Here’s a little departure from my series “Jesus: Man or God-Man?” It’ s on hold, since my view count took a sudden drop to two a day and stayed there, so that I have to  wonder if I’ve been sabotaged or silenced somehow. Support didn’t answer my query. I may not write any more.

I listened to Janet Parshall’s radio show today, (“In the Market with Janet Parshall”). For two hours she interviewed authors of recent books affirming the validity of the resurrection story. One is “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” by Dr. Michael Licona (and someone else), and “The Jesus Family Tomb Examined”, by Rene Lopez*

The arguments are most convincing and encouraging, but I don’t really need them: I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ without question, and I’m aware of numerous arguments in support and defense of it. However, one thing I did gain from the discussions was the sense that opposition to the resurrection has this fatal flaw, among many: the counter-claims and theories are so numerous and varied that they actually disprove each other. If these theories were anything but theories and hypotheses they would have a single and a conclusive line of reasoning backed up with evidence, but they do not.

Since the Romans and the unbelieving Jews were so anxious to snuff out the claim that Jesus had risen from the dead you would think that the first thing they would have done would be to parade his body around the streets, but they didn’t-they couldn’t.

So what does Easter mean to me?

I remember that when I was a boy I had a sub-conscious  fear of my own mortality.  More and worse than that, I feared the mortality of my parents, who had me late in life and who were already in their fifties when I was just a child. I loved them dearly, and didn’t want them to leave me, or to suffer by losing each other.

By the time I was in my teens I was very disillusioned with human nature and the world of men. Something inside me knew instinctively that life was not how it should be: that people were in some way lost and separated from the way they should be. So, to cut out a large chunk of the story, when I came to know Jesus, and about Jesus, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me, because I learned that his death cancelled out my sin against my Creator, and that his resurrection secured my own eternal life.

Not only do I have the assurance of eternal life, but I can have the same assurance for my loved ones. Life, the Universe and everything makes sense, knowing that there is a loving Creator, and not just some silly pond-scum-to-hopeless-man story, and that He has a master plan.

In that vein I want to quote a hymn which is probably my very favorite, although I have many favorites.

AND CAN IT BE

• And can it be that I should gain
  An interest in the Savior’s blood?
  Died He for me, who caused His pain?
  For me, who Him to death pursued?
  Amazing love! how can it be
  That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
  Amazing love! how can it be
  That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me!
• ’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
  Who can explore His strange design?
  In vain the firstborn seraph tries
  To sound the depths of love Divine!
  ’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
  Let angel minds inquire no more.
  ’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
  Let angel minds inquire no more.
• He left His Father’s throne above,
  So free, so infinite His grace;
  Emptied Himself of all but love,
  And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
  ’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
  For, O my God, it found out me.
  ’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
  For, O my God, it found out me.
• Long my imprisoned spirit lay
  Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
  Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
  I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
  My chains fell off, my heart was free,
  I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
  My chains fell off, my heart was free,
  I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
• No condemnation now I dread;
  Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
  Alive in Him, my living Head,
  And clothed in righteousness Divine,
  Bold I approach the eternal throne,
  And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
  Bold I approach the eternal throne,
  And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Words Charles Wesley, music Thomas Campbell

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/296#ixzz2zJPVpFob

* http://www.moodyradio.org/brd_programarchive.aspx?id=100728

• APOLOGETICS