Why Is The Resurrection So Important?

Question:

What are the most influential seven words spoken in the history of the world?

“Romeo, Romeo where fore art thou Romeo?”

“We shall fight them on the beaches”

“This is one giant leap for mankind”

“I counted them all back in again”

“Crazy comedian Freddie Starr ate my hamster”

“….A plane just hit the south tower!”

Just A Murdered Rabbi?

Influential as these words are in the worlds of literature, statesmanship, human endeavour, correspondence, celebrity journalism and the analysis of human evil: How many of them will register more than a blip on the radar screen of history 2-3000 yrs from now? Probably none of them! However, I want to suggest the following as the most influential words ever spoken… “He is not here…He has risen” (words spoken of Jesus Christ following his resurrection.)

Why 2000 years after His death, does this wandering prophet from an obscure village in Israel have over 2 billion followers worldwide? After all, there were many Holy Men in His day; many false Messiahs; and the Romans crucified thousands upon thousands of people. Why should this one man defy the odds of historical obscurity to shine as the central figure of human history? Because He is the only person in human history that claimed to be the Son of God and validated the claim by defying death’s stranglehold and breaking out of His tomb three days after He was put to death.

You see Christianity stands or falls on the fact of the resurrection of Jesus. His whole life and teaching amount to nothing if He still remains in a grave to this day. Almost every other religion is based upon a theological dictum, ideology or philosophy. Not upon the historical fact of its founder’s identity or an event in time or space. Author Josh McDowell says “The resurrection of Jesus is either one of the most wicked, heartless, vicious, hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men. Or it is the most fantastic fact of history ever.”

A Question of Identity:

It is the resurrection above all things that is the proof of Jesus’ claims about His identity. Humanity has crossed many frontiers in the course of her development… frontiers in space, frontiers under the oceans, frontiers in micro science and technology, frontiers in industry and frontiers in medicine. But the one frontier we have yet to conquer is that of death. Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God conquered death by His resurrection: An act that surely rubber-stamps His claims about Himself?

His resurrection is crucial to the Christian faith because it attests to his identity, but also is the template for all of those who follow Him. Namely, to those who trust in Him, death is but a formality on our journey to eternal life in God’s presence: A place free from pain, suffering, agony, tears and shame. Surely that is worth aiming for?

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