Resurrection - Fallacy or Fact

On this first Lord’s Day Sunday we come ever grateful and thankful to our heavenly Father who is always ready, willing and able to feed us with His daily bread. He knows how easily we are tempted to rush off on our own paths and totally ignore all that He has prepared for us. He knows the stubbornness of our proud hearts and the easy targets we are for the deceiver, who never misses a single opportunity to make us his pawns.

Yes, he is always alert, watching, seeking, encouraging and steering us into paths which he knows are totally against God. One such path is that of Resurrection fallacies. We have been brought to an area of deep concern, which is often glossed over or by-passed, because we believe that it has little or no significance at all for us, believers in the Risen Jesus. Let’s follow closely together.

When Jesus was crucified, the chief priests and Pharisees suddenly remembered some Resurrection Talk of Jesus. Although they are rejoicing at Jesus' death, they are highly concerned about what Jesus openly spoke about Himself rising from the tomb. On the day after Preparation Day, these religious leaders go to Pilate, with their deep concerns. We listen carefully to them. Sir, they said, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, After three days I will rise again. So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This deception will be worse than the first. Matthew 27: 63 – 64.

What are these unbelievers, people who have been at the forefront of Jesus’ crucifixion, really saying about Jesus? What are they showing to you and me, people who believe in the Miracle of Resurrection? They are afraid that the deception of Jesus’ Resurrection will prove to be even more cause for concern, than Jesus Himself. What do I mean? These learned scholars, teachers and preachers of the Law, have found Jesus to be nothing but an imposter, a Jew who went about deceiving people. But think, have they not ascribed unto Jesus, impeccably flawless power and authority, for Him to be able to have such firm influence over His disciples, even in His death?  For His disciples to risk their lives, to steal their Master’s dead Body just to make His Resurrection Talk a fact, tells a whole story in itself.

The religious people, still celebrating their victory, I tell you, at having Jesus crucified, now turn to seek victory in killing the Resurrection Talk of Jesus. Remember, the Resurrection Talk to which we are addressing ourselves, is the talk which all people, including the present chief priests and Pharisees have also heard, directly from the lips of Jesus. This was no second-hand hearing. They heard Jesus say this with their own ears. After three days I will rise again.  They have to ensure that the disciples of Jesus do not continue the deception of their Master. To do that, they go to Pilate, who has already washed his hands of the entire sordid case of the Jewish hierarchy and Jesus.

Check Pilate’s most uninvolved response. He offers them a guard and puts the onus on them, nothing of himself. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how. Matthew 27: 65b. We are told this, of these religious men of God. So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matthew 27: 66. Every time I read about how these people of God used a stone, to keep the Stone, in a grave, I smile. How utterly ridiculous, foolish and futile!   

What these people were trying to do really, was stop Resurrection Talk. They, in their unbelief and pathetically self-righteous minds, were made completely blind and deaf to the Truth of Jesus, Risen Lord.

Where are you with all of this? Please do not think that this is below you, or that it doesn’t pertain to you. I say this, because many a believer in God, like those Pharisees and chief priests, are still, in their talk and manner, saying that the Resurrection of Jesus is a clever deception.

How can such a statement be made? We passionately and vigorously pursue this tomorrow.