Monday Blessing
April 11
What If There Is No Resurrection?
On a very cold November afternoon, I sat under a green tent with my mother’s coffin in front of me. How many times had I stood in cemeteries, offering comfort and the Word of God to those who had lost a loved one? But this was my first experience of being on the other side of the casket. As I sat there, a shocking thought suddenly popped into my head: Suppose there is no resurrection! This idea was quickly driven away by my faith and confidence in Christ. But it had lasted just long enough for me to feel the despair and hopelessness of such a belief.
To help us appreciate Christ’s victory over the grave, let’s consider what the outcome of life and death would be without resurrection. First of all, Jesus would still be dead. That means our faith in Him would be worthless, and our message to the world would be a lie. Not only that, but Jesus Himself would be proved a liar since He claimed that He would rise from the dead.
There would be no forgiveness of sins, no possibility of reconciliation with God, and no hope of heaven. Even the believers who have died throughout history would have perished, and we would have no hope of reunion with our loved ones. Without the resurrection, everyone’s destiny after death would be hell.
Thank God, none of these scenarios are true. Our Savior lives, our sins are forgiven, death has been defeated, and believers in Christ have assurance of eternity in heaven. After considering how hopeless we would be without a resurrection, let’s rejoice all the more in the greatness of our salvation.
Albert Schweitzer
I never thought much about the hope of the resurrection until my 40 year old brother died suddenly four years ago. It was a huge comfort to know that our loss was not in vain, but that my brother was in the presence, dancing and rejoicing, no longer in the emotional and physical pain that plagued him most of his life. You see, our Dad had died when Neil was in 7th grade, and he took the loss the hardest. I was already out of the house, with a family of my own, and my other siblings older than me.
Then, 16 months later, our other brother died, at the age of 56, and he was crippled with torn ligaments in his legs, and was recuperating from double knee surgery, unable to walk. He also suffered from mental illness, all of his life, but like our younger brother, had faith in Jesus as Lord, and is now in heaven with our Lord.
Without the resurrection, I would not be comforted, and have no clue how unbelievers are able to cope with such losses.
What are your thoughts about our Lord's resurrection?
Hugs,
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
Stacy B. · 8 replies · 961 views
