The Resurrection of Jesus and Faith

I love Easter. It's my favorite holiday- yes, even more than Christmas. It isn't just the nice weather that comes in this time of year, although I appreciate that. It isn't just seeing folks wear their Easter best to church (I actually don't, shame on me). It's what this day represents. I love the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I love reading about it, singing about it, thinking about it. I love that it happened. It is the single most revolutionary event in the history of this world.

I also love the television shows that come along with Easter, as frustrating as they can be. I watch whatever I can, just to see what scholars they ask to speak and what they say. There's the usual suspects: John Dominic Crossan espousing some ridiculous view for the sake of being unorthodox, there's Craig Evans who offers the voice of reason, and there's usually N T Wright, giving his interesting historical twist to everything. Once in a while someone jumps in who I've never heard of (although rarely), and I try to follow up and figure out who they are.

But in all of these shows, someone will make a comment about the resurrection that frustrates me to no end. This comment normally goes something like this, "the resurrection is a matter of faith, whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead is not as important as whether or not you believe it in your heart." Ugh. What junk. Unfortunately, I think that too many faithful believers would agree with this. However, that is not the position of the Bible.

Read 1 Corinthians 15 and you'll see the proper place of faith. The quote given in the last paragraph essentially says this: "the resurrection is true if you believe it in your heart." But, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul argues that our faith is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. If the resurrection didn't happen, our faith is empty and useless (see especially vv12-19, you can click on the link for the NET Bible here on my page). If Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead in bodily form, our faith has nothing to stand on. If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, we are wasting our time.

Those who claim that the resurrection is merely a matter of "faith" operate with a poor definition of "faith." They see faith and facts operating in different spheres. That is not Paul's understanding of faith as seen here in 1 Corinthians 15. He sees faith as needing the resurrection. We may not need to have a fact "proven" (what proof is needed, though, is fairly subjective), but that fact needs to be true- it can not be simply a matter of my personal opinoin.

Here's the point: our faith does not birth the resurrection and its truth and power. The truth and power of the resurrection birth our faith. The resurrection of Jesus happened, no matter what anyone believes. Just because I believe the resurrection happened doesn't make it any more true or powerful. It's truth and power do not derive from me. If I were to stop believing in the resurrection of Jesus (God forbid- literally), it would not cease to be true. Because it is true, I can believe. Praise God for the victory won for us, seen on the cross and in the empty tomb.