Springtime is nearly upon us! Winter’s dark, icy hold will soon be completely gone. Like many, I look forward to more daylight, milder weather, and the rebirth of life outside. How blessed we are by the LORD to live in a world – even this broken one – that bears witness to an annual reminder and reality of life after death.
I find it interesting when the northern hemisphere becomes saturated with more sunlight this time of year that the ground gradually warms, snow melts into life-giving water, and many familiar things are miraculously brought back to life – flowers and plants, leaves on the trees, and even more complex forms of life. It is remarkable how the essential ingredients of water and light are used by God year-over-year to make life thrive again.
The theme of rebirth is seen in Genesis 6 with the account of Noah and the Flood where water covered the Earth, in essence causing a “global reboot” that washed away the things of old, eventually receding and shaping a world that produced life anew.
These are just a few examples of how the LORD created a world that repeatedly testifies about the pattern of resurrection in life. Despite this, many people hesitate believing in the possibility of a resurrected man or woman, including the belief in a risen Savior who can transform peoples’ lives for the better. Critics assert there’s no real proof that Jesus really rose from the dead. After all, none of us were there to witness it, right? It supposedly took place 2000 years ago, so how can anyone truthfully authenticate something so old? Such thinking makes it easier to simply allegorize the Easter story, reduce it to an irrelevant footnote on the religious calendar, or just pay it no attention at all. And for those who do recognize that Jesus was a historical figure, He frequently gets pegged only as a good man or a common gauge for measuring morality, … and only when it’s convenient.
A clearer, fuller, more honest view is needed. Jesus was indeed a good man and teacher, but none of that matters if we fail to answer the most urgent question of all… Is Jesus who He said He is? Is He truly the Son of Almighty God who came from Heaven to live among men, die, and be raised back to life? Regardless of what you choose to believe, a resurrected Jesus completely changes the outcome for you and me. For if Jesus is who He claimed to be and did rise from the dead, then His testimony is true, as are the rest of the scriptures which state that all men and women will be required to give account to Him one day.
Christians declare that the Easter resurrection story is in fact true. But there’s more to this story! Because Jesus was human, possessed the exact same flesh and blood that we do, and was raised from the dead, in like manner so shall every man, woman, and child who dies also be raised back to life one day, whether they expect to or not. Resurrection for everyone is real and not just a fanciful dream. For Jesus’ resurrection is the proof of this – He is the new standard, what the Bible calls firstfruits. What happens to each person after resurrection is then completely up to God, whether good or bad. This is the inescapable truth that we are forced to contend with. We have the opportunity to know God through Jesus and live forever, or reject Him and risk being separated from God and loved ones forever. Therefore, how we choose to live today matters. It matters if you cheat or steal. It matters if you sleep around. It matters if you dismiss the Easter story and fail to acknowledge who Jesus really is.
Seek out God today, pull out a Bible, and search the scriptures. A good place to start is chapters 14-20 in the Gospel of John where readers come face-to-face with statements made by Jesus that show who He is, the One sent from Heaven who made a way for us to live forever. It’s inescapable.
Greg Alderfer serves on the BFC Communications Committee and is a teacher in the adult discipleship ministry at Faith BFC in Harleysville, PA.