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The Paradox of Easter
Brian Mashburn
April 1, 2018
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The Paradox of Easter
Jesus once asked his sweet friend Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
It was a good question then, and it is now. Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus died and then lived? Do you believe that your belief in this will allow you to do the same?
Admittedly, it is a whole lot to swallow. I bet that few, if any, of us would believe it if we were told that a guy died this past Friday at BSA and was in worship with us today. Yet, we say we believe in Jesus as resurrected.
Do we? It’s an important question. Paul says that"if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (1 Cor 15:14)
This is a strange way for me to come at it, I suppose, but if it is true that Jesus' message and our faith would be useless without the resurrection, then I am all the more certain that the resurrection is for real. Why? Because I have witnessed Jesus’ message and our faith being so extremely useful in people’s lives. Including mine.
Perhaps, like Thomas (see John 20:25), you struggle to believe in the possibility that Jesus was actually resurrected. Perhaps, like Peter (see John 21:1-17), you struggle to believe in the possibility that Jesus’ resurrection is powerful enough to raise you to life.
Perhaps this is why Christians are so often called “believers”. And I am sure that this is why, once we believe, and it “works,” we continue to believe. In faith and joy that Jesus has risen… that he has risen indeed.