Resurrection - The Final Frontier

Acts 2:32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

The resurrection of Jesus is what distinguishes us as Christians. As we say, almost every Sunday, in the Apostles’ Creed, “He was crucified dead, and buried…the third day He rose again from the dead.” It states our belief that God raised Christ to life and that we solemnly agree with Peter’s preaching that he was a witness to this extraordinary event.

If we don’t believe in the Resurrection, then we cannot call ourselves ‘Christian.’

For most people in the world, this is a stumbling block. They can accept Christ as a great teacher, whose lessons of faith can be applied in a positive way. They can believe that He was a Rabbi who unfortunately got into a fatal conflict with the authorities. They can recognize that his life was extraordinary, in much the same way as they would recognize that of Joan of Arc, Gandhi, or Mother Theresa, but what they cannot fully accept is that a human being two thousand years ago was raised from the dead and is still alive somewhere in the Universe.

I’ve officiated at hundreds of funerals, but I’ve never seen one person raised from the dead. I have, however, seen thousands of people who have faith in Christ’s Resurrection, which gives them a hope to hold on to more powerful than grief. It’s at that moment, whilst standing by the graveside, that our beliefs are determined and our Christian adherence surfaces. We either believe in Christ’s Resurrection or we don’t.

Sometimes at night, I worry about dying, but I’m not afraid of death. When and how it happens concerns me, but not that it’s going to take place one day or one night. The moment I die is the second I’ll see Jesus; the time of my death will be the beginning of eternal life. And all because I believe in the Resurrection of a carpenter from Nazareth, who turned out to be the Holy Son of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love this life and all that it contains. We enjoy this gift of time that You have given to all who live. We want it to last forever, but we know that our bodies are mortal and that death comes to all. Prepare us for that special time when we will leave the surly bonds of earth and enter into the immortal realms of heaven. Help us to live our lives fully and for as long as we can on earth, so that we may share this good news with everyone we know, love and encounter. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.