Truth Or Lie

The resurrection of Jesus is central to the believer’s faith, for without resurrection our faith is vain. Without resurrection, we would be a pathetically deceived people, believing in One who died and remains dead. If Jesus were not raised, our entire life in Him would be one big farce, leading to the worse deception and damnation ever. Additionally, all that we have been informed about our father of faith, Abraham, would be nothing but a myth. Listen to these Scripture verses as if you have never heard them previously.

Give hearing Lord Jesus. Please give us hearing as never before. Amen!

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses of God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15: 12 - 17

But thanks be to God, for the Resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. The reality is this. If Jesus has not been risen everything we do, say, think and hope, is all vain. You see, Jesus died! I mean, the Man from Nazareth, the Man from Galilee, Mary’s now grown Son, died on a cross, as a common criminal. As a common criminal, He died outside the gate. There, all and sundry could see Him. He was a public spectacle, so to speak. The point is that many people of all different walks of life saw or witnessed the death of Jesus. Have you ever stopped to think that the disciples, believers of Jesus, were not the only people who saw Him die? The world saw Him die, meaning unbelievers and enemies of His. They all believed that Jesus was crucified – He died.

May I just remind you of how the enemies of Jesus speak about His death? We are told that the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate with a request which bears witness to the fact that they believed that Jesus was indeed dead. Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, After three days I will rise. Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, He has risen from the dead. So that the last deception will be worse than the first. Matthew 27: 63 – 64 NKJV. There are many interesting and engaging views to be looked at with how these highly religious men respond to Jesus.

We know that they saw Rabbi Jesus as a deceiver, a devil of the highest order. We know that they genuinely saw Jesus as misleading all the people, since Jesus’ ways, words and works were all in opposition to a practising Jew, who obeyed all the laws of Moses as they did. Yet, fear mixed with a generous measure of self-righteousness, seemed to have hardened their hearts and minds to the point where they were shut up tight, to any kind of learning from Rabbi Jesus. Yet, these chief priests and Pharisees seemed to believe the Rabbi’s words when He said, After three days I will rise.

One may argue that they really did not believe Jesus, since they saw Him as an unscrupulous imposter. True, but fake or not, they believed what He said about rising after three days. Understand clearly, these religious men witnessed Jesus’ supernatural works; that which they, who claimed to know God, could not do, even if they had tried. They saw, with their own eyes, Jesus perform miracles in their presence. They could not refute the miracles, but they adamantly refuted His claim that it was all from God, the Holy Spirit. They saw the source of all Jesus’ supernatural works, as of the devil. This work of rising in three days would be no different. 

The chief priests and Pharisees believed, but saw it as a deceiving act on Jesus’ part as Jesus is the deceiver. I thought of myself and my own belief. O yes! I believe that Jesus said that He would rise in three days, and He has. But the question is, does my life show Jesus Truth or Lie when it comes to His Resurrection? If He is not seen living in me, then I am publishing Him as a deceiver. Where are you in this?