Former NFL player Pat Tillman’s name has been in the news a lot lately. He played football for Arizona State University and then the Arizona Cardinals. But he had voluntarily enlisted with the Army Rangers following the terrorist attacks on September 11; turning down a $3.6 million contract with the NFL. He was just 27-years-old when he was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan on April 22. Pat Tillman was a man of extraordinary courage and determination — a national hero. Recent reports are now saying that he may have been killed by friendly fire. At his memorial service he was eulogized by family, friends and celebrities at a 2 ½ hour service in his hometown of San Jose, California. Pat’s father said in his brief remarks at the service: “I miss my son, and it’s not getting any better.” USA Today reported that Alex Garwood, a brother-in-law, opened his comments by pouring a glass of beer, setting it in front of the lectern, and then yelling to the large crowd which had gathered: “This (expletive) sucks.” He went on to say, “Part of me wants to give up, throw in the towel, but there’s no way Pat would accept that from us.” Richard Tillman, Pat’s brother, stood before the gathering in a white T-shirt and jeans and shocked the crowd when he said with his voice shaking: “It was amazing to be his baby brother. He was a champion. And Pat was not religious, so he’s not with God, he’s just (expletive) dead.”
When I read that story and felt the despair of those who felt the loss of Pat Tillman, I thought again of the words of the Bible that say: “And 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. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). It does not matter how strong, courageous or famous you are — if you are just dead, you’re just dead. And there is no hope for our family or the friends we leave behind. Things will not get better. We are to be pitied and might as well give up. But as we read the book of Acts, we find what is without a doubt the most transforming thought ever to come into the human mind and heart: This life is not the end, it is just the beginning, because Jesus Christ has conquered death. And because he has conquered death, he will conquer our death as well and raise us to life. There is more to life. There is more to come. Jesus Christ conquered death, rose from the grave and opened Paradise — all for our sakes.
In the book of Acts, the disciples go from a small group of timid souls to an explosive group of people empowered by a new vision. As you read Acts you realize that you are hearing one theme over and over again: the fact that Jesus is alive because he rose from the dead. That one fact did more to change their lives than any other, and it has changed the world as well. It was the dynamic power of a new persuasion. Before, all was lost. There was no hope of eternity. But now, with the resurrection of Jesus, everything had changed. Peter proclaimed: “God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” — so nothing was impossible now. Life had a whole new feel. Our “hearts are glad,” and our “bodies live in hope.” What changed was, as Peter said, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact” (Acts 2:32). We know that God will not abandon us to the grave — but has the power to give us eternal life.
So the real symbol of Christianity is not the cross, but an empty tomb. Art historian Kenneth Clark makes an astounding observation when he writes: “We have grown so used to the idea that the Crucifixion is the supreme symbol of Christianity, that it is a shock to realize how late in the history of Christian art its power was recognized. In the first art of Christianity it hardly appears, and the earliest example, on the doors of Santa Sabina in Rome [around A.D. 430], is stuck away in a corner, almost out of sight. . . early Christian art is concerned with miracles, healings, and with hopeful aspects of the faith like the Ascension and the Resurrection.”
The atoning death of Christ is essential to our salvation, but so is the resurrection. Without the resurrection we would only have a dead teacher, not a living Savior. This is why the resurrection becomes the central message of the book of Acts. It is the driving force behind the preaching, teaching and joyful lives of the believers. This is also what got them in so much trouble, for the scriptures tell us that the religious leaders, “were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2). It is the core motivation for reaching out with a message of hope to people outside the faith. There are at least three reasons for this, and the first is that without the resurrection, it would have meant that: The story of Christ would be just a beautiful story with a bad ending. What is the basic difference between Christianity and the other world religions? First of all, it is that Jesus claimed to be God and backed up those claims with miraculous acts of divine power. In Peter’s Pentecost sermon, he was able to say, “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” (Acts 2:22). These signs and wonders were not in doubt, even by those who put Jesus to death. Secondly, it is that he died and rose again — something no other religious leader claimed to do. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, all that we have is another Mohammed or Buddha. We have one more religious teacher who lies in his grave — one who was able to spout religious ideals, but not one with the power to help us face death. No hope of eternity. No hope of heaven.
This is what makes Jesus unique. He did not come to bring us another religion. He did not come to pile on more rules for us to follow. He came to bring life — abundant life here, and eternal life hereafter. A religious leader can say anything, but if they do not have the power to back up their claims their words mean nothing. Especially if they claim to be God, as Jesus did. Because he lives, he can change the world, and in fact he has and does.
Imagine a world without the influence of the life of Christ. What would it be like? You don’t have to have much of an imagination. Just go to the movies. It started with Mel Gibson’s Mad Max movies: A dark, dreary, violent world where there is no goodness or meaning. Those movies spawned a whole genre of films where malevolent oppression, destruction, depression and violence are the order of the day. That is what the world without Christ would be like. It is what life was like in many parts of the pagan world before the time of Christ. And if our culture does not turn around, it is where the world is headed now. You cannot reject God, the Bible and morality and not expect it to have a profound negative effect on the world. Jesus Christ came to lift the world to a new level. He came to give the world’s story a good ending. He has overcome death and the world.
If there had only been the death of Christ, that would have been a bad ending to an otherwise great story — just a death and no resurrection. But unlike the other religious leaders of the world, Jesus Christ died and came back to life. He lives. That is important because it is impossible to have a relationship with a dead man. As we said last week, Christianity is not about ritual and rules, it is about a relationship. That is what Jesus Christ offers us today. A dead God cannot do anything for you, but a living Savior can do anything.
But listen to how the reality of the resurrection affected the lives of the disciples: “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all’ (Acts 4:33).
The second reason that the resurrection was the driving force behind the message and outreach of the early church was that: Without the resurrection it would have meant that evil had won. Some of you have read William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies. It is a picture of what happens without the influence of Christian values on a society and its laws. Think of what the world would be like if suddenly there were no police to guard and protect you, and no courts of law. There would be chaos overnight. Riots, looting, robbery, assault and mayhem would ensue. Some people who had seemed to be good neighbors would suddenly be monsters. Then add to that the subtraction of our military to guard and protect our country. Just let your mind roll with the thought of what that would be like. In a matter of months we would not have a country. Evil would rule. There would be no one to stand up for us and protect our rights. Might would equal right. It would be the survival of the strongest. We would be mere beasts. But Jesus came to stand up against the world’s evil.
When Jesus came into the world, a battle began and evil threw every weapon in its arsenal against him. Evil roused the hatred of the world. Whispered accusations, slander, innuendo and suspicion brought about a crescendo of shouted demands for his execution. Finally, evil had its way, and Jesus was horribly beaten and died a terrible death on the cross. Jesus was the only thing standing in the devil’s way to keep him from doing everything he wanted to do. The devil thought he had won, but Jesus Christ pulled a surprise maneuver and walked out of his grave in victory over the devil, death and hell. Evil has not won — Jesus Christ has won.
The apostles saw the resurrection as the power behind the miracles and healings that God performed through them. They said to the people who had witnessed a healing, “Know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed” (Acts 4:10). Because of the resurrection Jesus has conquered the sin and sickness of this world.
This is the reason that the church cannot be overcome by pessimism. Jesus has overcome the world. We are an optimistic people because we have a future. Erwin McManus says, “The church of Jesus Christ is always looking forward. It always believes in the promise of tomorrow and is never overwhelmed by the difficulty or even the failure of the present.” He goes on to say, “We are to be a voice of hope because we are a people of hope. A follower of Jesus Christ has no excuse for pessimism.”
The third reason the resurrection was the driving force behind the message and outreach of the early church was that: The resurrection is the prelude to the second coming. The early disciples saw the resurrection as the promise of something else — something more. They saw hidden in the resurrection the promise that Jesus would return to earth again. Because he was alive, he would not stay away. He would return to claim the world as his own and set up his eternal kingdom. Without the resurrection, the second coming would not be possible. Calvin Miller says, “Only a living Jesus can be a coming Jesus.” The apostles remembered that when Jesus rose from the grave, and then ascended to heaven while they were watching, an angel appeared to them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Without the resurrection there would be no hope of the second coming of Jesus. The victory of Easter in Christ’s triumph over death was the promise of a future victory of the return of Christ and his triumph over the world.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). He said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3). Without the resurrection the words of Jesus make no sense. They would only be irrational babbling.
In Charlotte Brontë’s classic book Jane Eyre, Jane is an orphan being raised by a wealthy, but cruel, aunt named Mrs. Reed. Her aunt decides to send her to Lowood School which is run by Mr. Brocklehurst — a man who is even more cruel and hypocritical than her aunt. After her arrival, Mr. Brocklehurst asks Jane if she knows where bad girls go after they die. Jane frankly replies, “To Hell, Sir.” Whereupon Brocklehurst spits out: “And what do you plan on doing about it?” Jane cooly responds, “I plan to live a very long time, sir.”
There is another alternative. Jesus Christ came to deliver us from our sin and gave us the promise that he will also deliver us from our grave. Peter said, “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” (Acts 3:26). You don’t have to live a long time here, you can live forever in the presence of God — all because Jesus lives.
The realization of the resurrection, which led to the certain hope of the second coming of Jesus, was the driving force behind the evangelism of the early church. Because Jesus was alive he could transform human lives. Because he had conquered death, life had endless possibilities. Because he was coming again, it was imperative for everyone to be ready to meet him. This new truth created an urgency in the heart of all believers who understood its implications — as it still does today.
As the Spring arrived this year, I watched as the new growth literally exploded from the ground. I began to think about the trees, which had looked so dead, but which were now budding and bringing forth blossoms, leaves and eventually fruit. I thought about the flowers which would bloom and grass which would grow. . . and grow. . . and grow. The ground had been holding life all winter just waiting for the promised moment. I began to think about how impossible it would be to hold back the Spring. You could chop down trees, but their stumps would sprout. You could dig up flowers, but their seeds would grow. You could plow the ground, but the grass and vegetation would come back. You could even drop a nuclear bomb, but it could not stop the Spring. It’s impossible. Life would be popping out all over. It was the same with the resurrection of Jesus. Death could not keep its grip on him. He exploded from the grave full of life, and his life was life-giving. The life in Jesus that lifted him from the grave now lives in us who know him — so it is impossible for death to keep its hold on us as well. Nothing can keep us in the ground. The Bible says, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Thanks be to God
Rodney J. Buchanan
June 6, 2004
Mulberry St. UMC
Mt. Vernon, OH
www.MulberryUMC.org
Rod.Buchanan@MulberryUMC.org
