| Weekly Message
HE IS RISEN!
He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6)
Last week I had a visit from some individuals that invited me to an event which would celebrate the death of Jesus Christ. I know that what they believe regarding the risen Christ and what I believe is different. You see, they are concentrating on the death of Jesus without giving attention to His resurrection. Without mentioning the congregation of which they are a part, I can say after many discussions, they just don't believe that Jesus literally rose from the dead. Accordingly, I decided to resend this message that I initiated 5 years ago.
In the book, "Jesus Under Fire", edited by Michael J. Wilkins and F. P. Moreland, we find many modern scholars reinventing the historical Jesus. It is good to know however that there are individuals who believe exactly what the Bible says and refuse to accept new theologies regarding His Resurrection. On page 142 of the book, William Lane Craig (Ph.D., University of Birmingham, England) states in pertinent part, "I was more than mildly surprised last year, while reading an account of the Jesus Seminar in 'Time' magazine, to learn that according to John Dominic Crossan, the co-chairman of the Seminar, after the crucifixion, Jesus' corpse was probably laid in a shallow grave, barely covered with dirt, and subsequently eaten by wild dogs; the story of Jesus' entombment and resurrection was the result of wishful thinking."
Believers, do you get the point? As long as there are individuals who doubt that Jesus actually rose from the dead, we who believe, still have work to do. I hope that this Easter Sunday you will be in church giving God praise for the right reason. We are not excited about the fact that Jesus died (although we know that He had to die as payment for our sins), we are excited because He rose! Hallelujah!
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