Is Christianity true? (the Resurrection - Part 2)
This blog is part of my series titled “Is Christianity true?” The series addresses four common objections to the truthfulness of the Christian worldview, namely concerns about: (1) the trustworthiness of the Bible; (2) the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection; (3) the compatibility of faith in God with modern science; and (4) the incompatibility of Christian truth claims with those of other worldviews.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESURRECTION - PART 1
THE RESURRECTION VALIDATES JESUS’ CLAIM OF DIVINITY - In the four Gospel accounts, Jesus consistently asserted or implied His divinity. For example, in John’s Gospel, He said, “The Father [God the Father] and I are one” (John 10:30). While Jesus never explicitly says, “I am God” in the New Testament, He often used phrases that, to the Jewish mind of that time, clearly meant the same thing. These included the phrases “Son of God,” “Son of Man,” and “I Am.” He called God His Father, which to the religious leaders was blasphemous since it equated Him with God.
Jesus also did not correct His disciples when they called Him the Messiah. He affirmed Peter’s assertion that He was the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). However, these claims (or at least their implications) apparently went over the heads of His followers at the time. They hung on His every word, but they failed to comprehend when He told them He would die and be raised back to life on the third day. Jesus held the crowd’s attention with the many miracles He performed, the authority with which He spoke, and the compassion with which He treated the people who came to Him.
Jesus did not stop people when they worshipped him.
He did not stop people when they worshiped Him. Think about that for a moment! Based on their Scriptures, the Jews were strict monotheists. In their worldview, the worship of anyone other than God was blasphemy, and, according to their law, the death penalty applied. Ultimately, the religious authorities condemned Jesus to death for precisely that reason. At His trial, many charges were brought against Him, but none stuck due to lack of evidence. Finally, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the following interaction took place between the high priest and Jesus:
“And the high priest arose and said to Him, ‘Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?’ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, ‘I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?’ They answered and said, ‘He is deserving of death.’” (Matthew 26:62–66 NKJV)
If Jesus was raised from the dead, everything He said prior to the crucifixion is validated, including His claim to divinity. After all, death is the common denominator affecting everyone, yet Jesus overcame death—something that can be reasonably attributed only to an unimaginably powerful, invisible force like God.
Paraphrasing Ali, a Muslim and my former barber, “If the resurrection is true, everyone should pay close attention to everything Jesus said.” In particular, we should pay attention to Jesus’ assertions concerning His divinity, the meaning of His crucifixion, and the unconditional offer of forgiveness that opens the door to reconciliation with God. All these claims should logically command the attention of a critical thinker.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
