Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/75

Contributor - Rev. Harri Zegerius

Title - Resurrection Realities

Topic - Resurrection

Countless stories and explanations have been concocted to circumvent the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the early morning light the women went to the wrong tomb. The body was stolen and hidden by his disciples. He revived and walked away because he was not really dead (never mind the spear wound in his heart). His appearances were visions conceived in the overwrought emotions and wishes of the, shaken disciples. All these and many more tales have been proposed, to live a little while and then to whither away. He is Risen stands solidly as victory against the inevitability and finality of death.

Actually even the disciples at first could not believe it. And no wonder. The crucifixion had been defeat, collapse, scattering and hopelessness. Their Master, the hoped for Messiah, was gone. This was the bitter end; the enemy had triumphed. Muttering sadly about the "might have beens" they hid in the upper room for prayer. And when women came rushing from the tomb to tell of His appearing "they believed not".

But something happened to those fearful disciples. They came breaking out of that upper room as new men preaching a resurrected Christ, unafraid, laying about them with the truth no matter what the consequences. Prison, beatings, violent persecutions, nothing deterred them from a task they claimed the resurrected Christ had laid upon them. No weariness, no bitter opposition, no endless journeys, seemed too much for these transformed men.

We greatly wonder if they could have lived and suffered like this, endured even to a martyr's death for a spiritual Watergate? If they had been pretending or covering up could they have been such utterly convinced and convincing men? Could they have endured even to death? If at anytime a hidden body could have been discovered and paraded by the enemies through the streets of Jerusalem, could they have lived with glory and certainty like this? If at any time any one of the inner circle could have faltered and leaked a story of what really happened, conscience stricken, would not the whole maneuver have collapsed. Like Watergate.

Actually of course the embarrassment lies with the enemies. They had the entrustment of the body of Christ. They rolled a great stone before the tomb; they set a watch of armed men. The responsibility was theirs. And what a lame excuse: While we slept they stole the body. Seek that body, bring it, parade it in the streets. It's easily identified, obviously crucified, with no bones broken, but a deep spear wound in His side. Surely this well known man displayed in death would have laid to rest forever the claims of resurrection. But there was no display.

What comes to us instead as reality is the witness of these convinced and convincing men. They say that Jesus the resurrected met them again and again. He spoke with them, ate with them, showed them His wounds, snared God's great purposes with them, laid the claims of His accomplished work on them. "As the Father sent me, so send I you."

Think of the list of witnesses. Mary saw Him through her tears; Peter had confrontation with Him. So did the ten disciples in the upper room; then the eleven; then seven at that prayer breakfast at the Sea of Galilee. And who could ever forget that hour of parting from the mountain over against Bethany. Their eyes beheld Him go and their hearts longed after Him to follow. These were the realities that set their lives in course for all the years that came after. They were utterly convinced men. He is Risen.

And it became the major thrust of their message to the World. Three times in his Pentecost sermon Peter blazed it forth. "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be holden of it." Acts 2 : 24. "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption" (vs. 27). On the streets of Jerusalem, before the Sanhedrin, or in far distant cities that became their message, and their hope.

For somehow this strange Christ, so recognizably Himself, yet different, this Christ who could suddenly appear to share the deepest truth, and then as suddenly be gone, said something to them about their own future and ours. Their future hope was to be with Christ, to be like Him, to see Him as He is. There is a resurrection for them now, a newness of life, which shall someday be an utter one-ness with Him. "Beloved now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3 : 2). This is the final resurrection reality.

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