“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18)
We as Christians affirm the truth declared in Scripture that not only was Jesus dead and buried, but “He was raised on the third day.” We marvel at the fact that He was put to death for our sins and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25).
Christ’s death on the cross is a forcible reminder that our Christian faith is based in historical fact. We need to remember this when our unbelieving friends suggest that reason deals with fact while faith exists only in the realm of personal ideals or internal virtues. The New Testament does not allow for such a distinction, and nothing breaks down the wall of partition between faith and reason more than the reality of the resurrection.
When talking with people about these things, I often point out that if Jesus is not raised from the dead, then Christianity is irrelevant. However, if Christ is alive, then Christianity is supremely relevant! The one thing our Christian faith can’t be is “kind of relevant.” In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis explains that Jesus has not left open to us the option of sidestepping Him as just another great moral teacher.
This Easter, let the resurrection be a reminder to all of us that Jesus is the Christ and the only Saviour who makes us acceptable to God.
It is noteworthy that many people who are not regular church attendants are open to receiving an invitation to an Easter service. Let me encourage you to be bold in welcoming them to join you this year.
– Alistair Begg