Dear friends,
Here’s a great thought for Easter: I know a way that you could disprove Christianity once and for all! Christianity is the only faith that stands or falls on one simple truth – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. If it could be proved that this event never happened, the Christian faith would be destroyed in one moment.
The Apostle Paul was adamant. Writing to the church in Corinth he said, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins….we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17 and 19). Right from the very start, the Christian community staked the whole validity of their message on this one single fact – Jesus had risen from the dead. Unlike most other religions and worldviews which are based on ideas or theories, Christianity claims to be falsifiable based on this single historical claim. Disprove the resurrection of Jesus and Christianity is dead.
The birth of Christianity is remarkable, because these men and women gave their lives for what they knew to be true. They were eye witnesses to the resurrection. From being a frightened, depressed and disillusioned group of men and women after Jesus was crucified, who hid from the authorities and ran from the public eye for fear of being caught, they were suddenly transformed, unafraid, and starting an international movement that has spread worldwide.
British adventurer, writer and television presenter, Bear Grylls is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild. He is a part of a number of television series in the United Kingdom and the United States on the theme of survival in the wild. In 1997, he became the youngest Briton to climb Ama Dablam in the Himalayas. And in 1998, he became one of the youngest people ever to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. In July 2009, he was appointed the youngest-ever Chief Scout at the age of 35.
In an interview with Relevant Magazine, he said of his faith: “Faith has been and is the backbone of my life. Christianity is not about religion. It’s about faith, about being held, about being forgiven. It’s about finding joy and finding home. We all want that, but nobody wants religion. Why do people turn away from faith? They’re not, they’re turning away from religion most of the time. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want to be forgiven or held or find peace or joy in their life. We try loads of other stuff but it doesn’t fill the void like Jesus.”
The church came into existence because hundreds of men and women were utterly convinced that God had broken into human history and raised Christ from the dead offering the gift of forgiveness, hope, love and life.
Blessings this Easter!
Rev Steve