By Allan Pole
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was a highly debated issue in the first century between the Pharisees, who believed in a bodily resurrection, and the Sadducees, who did not. This teaching is foundational to our faith as followers of Jesus Christ.
The meaning of life is defined by our Lord’s resurrection.
We naturally tend to think that life is all about who and what we experience here on earth because this is all we know. We assume our skin colour is the only one until we see others. We don’t realize there might be another language than our own until we hear one spoken. Similarly, it’s hard to imagine what life is like on the other side of death until we actually go there.
The apostles and the other followers of Jesus believed that He was the Messiah but they missed the prophecies and references to His death and resurrection. They didn’t seem to have a place for this in their theology and expectations. The Jesus in their minds was not yet the one who is but the one they wanted Him to be. Then came Resurrection Sunday!
Without the resurrection of Christ, the crucifixion was a terrible tragedy. Unless Jesus was raised, everything He said and did was a horrible waste. We learn in the Gospel accounts that Jesus appeared to a variety of women and men. We learn in 1 Corinthians 15 that the resurrected Christ appeared to more than 500 witnesses!
What part in Christ’s resurrection story impacts you the most? How does the resurrection of Jesus affect your daily life?
The meaning of life is defined by our resurrection.
When Jesus arrived at the home of Mary and Martha, their brother Lazarus had died and been placed in the tomb four days earlier. We tend to focus on the resurrection of Lazarus here in John chapter 11. We are justifiably amazed at what Jesus did by raising him from the dead, but let’s not miss the significance of what Jesus said: resurrection is focused not upon a past or future event, but upon a person.
This is why Paul made it his life’s goal to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11). He concluded in 1 Corinthians 15:32 that if there is no resurrection, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (NIV)
What kind of experience have you had with death? How does your approaching resurrection shape your priorities of time, energy and money?
The meaning of life—including our ministry to new Canadians—is defined by our Lord’s resurrection and our resurrection. The here and now finds purpose in the hereafter.
