An Age of Disbelief

Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 demonstrates his convictions about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today, many people doubt the resurrection. Even some “supposedly” Christian scholars produce materials which question the resurrection. ABC in particular seems to have dedicated a primetime slot each Easter season to some type of documentary which mocks Christianity and questions the resurrection. However, Paul told the church at Corinth: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17).
It is important for believers to understand that all of the Christian faith hinges on the resurrection of Jesus. Peter and the early witnesses believed it and we must believe it in order to be saved. For those of you who may still have doubts, let me present a couple of facts for you to consider. First, no one has ever been able to produce a body. The empty tomb stands as an important piece of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Second, for those who argue that the body was stolen, let me ask you a couple of questions. How did a group of uneducated fisherman manage to steal the body of Jesus from underneath the noses of several highly trained Roman guards? What grave robbers do you know that take the time to undress the body and neatly fold the garments to leave behind? Third, it is incredible to believe that if the disciples were involved in a mass hoax to deceive people into believing that Jesus had been raised from the dead that not one of them would have succumbed to the pressure of fear and intimidation the Jews and later Romans placed upon them. How many people are willing to die for a lie? And yet all of the apostles went to their graves proclaiming the resurrection of Christ. Fourth, the Jewish leaders could not disprove the resurrection of Jesus in their own day. Fifth, two skeptics, James and Paul, were converted by the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and become great Christian leaders in their day.
The list of evidence for the resurrection could consume volumes. I am only giving a handful of truths to ask you to think about and consider. Although Christians today are often portrayed as narrow-minded idiots, I submit to you that it would take a narrow-minded idiot to dismiss the evidence for the resurrection. If Christ be not raised, we have no faith, but praise be to God, Christ is raised!