He is Risen!
April 21, 2019
Have you ever received an email or fax that tells you somebody in Nigeria wants you to send them money so they can unlock a huge sum of money, of which some of that money will be sent to you, making you amazingly wealthy? All you have to do is give them your bank account or pay fees and you’ll be sent big bucks!
Don’t believe it!! Actually, in 2017, the FBI reports people sent $57 million in scams like this. From what I read, this scam is among the top five largest revenue sources for Nigeria — it’s that successful.
Fortunately, there are websites like SNOPES.COM. If you want to check out whether something is legitimate or not, that’s a great place to go. We call these urban legends.
If you go to SNOPES and type in the Resurrection of Jesus you’ll find some interesting articles.
There’s one about a lady who leads people to Jesus named Edith Burns. There’s a story about a disappearing hitchiker. And there’s an article called “Easter Lore and Superstitions” which details all kinds of superstitions about Good Friday and Easter. Dealing with scams is part of the world we live in.
So, on this Easter Sunday, maybe you’re wondering if this whole Easter thing is a scam! Maybe, it’s really not real and we’ve all been duped to give money away, to believe in something which doesn’t exist, to serve a god who doesn’t exist.
Ultimately, the question we want to ask Jesus is - -
Are you really who you say you are?
Even in life, our identity is doubted all the time. Every time we log in. Every time we swipe. Every time we try to unlock our phones.
Are you really who you say you are?
Yes, here’s my password. Here’s my key code. Here’s my fingerprint.
We’re doubted several times a day. It’s woven into the fabric of our days. Make up a new password. Set up a user ID. Get out your drivers license to prove you are who you say you are. It’s a common problem, and an old one.
During his ministry, Jesus was doubted all the time.
If He was really a prophet, Jesus wouldn’t associate with a prostitute or an adulteress.
If Jesus was really a rabbi, He wouldn’t eat with sinners and tax collectors.
He wouldn’t touch the sick and the lepers, He would condemn them.
If He was really the Messiah, He would lead that revolt against the Romans.
Even while He was dying, Jesus was doubted - If you are the Son of God, save yourself.
Are you really who you say you are?
And that’s the question that still hangs in the air when it comes to Jesus: Is he really who He says He is? Is He really the Messiah?
The question isn’t about whether or not He did miracles. Others, like Moses, Elijah and other prophets performed miracles. Other rabbis performed miracles. The Catholic church has an entire system in place to prove that people have done miracles. It’s not about the miracles.
And it’s not about the good teaching. It’s not about generosity. It’s not about caring for the poor, the sick and the marginalized. They’re all important, but - - -
What it all comes down to is this: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Only one person claimed to rise from the dead. Only one has followers who say that He rose from the dead.
This is the key identity question for Jesus: Did Jesus rise from the dead? And you won’t find your answer on SNOPES!!
The apostle Paul lived in the city of Corinth and started a church there. Corinth was like a combination of Las Vegas, Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one city. It was a wild place. And Paul, this very conservative Jew, now worshiper of Jesus living and preaching there.
People were changing, they were being transformed, believing in Jesus. They were turning from their crazy sinful lives and following Jesus. But then Paul left. And the people started to turn back to their old ways.
So Paul sent them a letter, reminding the people about who Jesus is. In the end, he based his argument on the resurrection. People were doubting what he said, forgetting what they learned, wondering if Jesus is who Paul says He is.
Paul tells them - -
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Paul’s argument is pretty basic - -
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we’re a bunch of idiots. We’ve bought into a lie and we should all be pitied.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we’ve insulted God, because we said He raised Jesus from the dead and that Jesus was the Messiah.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then he wasn’t the Messiah, and we have everything all wrong. We’re a really pathetic bunch.
And that is still true today.
According to Paul, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, we’re idiots. We’ve devoted our lives to something which isn’t real. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then you, my friends, are wasting your time. You’re giving your lives to something that doesn’t matter.
The great writer, C. S. Lewis said that Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. He was either crazy or the Christ.
This is why Paul does a review for the Corinthians of the proof that Jesus rose from the dead. Paul said - -
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 Then He appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-9
Paul recaps some of Jesus’ appearances –
And the Corinthians knew that story. They knew Paul had been anti-Jesus, anti-resurrection, and anti-Christian. They knew Paul wanted Jewish believers in Jesus to be killed. He applauded their deaths. They knew about Paul’s conversion.
They also knew Paul was in line to be a high priest for the Jews. He was in a great position. He had it made.
It would be like knowing you have a $125,000 job in the family business, but you choose a career path that will lead you away from that business and money. It would have been easy to do, but you choose something different, the more difficult road. That was Paul. Because he believed in Jesus, he gave up everything to follow Jesus.
So, Paul reminds the Corinthians, Jesus is who He says He is.
You see, when trouble finds us, and it will. We have a God who has promised He would never abandon us. In fact, God looks at you and me and tells us,
“Hey, I died for you!! I love you!! Why would I beat you up over and over again because of your sinfulness!! That’s why I sent my Son . . . I sent Him to give you life, to give you hope.
I sent Him so that I could pour My Spirit into yours. I sent Him so that you could receive My power!
I sent Him so that I could adopt you into my family, that you would be my child, you are holy, dearly loved, I chose you and want you!
I sent Jesus for you.
When you’re hungry, you don’t want pretend water. You don’t want to play a game when your throat is parched. You want the real thing. When we’re hurting, when we’re struggling, when life isn’t going our way . . . God promises us that He will be there.
Just as He was with His Son when He suffered and died . . . He is also with us when we are hurting and wounded. And He is with us when we are celebrating our victories in life. He promises to never abandon us, never to fail us, never to forsake us, never to run out on us and He promises to never hold our sins against us when we believe in Him!
That is the real Jesus. That is the One who came for you and I and died for us.
There was an interesting interview between the late Christopher Hitchens, who was an antagonist to the faith and atheist. He was talking to a woman who considered herself a liberal Christian.
The woman said to him, “The religion you cite in your book is a generally fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the Scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement that Jesus died for our sins, for example. Do you make any distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?”
She’s saying to him, “I’m a liberal Christian. I don’t take any of this stuff literally. I’m a Christian, but I really don’t believe Jesus died for me to save me from my sins. It’s really all a metaphor.”
Listen to how Christopher Hitchens respods. He says, “I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that He rose again from the dead, and by His sacrifice your sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”
WHOA! He’s really hammering her. Why? And this is really pretty cool - - -
He quotes this same passage from the apostle Paul, saying, “If there is no resurrection from the dead, our faith is meaningless.” She defended herself, and described her metaphorical view of God. Finally, Hitchens responds saying, “I know we’ve just met, but the things you’re saying are statements without meaning.”
Paul’s telling us the resurrection is real and is not a metaphor. That’s really what Hitchens was saying to this woman. If you say you believe in Jesus, then you must also state you believe in His death and resurrection.
This is why Paul tells the Romans –
9 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. – Romans 10:9-10
Paul is telling the Romans you need to confess it with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you need to believe in your heart that God really did raise Jesus from the dead. And when you do that, you are showing your belief in Jesus.
As we ask - - is Jesus who He really says He is? The answer is a resounding yes! He is who He says He is. Try Him! Trust Him! Believe in Him! Turn your heart to Jesus!
He tells us –
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
We don’t just get to preach the resurrection; we get to live it. We get to come out of our personal tombs and walk into life. We get to shake off death and move into life. We get to live like people who have been raised from the dead.
Jesus has risen from the dead. And so can you. Jesus is who He says He is.
Today, the simple question is do you believe Jesus is who He says He is? You won’t find that answer on SNOPES.
Easter offers us hope! Hope that Jesus is who He says He is. It offers us hope that God will never abandon us. We have hope in death! We have this great hope that when we believe in Jesus, someday we will live in on eternity. We will be with other loved ones who trusted in Jesus. We will celebrate! Death is not the end. There is more to come.
So, instead of looking at SNOPES, you can find Jesus in your heart, your spirit, your mind and within your body. Come to Jesus! Say Yes to Jesus and he promises to Always, Always be with you! No matter what you go through, He will be there!!
