For most if not all Christians that I know, their belief is not based on an intellectual assent to the Bible but a personal encounter with God through the Holy Spirit. That’s the bit only you can do. The intellectual bit may be helped here.
The whole of the teaching of the New Testament hinges around two events – the crucifixion and the resurrection.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead everything else is pointless.
The resurrection proves three vital things.
1. Jesus really is God
2. Therefore what he taught was and is true and to be trusted
3. There really is life after death
If Jesus really is God, that changes everything and has huge implications for both you and the rest of the world. By studying Him you can find out what God is like. He once said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father“.
If Jesus really is God, then everything He taught is true. That includes Him being the only way of salvation. All other religions are pointless, they cannot bring people nearer to God. They cannot secure eternal salvation for anyone. Jesus said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no-one comes to the Father but by me.” He is your only hope.
You can know right now that God has forgiven you everything you have ever done, said or thought that is wrong and that you have eternal life because of who Jesus is and what He did for you when he shed His blood and died on the Cross. Furthermore you can encounter God through the Holy Spirit.
Nicky Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton and author of the ALPHA teaching series delivered a wonderful talk at Easter 2020, right in the middle of the Corona Virus crisis. Do listen …….
What is the evidence?
Let me be provocative, not to offend, but to challenge.
We often have “atheists” or “agnostics” come to talk to us at the cross. Usually their argument goes along the line that we are essentially stupid, ignorant or deceived to believe in fables and fabrications (the Bible). However on the contrary I suggest to them that those who dismiss the New Testament do so because they have not had or taken the opportunity to explore “the truth”. Possibly that is through laziness, or perhaps because parents, peers or academics have persuaded them not to waste their time “believing”.
Too often the conversation goes down the dead end street of the chicken and egg argument of “where did God come from?” Or, “If God created everything, who created God?” You know how it goes. The point is that for us it takes more faith to believe that the infinite complexity of life came into being by billions of chance mutations and events than to accept creation. But I want to move on from that circular debate. My challenge is will you take the time to read these selected passages as a starter towards belief?
Hundreds of believers in the early church died martyrs deaths because they would not renounce what they believed. That belief didn’t come from head knowledge but fro two sources. First the witness of others. Second a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit that they could not deny.
Remember that all but one of the disciples of Jesus ended up killed because of their belief. You’d have to be seriously mad to die for a lie that you had made up yourself!
Paul the apostle recounts that, “He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep (died). 1 Corinthians 15:6
“He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3
The following is all from the Gospel of John chapter 20
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.”
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener (* see below), she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.“
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
Jesus and Thomas
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
“Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Gospel of John Chapter 20
One of my favourite passages comes from a letter that Paul the apostle wrote to the church in Colossae – “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” Staggering statements.
(*) There are two passages which some people find problematic because people did not recognise Jesus after the resurrection. In this instance the writer as already mentioned that Mary was weeping. She may well have been looking down, eyes filled with tears, not even looking at the man speaking to her until he refers to her by name! The second instance is here in Luke 24:-
On the Road to Emmaus
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
If I were making up a story, I would not put in such a blatantly odd and undermining statement. Laying aside the fake beard or new clean shaven look suggestions, my take is that this was Jesus in His resurrection body, His immortal body, His perfected body. He actually did look different, but as this account goes on to suggest, his language, tone and even his mannerisms were unmistakable. So it goes on …..
“they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem.