Christ's Resurrection
The Resurrection
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the greatest proof of Christianity. Everything else that was said or done by Christ and the apostles is secondary in importance to the resurrection. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity is a false religion built on lies. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth. Without the resurrection, it is quite certain there would have been no Christian church. Did Christ actually rise from the dead, or has the Christian faith been led astray by some kind of hoax? Famous theologian C.S. Lewis notes, that "in the earliest days of Christianity an apostle was first and foremost a man who claimed to be an eyewitness of the Resurrection," or more accurately, a witness of the resurrected Christ. John Calvin’s belief says, “It’s by His resurrection, that we are said to be begotten again to a living hope, because, as He, by rising again, became victorious over death, so the victory of our faith consists only in His resurrection.” This is my favorite saying, because Jesus does bring hope, even during trials and pain. Thomas Aquinas once said, “We gather the effect of Christ's death in the Sacraments so far as remission of guilt goes: at the end of the world we shall gain the effect of Christ's resurrection in our deliverance from death.” The saying that speaks to my heart the most is what St. Augustine said, “that on the cross, He might show the dying out of our old man, and He raised, that in His own life He might show our new life.”
The Bible is God’s word, and this is where we get the actual eyewitness accounts of the resurrection. “The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name.” (Luke 24:46-47) Another strong verse that gives us a hope, “for if we have been united with Him
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the greatest proof of Christianity. Everything else that was said or done by Christ and the apostles is secondary in importance to the resurrection. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity is a false religion built on lies. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth. Without the resurrection, it is quite certain there would have been no Christian church. Did Christ actually rise from the dead, or has the Christian faith been led astray by some kind of hoax? Famous theologian C.S. Lewis notes, that "in the earliest days of Christianity an apostle was first and foremost a man who claimed to be an eyewitness of the Resurrection," or more accurately, a witness of the resurrected Christ. John Calvin’s belief says, “It’s by His resurrection, that we are said to be begotten again to a living hope, because, as He, by rising again, became victorious over death, so the victory of our faith consists only in His resurrection.” This is my favorite saying, because Jesus does bring hope, even during trials and pain. Thomas Aquinas once said, “We gather the effect of Christ's death in the Sacraments so far as remission of guilt goes: at the end of the world we shall gain the effect of Christ's resurrection in our deliverance from death.” The saying that speaks to my heart the most is what St. Augustine said, “that on the cross, He might show the dying out of our old man, and He raised, that in His own life He might show our new life.”
The Bible is God’s word, and this is where we get the actual eyewitness accounts of the resurrection. “The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name.” (Luke 24:46-47) Another strong verse that gives us a hope, “for if we have been united with Him
Bibliography: Gromacki, R. Gary THE HISTORICITY OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. ,” Christianity Today (28 March 2005) Habermas, Gary R and Michael LicoLewis, C.S Ludemann, Gerd. The Resurrection Of Christ: A Historical Inquiry, Prometheus Books (October 1, 2004). Martin, Michael. The Case Against Christianity. Temple University Press; First edition (March 29, 2007). Osborne, Kenan. The Resurrection of Jesus: New Considerations for Its Theological Interpretation. Paulist Press (May 1997). McKim, K, Donald . Westminster Dictionary of Theological Term. Westminster John Knox Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1996). Viach, J. Micheal. Theopedia the fastest growing evangelical encyclopedia of biblical Christianity. The Christian Web Foundation (July 31, 2002).