The Reality of the Resurrection

Easter is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. Some skeptics like Frank Morrison have researched this phenomenon and ended up a Christian, as reflected in his best selling book, Who Moved the Stone. Others however, have come away with different ideas. I have listened to one scholar share his views, on YouTube, that he used to be a Christian, but he is not any more, because he no longer believes in the resurrection. He bases his decision to leave Christianity based on 1) his research abilities and 2) his range of awareness. Given the fact that all of us can decide what we believe and then make the Bible say what we want it to say, let’s examine two areas.

First, is our own skill set in establishing our level of research abilities. Our discipline, intellect and our patience will establish how good our research abilities are, generally speaking. Most of us have the propensity to make up our minds before we know all the facts. Or, we decide what we believe before all the facts (known and unknown) have come into our view. Second, each of us possesses a limited range of awareness. We commonly make the mistake of making decisions within our own range of awareness. The mistaken assumption is that all the facts are within our range of awareness when they are not. The harsh reality is that each of us operates out of a very small range of awareness of all the knowledge that is available to us in this universe. For example, I was listening to an earth scientist speaking on NPR who said, “One can now say confidently that we know about one percent of all life-forms living on and in the earth.” When speaking about the spiritual dimension, we probably know even less. 

So, when some people and scholars say that they do not believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, they are depending on their own unique skill-set level of research as well as their limited range of awareness. One Medical Doctor said to me, “The more we know the less we know.” Now, that is a person in touch with reality!

So, how can we solve this complex debate? My answer is that I depend on my own experiences. Specifically, I have experienced two times when a voice spoke loudly to me saving my life. Once when I was six (6) years old, and once when I was forty (40) years old. So, I can say confidently that Jesus is real and the spiritual dimension is real.

We know that history documents that there was a real Jesus and that he was crucified. He died. Yet, I know, from personal experience, that He lives! I do not depend on my own limited research skills or my shallow range of awareness of the visible and invisible world around me. I depend on personal experience. 

This Easter season, I invite you to ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you as only He can. Don’t let someone else make up your mind for you. Seek Him yourself and see if your Creator does not give you a personal experience that will remove all doubt.

His Servant,

Ron McCaskill, Pastor

Christchurch Cairo