Note: This is the second article leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus
The vast majority of the people in the world think erroneous thoughts about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. They simply can’t get their minds wrapped around it because they are not spiritually prepared to receive such a wonderful and supernatural truth. The moment a person gets saved, they find that they no longer have any trouble believing in the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection has been and still is a hotly debated topic among human beings and there is a reason. Satan knows that belief in the resurrection is a necessary thing for salvation and he does not want the people of the world to be saved. He always attacks the foundation stones of God’s work and the resurrection is one of those stones.
There is just something about the human mind which makes it doubt something as awe inspiring as the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The mind of man can’t quite get a grip on it and therefore doubt springs in. There is a crucial question that needs to be asked: “If Jesus Christ is God, then why wouldn’t He be resurrected?” God can’t die and therefore, Jesus couldn’t stay under the dominion of death. He couldn’t be God if anything could defeat Him. He is superior even to death. He caused life to spring out of death and because He did, you have life which springs out of death also. When you die to self, life in Jesus springs forth. And then, when you die physically, life springs forth because of the resurrection of Jesus. He comes and resurrects you to everlasting life.
So, lets look at what the world thinks about this most wonderful event in the history of the world. First, the world thinks that the resurrection simply didn’t happen. They think this because, as I stated above, they simply can’t get their minds around this event. Intellectually, the world ignores it because they can’t conceive of it. The Bible has several things to say in response to the world’s denial of the resurrection. Several passage of God’s inerrant Word stand out. Matthew 28:1-10 as well as Mark 16:1-14 in addition to Luke 24:1-12 and John 20:1-18 all attest to the resurrection of Jesus. If one will simply read those scriptures, they will find that God says the resurrection DID happen. Then, we have the appearances of Jesus to His disciples following His resurrection. Many people saw him, spoke with Him, ate with Him and walked along the road with Him. At His ascension into heaven from the Mount of Olives, hundreds saw Him as he ascended on a cloud. The angels spoke to the people and told them that He will come again just as He went. So, one day Jesus will come back from heaven riding on a cloud just as the angels said. The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most investigated and validated events of history. The Resurrection did occur just as the Bible says.
Second, the world thinks that the resurrection really doesn’t matter. In Romans 10:9-10 we learn that belief in the resurrection of Jesus DOES matter. The Bible says in that passage that “if you believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that if you believe that He was resurrected from the dead, you shall be saved. The belief in the resurrection sounds pretty important to me doesn’t it to you? It is just like the world to dismiss something so important. They can’t conceive of it so they just dismiss it as if it were any simple event in the history of the world. People will accept the “magic” of well-known magicians before they will accept what God did when He resurrected Jesus from the Dead. The attitude of….”well, if it did happen o.k. and if it didn’t happen o.k., it’s not something that concerns me in today’s world.” Those are deadly words and thoughts.
In the third place, the world thinks that the resurrection won’t happen where they are concerned. “All of this is for others. If they want to believe this stuff then, o.k.” Think for a moment how many times Jesus had to tell even His own disciples about His impending death and resurrection before THEY got it.” If people think it is for others, they are demonstrating that they simply don’t believe what God says in His Word. In First Corinthians chapter 15, God is giving us a whole chapter on the resurrection and a new body for us that will live forever, but it is not believed. Those people are going to be left out of eternal life with God. But, they will be alive somewhere that no one wants to be: hell. In hell a person is still alive but they spend eternity dying not living with Jesus in Heaven.
Finally, the world thinks that, if it is true, everyone will get a resurrection to life and things will be just fine for them too. That approach is known as universalism and it is contrary to all that God teaches in the Bible concerning eternal life in Heaven. These people have heard about the resurrection so much that the cultural Christianity syndrome takes over and they absorb the concept of Easter and the empty grave but they really don’t believe it or live like they believe it. Easter eggs and the bunny are as big a part of the day as the resurrection is as far as they are concerned. They are right about one thing and wrong about another. They are right about the fact at ALL will be resurrected and they are wrong in saying that it will be a good resurrection for them just as if they were a dedicated Christian. For those who don’t believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, it will be a resurrection but not a resurrection to life. It will be a resurrection to a final judgment by God and then they are cast into hell.
There is only one way to be safe and to win this battle. Trust Christ for salvation and accept what God says about His resurrection in Rom. 10: 9-10. Listen once again to what God says on the issue in these verses: “If you believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” That is a promise from God that will stand forever. Don’t ignore it.
What the world thinks about the resurrection may be their opinion but their opinion carries no weight with God when He has laid down the principles Himself.
What the World Thinks and What God Says About the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is crucial to where you will spend eternity. Don’t listen to the world. Listen to God!
