When I was a preacher, I struggled with how to talk about the resurrection. Without it there is no Christian faith. It is the core that makes everything else about the Christian faith live. Perhaps the message of the resurrection is difficult for me because my training and education drive me to: Describe…explain…prove or convince.
I can do those things, but my experience has taught me that, having done so, the skeptic will remain skeptical and the unbeliever with remain in unbelief. The choice not to believe and follow Jesus is just as much a matter of faith as is the choice to believe and follow.
And there is another problem…how do I describe the power and immensity of the resurrection in a way that does not rob it of its intimacy? Not intimacy in general terms, but intimacy in its impact on me, on you, on each of us in the most deeply personal way possible.
Please remember with me how deeply intimate the cross really was…
-
In a real and personal way, Jesus died as a consequence of MY sin…I was right there with Jesus as he experienced and wrestled with every failure and every wretched decision of my life.
-
As he walked toward the crucifixion place the burden he carried was not a rough-hewn cross, but the burden of our sin and brokenness. Who killed Jesus? We all did.
-
Paul says that at the cross Jesus “became sin.” We were there, you and I. It was our sin he “became.”
Let me tell you why I believe in the resurrection.
I believe in the resurrection because the alternative is terrible.
If Jesus took our sins to the cross, died as the penalty for our sin, and then remained dead, then the conclusions are terrible.
-
Sin is stronger than God.
-
Jesus promised and couldn’t deliver.
-
I am the last line of defense against sin in my life. I am on my own. Have you ever found yourself powerless before the temptation to do the very thing you have vowed to never, ever do again? That’s it.
How does that sound to you?
I cannot remember his name; I only remember the call from the funeral director asking me to do his funeral. There was no time to meet with the family. All I had was his name, his age (24), and the cause of death; suicide by hanging.
I put on my suit and tie, grabbed my Bible, and went directly to the mortuary. I knew I was in trouble when his mother greeted me at the door with alcohol breath and the words, “I’m so glad you could come to share our joy.”
For the next hour and a half I felt as though I was an unwilling player in an elaborate drama of make-believe. No one had faith. They had no idea what I was talking about. The young man had drunk, drugged, stolen, raped, beaten, and lied his way through 24 years of life. The chapel was filled with his biker buddies, chains, and hostility.
The deceased had left a note. He had hanged himself because he had a moment of clarity, saw himself as he really was, and saw no way out. His internal pain was profound. He not only knew that he was dead in sin, but he was convinced that he had sinned so greatly that even the God he denied could not forgive him. With nothing to look forward to, he saw only one way out.
All through my ministry I have worked with people who were overcome by their sins or the sins of others. To all in that bad place I say this: Do not give your sin greater power than it has. Your sin is not greater than God. You are forgiven. His purpose is life, with capital letters and no end. He is the good shepherd, come to restore his lost sheep to the fullness of life.
I believe in the resurrection because it is powerful. It gives me the power to change.
An old hymn has this line…”take away my bent to sinning.” Many of us are ‘bent’ to sin. The destructive pathways and habits of our lives are deeply entrenched. Our sins are habitual, and habits are behaviors we are comfortable with…we like them.
With the power of the resurrection we can learn to be bent the other way…we can become bent to righteousness…to goodness and greatness.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and give me a willing spirit to sustain me.” Psalm 51
Resurrection power can accomplish that. He has already done the work of forgiveness. He has shattered sin and replaced it with forgiveness. He has broken death and decided for life. He has done these things so you could choose life.
Rob Glen was glad to know this great God of life. Rob grew up in our youth group. He became a close friend to my son, Shawn. One day, when Shawn, Rob, and another friend were rock climbing in the Sierras, I got a call from Shawn. Rob had fallen a great distance and had died. Would I come and do Rob’s funeral? I must tell you that Rob was all that this world does not value. He was homely, clumsy, and sometimes inarticulate. He just couldn’t get colors right and often dressed in a way that could only be described as, ‘interesting.’ But Rob had decided that he would be God’s man, and he had given his life completely to following Christ. Christ transformed his life. Rob became a love magnet. God used Rob to express his unconditional love, and Rob became loved by a huge circle of friends. His funeral was packed. Person after person rose to speak of Rob’s impact on their lives, of their relationship with God, and of their hope of sharing heaven with Rob under the care of God. It was one of the most powerful gatherings I have ever been part of.
How about you? Your sin has been dealt with. The power of the resurrection can fill your life with wonderful change. God is greater than your difficulties. God is greater than what anyone has or can do to you. God is greater than your bent to sinning, and he can bend you back to righteousness. All you have to do is accept and follow him.
When I think of the cross and the resurrection I must confess that I do not understand God or the ways of God…but I do trust him.
Prayer: “Dear Father in Heaven, when I read the words of scripture I am struck by the heavy cost of my salvation. I am struck by the incredible lengths you are willing to go in order to save me. I am thankful for your forgiveness and your grace. I am thankful for your gift of eternal life through Jesus, and I am thankful for a new life that can be lived in your presence. Please give me the strength and the courage to follow through on the life you have given me. Amen.”