grace, not more legislation. Let's celebrate and worship together!

Joseph Tkach

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## About the Authors

**Neil Earle** pastored a GCI church in Glendora, CA, and teaches church history courses at Grace Communion Seminary.

**J. Michael Feazell** was vice-president of Grace Communion International, and executive editor of _Christian Odyssey_ magazine. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Azusa Pacific Seminary.

**John Halford** was editor of _Christian Odyssey_ magazine. He died in 2014.

**Paul Kroll** wrote more than a hundred articles for Grace Communion International; he is retired.

**Michael Morrison** has a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary; he is the Dean of Faculty at Grace Communion Seminary, the editor of this e-book, and author of many others.

**Ralph Orr** was an employee of Grace Communion International.

**Dan Rogers** was superintendent of U.S. ministers for Grace Communion International. He earned a PhD at Union Institute, and now teaches at Grace Communion Seminary.

**Joseph Tkach** is the president of Grace Communion International, and author of several books. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Azusa Pacific University.

**Joseph W. Tkach** was president of the Worldwide Church of God from 1986 until his death in 1995.

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## About the Publisher...

Grace Communion International is a Christian denomination with about 50,000 members, worshiping in about 900 congregations in almost 100 nations and territories. We began in 1934 and our main office is in North Carolina. In the United States, we are members of the National Association of Evangelicals and similar organizations in other nations. We welcome you to visit our website at www.gci.org.

If you want to know more about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we offer help. First, we offer weekly worship services in hundreds of congregations worldwide. Perhaps you'd like to visit us. A typical worship service includes songs of praise, a message based on the Bible, and opportunity to meet people who have found Jesus Christ to be the answer to their spiritual quest. We try to be friendly, but without putting you on the spot. We do not expect visitors to give offerings—there's no obligation. You are a guest.

To find a congregation, write to one of our offices, phone us or visit our website. If we do not have a congregation near you, we encourage you to find another Christian church that teaches the gospel of grace.

We also offer personal counsel. If you have questions about the Bible, salvation or Christian living, we are happy to talk. If you want to discuss faith, baptism or other matters, a pastor near you can discuss these on the phone or set up an appointment for a longer discussion. We are convinced that Jesus offers what people need most, and we are happy to share the good news of what he has done for all humanity. We like to help people find new life in Christ, and to grow in that life. Come and see why we believe it's the best news there could be!

Our work is funded by members of the church who donate part of their income to support the gospel. Jesus told his disciples to share the good news, and that is what we strive to do in our literature, in our worship services, and in our day-to-day lives.

If this e-book has helped you and you want to pay some expenses, all donations are gratefully welcomed, and in several nations, are tax-deductible. If you can't afford to give anything, don't worry about it. It is our gift to you. To make a donation online, go to www.gci.org/participate/donate.

Thank you for letting us share what we value most — Jesus Christ. The good news is too good to keep it to ourselves.

See our website for hundreds of articles, locations of our churches, addresses in various nations, audio and video messages, and much more.

Grace Communion International  
3129 Whitehall Park Dr.

Charlotte, NC 28273-3335

1-800-423-4444

www.gci.org

### You're Included...

We talk with leading Trinitarian theologians about the good news that God loves you, wants you, and includes you in Jesus Christ. Most programs are about 28 minutes long. Our guests have included:

Ray Anderson, Fuller Theological Seminary

Douglas A. Campbell, Duke Divinity School

Elmer Colyer, U. of Dubuque Theological Seminary

Gordon Fee, Regent College

Trevor Hart, University of St. Andrews

George Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary

Jeff McSwain, Reality Ministries

Paul Louis Metzger, Multnomah University

Paul Molnar, St. John's University

Cherith Fee Nordling, Antioch Leadership Network

Andrew Root, Luther Seminary

Alan Torrance, University of St. Andrews

Robert T. Walker, Edinburgh University

N.T. Wright, University of St. Andrews

William P. Young, author of _The Shack_

Programs are available free for viewing and downloading at www.youreincluded.org.

### Speaking of Life...

Dr. Joseph Tkach, president of Grace Communion International, comments each week, giving a biblical perspective on how we live in the light of God's love. Most programs are about three minutes long – available in video, audio, and text. Go to www.speakingoflife.org.

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##

### Grace Communion Seminary

Ministry based on the life and love of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Grace Communion Seminary serves the needs of people engaged in Christian service who want to grow deeper in relationship with our Triune God and to be able to more effectively serve in the church.

Why study at Grace Communion Seminary?

 Worship: to love God with all your mind.

 Service: to help others apply truth to life.

 Practical: a balanced range of useful topics for ministry.

 Trinitarian theology: a survey of theology with the merits of a Trinitarian perspective. We begin with the question, "Who is God?" Then, "Who are we in relationship to God?" In this context, "How then do we serve?"

 Part-time study: designed to help people who are already serving in local congregations. There is no need to leave your current ministry. Full-time students are also welcome.

 Flexibility: your choice of master's level continuing education courses or pursuit of a degree: Master of Pastoral Studies or Master of Theological Studies.

 Affordable, accredited study: Everything can be done online.

For more information, go to www.gcs.edu. Grace Communion Seminary is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, www.deac.org. The Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

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## Ambassador College of Christian Ministry

Want to better understand God's Word? Want to know the Triune God more deeply? Want to share more joyously in the life of the Father, Son and Spirit? Want to be better equipped to serve others?

Among the many resources that Grace Communion International offers are the training and learning opportunities provided by ACCM. This quality, well-structured Christian Ministry curriculum has the advantage of being very practical and flexible. Students may study at their own pace, without having to leave home to undertake full-time study.

This denominationally recognized program is available for both credit and audit study. At minimum cost, this online Diploma program will help students gain important insights and training in effective ministry service. Students will also enjoy a rich resource for personal study that will enhance their understanding and relationship with the Triune God.

Diploma of Christian Ministry classes provide an excellent introductory course for new and lay pastors. Pastor General Dr. Joseph Tkach said, "We believe we have achieved the goal of designing Christian ministry training that is practical, accessible, interesting, and doctrinally and theologically mature and sound. This program provides an ideal foundation for effective Christian ministry."

For more information, go to www.ambascol.org

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