The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the fulcrum of the Christian faith.
People who are skeptical about the authenticity of the gospel want proof that Jesus was an historical person before they are willing to lend any credibility to Christianity. Atheists demand proof that God is real or they will never believe in Him. They even have the audacity to demand God demonstrate His existence by giving them some sort of sign and challenge Him to prove Himself.
The hearts of men and women haven’t changed all that much in the two thousand years since Jesus was crucified. Even those who were well versed in the scriptures didn’t want to believe they were being fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” (Matthew 12:38).
“He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40)
In John’s gospel we are told in the second chapter, “Then the Jews demanded of Him, ‘What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’” (John 2:18-19).
Jesus was speaking of His resurrection. “After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said.” (John 2:22). The unbelieving generation of first century Judea wanted proof and Jesus not only provided proof that He was the Christ, He authenticated Himself with His own blood. And two thousand years later Christians celebrate His victory over death every Easter.
There Is Only One Empty Tomb
No other man in the history of men has done anything so remarkable! Of all the religions in the world, there is only one empty tomb. When Jesus Christ emerged from the tomb on the third morning the world was forever changed. He provided a sign so extraordinary and so memorable that two thousand years later it is not forgotten. And yet skeptical minds find it so amazing they aren’t able to believe it.
Luke 16:19-31 records Jesus telling the parable of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. They both pass away and the rich man finds himself in hell where he is tormented by intense heat. He sees Lazarus walking with Abraham on the other side of a chasm. The rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers so they will not suffer the same fate as he has and reasons that if someone returns from the dead, they will repent.
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:31). Jesus knew the hearts of men and women who are unable to accept truth and would remain obstinate throughout history.
There are ample nonbiblical records that establish the historicity of Jesus Christ and the New testament constitutes overwhelming eyewitness testimony supporting His life, death and resurrection. Additionally, there is not one first century antitheses written in opposition the gospels or the historicity of Jesus. Not one. And more has been written about Jesus Christ than any other man in the history of humanity, yet skeptics find it difficult to concede His authenticity.
Many Today Demand A Sign
In the same way that first century Jews could not fathom God’s plan for redemption and chose denial over acceptance, many people today refuse to acknowledge the reality of God and the grace that He has extended to civilization through Jesus.
They demand a sign from God and when it is given they refuse to accept it. Why? When a supernatural God provides a supernatural sign it is rejected because it is supernatural! This logic is truly astounding!
The Jews lost their favor with God as a nation because they didn’t recognize their hour of visitation (Luke 19:44), and many of today’s society run the same risk of losing the salvation of grace because the window of opportunity is finite. For the last two thousand years, civilization has heard the gospel preached and only a small percentage of the population has repented. A time is coming when the window of grace will close and mankind will experience the anger and wrath of God because of unrepentance (Revelation 16:9).
Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.” (Matthew 12:41-42).
Jesus Himself will testify against today’s society for their rejection of the gospel. He came into the world to save the world (John 3:16-18), and He is the advocate for those who believe. But He will also judge the world and preside over the condemnation of those who refuse to believe. (John 5::26-29).
The Lord has been so patient with mankind. He has waited and waited, deferring judgement until the full number of people have been saved. 2 Peter 3:9 reassures us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
But let’s not overlook the very next verse in Peter’s second letter: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” (2 Peter 3:10). This statement echoes Jesus’ warning, “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:43-44).
Additionally, the apostle Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, “Now brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like the others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self controlled.”
We All Have A Window Of Opportunity
Don’t let your personal time of visitation by God come and go without repenting and surrendering to Jesus. Give your life to Him. Live for Him! Don’t let skepticism overwhelm you. Don’t let doubt override your faith. Don’t let grace pass you by.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as a signpost in history that separates time. It is the navigational beacon that guides us to the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Without the resurrection, Christianity doesn’t have any substance. In 1 Corinthians 15:14-15a, Paul emphatically states, “And 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, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead.”
King David wrote Psalm 118:22 one thousand years before Christ: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Jesus and His resurrection is the fulcrum of the Christian faith and the most important event in the history of humanity.
It is the sign of Jonah that Jesus said would demonstrate his authenticity and it is His signature upon Christianity. Yet time has distorted the clarity of the empty tomb so that many today question the truth of the resurrection. For those, who much like the first century Jews have skeptical minds and hardened hearts, it is a difficult concept to grasp.
However, for we who have surrendered our hearts to Christ the timelessness of the resurrection is the catalyst that precipitates our faith. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5). Hallelujah!
