The Hope Of The Resurrection

A common objection I hear to the resurrection of Jesus Christ is that people just do not rise from the dead. It’s not documented that people rise from the dead. This is the objection. It’s impossible. Medically, scientifically, biologically, within the scope of human experience, it is impossible to rise from the dead.

I’m not a scholar, nor am I brilliant.. in anything, any category. I relate more to pastor Tommy Nelson that refers to himself as Forest Gump. He says, “it doesn’t take Forest Gump here too long to figure this out.” I’m not an academic. No one in the academic world knows my name.

Still, I think about the scholars that do debate these atheist authorities. I think about how they actually have to respond to this objection. Because, as I’ve said, it doesn’t take Forest Gump here too long to figure this out, and I wonder what they feel in their body as they actually verbalize a response to this objection. I wonder if they are actually thinking, “I can’t believe I actually have to explain this.” I wonder if their brain, in disbelief, causes a reaction to their stomach, and it is magnified as they begin to audibly respond to this objection.

In my mind, Forest Gump here, I’m like, duh… If people were rising up all the time, well, Jesus’s resurrection wouldn’t mean much now would it. My thinking is like, “really? This is your objection? That people don’t rise from the dead?” That’s the point! We are basing an entire religion, world view, faith, philosophy on this, it hinges on Jesus Christ rising from the dead and this event being SPECIAL, a long list of works on theology, philosophy, ethics, even governments hinges on our belief that Jesus rose from the dead, that GOD raised Him from the dead. Would GOD have to raise Him from the dead if dead people were rising all the time? This is Forest Gump speaking.

And then I hear these renowned scholars actually respond to this objection in public debates. And I can only imagine what they feel as they are actually acknowledging this objection and verbalizing a response. As they are uttering the words that I, Forest Gump, have just shared.

Did you know that scientists have been attempting to create life in a test-tube for almost 70 years now? Did you know how many cells have emerged from our multiple primordial soups. We shoot it with lighting, we freez it, we thaw it out, we heat it, we mix it, we mix it with other stuff we’ve frozen and thawed out, we make bubbles for it. Do you know how many cells we’ve made? Zero. Zilch. Nada. None.

But people, ..not scientist or experts in any field, just lay people that claim to be atheists and naturalists believe that life popped out of nothing, randomly, and self-organized into replicating cells; but they adamantly refuse to believe in the resurrection.

You see, everyone has faith in something, the choice is more due to their heart than their brains. It’s true. It has to do more with the will than with scientific discovery. We have 70 years that tell us that life cannot self-organize, and yet, in hope beyond hope, in belief beyond belief, they cling to this faith, that life self-organized from non-life.

I’m reminded of this story:

A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, "Eighteen to nothing--we're behind."

"Boy," said the spectator, "I'll bet you're discouraged."

"Why should I be discouraged?" replied the little boy. "We haven't even gotten up to bat yet!"

Hope against hope. EVEN atheists have it.

How much more should we! Our hope is based on the historical event of the rising of Jesus Christ! How much more should we have faith and hope for our lives and our faith!

Hope

Hope does incredible things to the human psychi. It helps us endure pain and loss, as long as we have hope.

This is a horrible illustration but, not having found a better one: Rats were used for an experiment. They were placed in a tub of water. They swam for a while, but the first group perished quickly. The second group was also placed in a tub of water, but they were lifted out of the water periodically. Those rats swam for over 24 hours because they believed they might make it. They had hope.

Hope does something to us.

God has revealed Himself as the creator of the universe. As the only God. As a faithful protector and provider. As a help in a time of need. As the emblem of hope for the hopeless. God, from the beginning, has revealed Himself this way. He told Abraham, “is anything too difficult for God?” And He gave Abraham His son Issaac. Such was Abraham changed, that when God tested Him, Abraham got up early and obeyed God, believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead if necessary. God is the God of Hope. And in the story of Christ He has given us ultimate Hope! He has told us that God has not forgotten us. He has told us that God is on our side, “God with us.” He has told us that God LOVES us. He has told us that God LOVES THE SINNER!