“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is ‘I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.’ This week we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: the only person through whom we are reconciled to God.
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.
– Alistair Begg