Religion or Relationship: What Must I do to be Saved?

     One of the biggest misconceptions in the world today is that Christianity is a religion. 

This however, is simply not true. 

A religion is a formulated set of rules and regulations that a practitioner of said religion is compelled to keep out of fear, in the hope that they will be worthy enough to appease whatever deity they are inclined to worship.
    Christianity however, is the exact opposite It is a relationship—a friendship—with God. Not a religion. Religion with its laws, commandments, and regulations can’t save anyone. It is only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that a person can be saved. 

   One of the best summaries of this truth can be found in in the Book of Romans. Chapter 5 is especially to the point:

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

“Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

“God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

~ Romans 5 New Living Translation (NLT)

Religion commands that followers obey man-made rules in the hope that they will somehow be good enough to be accepted by God. Christianity however, teaches that we are loved and accepted by God regardless of what we have done. All sin results in death, therefore God hates sin. But He doesn’t hate sinners. (If He did, He would hate all mankind,  because everyone is a sinner by birth. (Romans 3:23)

     That being said, the Bible tells us that it is Satan who hates us and wants to destroy us.

     “As surly as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness O people of Israel! Why should you die?”
   ~ Ezekiel 33:11 New Living Translation (NLT)

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My (Jesus) purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

~ John 10:10 New Living Translation (NLT)  

God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, He wants everyone to be with Him. That’s why He came and died for us.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

~ 2 Peter 3:9 New Living Translation (NLT) 

However, God doesn’t make us do anything against our will. He gives us the chance to be saved through Jesus. We were drowning in an ocean of our own sin, but God threw us a lifeline—His son, Jesus. All we have to do is choose to grab hold of it, and let God pull us out of the water.

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.”

~ Isaiah 30:18 New Living Translation (NLT) 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6) The Bible also says that “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” (1 John 5:12) and “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

So what does it take to be saved? 

First: The knowledge that we are all sinners in need of a savior.  

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

~ Romans 3:23 New Living Translation (NLT)

(Surprisingly enough, this knowledge appears to be inherent to all people. Even if they refuse to acknowledge it, everyone knows deep within their soul that something is wrong with the world. This conviction of sin is the work of the Holy Spirit according to John 16:8 )

Second: You need to realize that Jesus is the only way to God. This means more than just believing he exists or that “there is a God.” As the Bible says in James 2:19:

“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”

~ James 2:19 New Living Translation (NLT)

Belief in Jesus is more than just knowing he exists, you need to make a conscious decision to repent of your sins and accept the gift of salvation that only he can give. You need to confess to him that you are a sinner and that you need his forgiveness; that you believe that he came to die in your place personally and that he rose again three days later, both to prove that he was God, as well as to offer the same resurrection to all those who would follow him.

And that is it. The Gospel Message is so simple even a child could do it: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. (Acts 13:31)

If you repent of your sins, and put your trust in Jesus, believing that Jesus died once for the sins of all men, for all time and rose again three days later, then your sins are forgiven. Your debt is paid in full. Your salvation is assured. You will go to be with Christ when you die. There is nothing you can do to lose your salvation. It is a free gift from God, not something you can work for. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

~ Romans 3:22 New Living Translation (NLT)

Now, it is fair to point out that this doesn’t mean you can just go out there and do whatever you want because you’re saved. The Bible makes it very clear that is wrong to use God's grace as a license to sin. 

“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.”

~ Hebrews 10:26-29 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus himself put it this way: 

“So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.”

~ Matthew 12:31-32 New Living Translation (NLT) [Emphasis Added]

Now you’re probably wondering: What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

Well, given what we know of the Holy Spirit’s purpose here on earth—convicting the world in regards to sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment—blaspheming the Holy Spirit would be to reject the salvation God offers to us through Jesus Christ. i.e. the only sin that can't be forgiven, is the sin of refusing to accept Christ’s forgiveness. After all, if you refuse to repent of that sin, then why should you repent of any other sins?

If you call yourself a Christian, but continue to live in sin—open rebellion against God—then you most likely aren’t really saved. You may have head knowledge about Jesus—you believe there is a God—but you never trusted in him. You never repented—not really. And that is a very dangerous position indeed. 

The Bible says you will know a tree by the kind of fruit it produces. (Matthew 7:16) And if your life does not show that you know God, then you probably don’t and you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:19-23 gives us an example of how to tell weather or not a person is following God or their own sinful nature.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

~ Galatians 5:19-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

If we are in a right relationship with Christ then we are automatically filled with the Holy Spirit. And if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then our lives will never be the same. There will be a change. It may be instantaneous, or it may take time. But we will be made new. This doesn’t mean we will never sin. We will still make mistakes. But the Holy Spirit will convict us and lead us to repentance. That’s the difference between someone who truly knows God and someone who just knows about Him. The person who knows and loves God, will hate their sin and seek to turn from it. (Romans 6-8, 1 Peter 2:1, 16) The person who is using Jesus as fire-insurance against Hell will continue to live a sinful life without any sign of remorse or repentance. They neither know God nor do they love Him.

That is why Christianity is a relationship and not a religion.We obey God’s commandments not because we have to out of fear, but because we want to out of love. He loved us so much that He sent His son to die for us, even though we were living in open rebellion against Him. (John 3:16) He changed us, gave us hope, and a new life through Jesus’ death and resurrection. And for that we are eternally grateful.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God.’”

~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NLT)

The Answer to Atheism

The Message of the Cross: How Jesus is the Beating Heart of the Christian Faith

Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

The Prodigal Son: The Heart of the Father.

The Prayer of Jesus: The Heart of the Savior.

Peter, do You Love Me?

The Prodigal Son: The Heart of the Father.

"To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: 'A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

    "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

   "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.'"

    "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.'

    "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

    "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.'

    "The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, 'All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!'

    "His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"

~ Luke 15:11-32 New Living Translation (NLT)

            This passage has been described as one of the greatest literary works ever written. And it is. It is a beautiful picture of God’s love toward us. Even though the father’s son essentially told him “I wish you were dead, old man. Give me my inheritance now so I can get out of this dump.” The father never stopped loving his son. And when his son returned, he ran to meet him. He didn’t stay home, gloating over his son as he begged him to take him back. He didn’t say, “I told you so!” He ran to his son and embraced him.
            God is the same way. He doesn’t condemn us; He loves us. He died for us! 

    "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

    Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
    Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
         he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross."

~ Philippians 2:5-8 New Living Translation (NLT)

    "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.  The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."

~ Romans 8:1-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

            

Just like any good parent, God only wants is what is best for us. That's why He gives us rules. Whenever God says not to do something, He's really saying, "don't hurt yourself."
           But like the father in the story, He doesn’t come after us when we rebel and turn our backs on Him. As Isaiah 30:18 says , “... the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” (NLT)
             We are free to make our own choices, good or bad. But He is always there, waiting for us to return to Him. And in our brokenness, He finds us. He runs to us while we are still far off and embraces us.

            
    

*Related Articles:

The Prayer of Jesus: The Heart of the Savior.

"Peter, Do You Love Me?"

God's Love

The Privileged Generation.

Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

“But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

~ 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

As I’ve said before, Jesus Christ is the beating heart of the Christian faith. His resurrection? Paramount. So what if Jesus never rose from the dead? How do we know that what his disciples said was true, and not just a cleverly concocted tale meant to elevate their status in the fledgling church? Was Jesus God or man?

In order to answer these questions, we must first look at the available evidence as recorded in the Gospel accounts. This will give us a foundation—a point of reference for future observation of the available facts.

So what does that leave us with? Well, we know from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that Jesus was arrested by the Jewish authorities, tried in secret—in direct violation of the Jewish Religious Law—before being handed over to Pontius Pilate, who then had him flogged and Crucified. (Under Roman law, only the Provincial Governor could order the execution of an individual. Thus preventing the Jewish leaders from killing Jesus themselves.)

After the trial, the Gospels tell us that Jesus was led to a hill outside the city of Jerusalem known as Golgotha, “The Place of the Skull.” As the name implies, this was a location for public executions. The solders stationed there (also mentioned in the Gospel accounts) were professional executioners. They had crucified hundreds of people, if not thousands. They could tell when someone was dead, and the fact that they killed people by crucifixion only made their job easier.
    Death by crucifixion was death by asphyxiation. The outstretched position of the victim's arms expanded the chest cavity so  that they could not exhale. In order to breath, the victim would have to pull themselves up, exhale and take another breath before the pain became to much for them to bear. Therefore, if a crucifixion victim stopped moving it meant that they were no longer breathing. This means that Jesus couldn’t have simply “fainted” on the cross.
    Additionally, the Bible says that when the guards found that Jesus had died, they decided to make certain he was really dead by stabbing him in the side with a spear. (John 19:31-35) If Jesus wasn’t dead before the spear to the heart, he most certainly was afterwards. Therefore the “Swoon Theory” is completely debunked. 

Jesus was indisputably dead. That much is clear from the Scriptures. But what of his burial? Is it possible that the disciples could have somehow stolen his body?

     Not according the Gospel of Matthew:

“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, ‘Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.’

“Pilate replied, ‘Take guards and secure it the best you can.’ So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.”

~ Matthew 27:62-66 New Living Translation (NLT)

The tomb was guarded. It was also sealed—most likely with clay or wax, bearing the seal of either the Roman Governor or the High Priest. If anyone disturbed the Tomb, the Jewish leaders and the Roman authorities would know about it—assuming the perpetrators could somehow overpower the guards, of course. 

Another thing I want to mention is that ancient tombs of this type were sealed by rolling a large stone, which could weigh as much as two tons (1,361-1,814 Kilograms) over the entrance. This stone would have been carved from the hillside, uphill from the entrance, and then rolled down into a groove carved in front of the low doorway. Once in place, this stone would have been virtually impossible to move.
   Again, this debunks the “Swoon Theory” which states that Jesus simply fainted, and then recovered inside the tomb. No one would have been able to move the stone from the inside. And even if it were possible to do so, no one in Jesus' physical condition could have overpowered the armed guards.

So we have established two things: Jesus was dead, and the tomb was sealed and guarded.

My third point is that according to the Gospel accounts, the disciples were trying to put as much distance between themselves and Jesus as possible. 

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, denied him to his face. (Luke 22:59-62) 

One un-named disciple ran away naked when someone grabbed his tunic (Mark 14:51-52) and the rest were not far behind.

Furthermore, at the time of the resurrection, the disciples were all hiding behind locked doors. (John 20:19)

Jesus had been crucified as a public warning to anyone who would dare to follow his example. The Apostles and Jesus’ other disciples knew this, and they were terrified. Some of them even fled Jerusalem, deciding that they would have a better chance of survival hiding out in the countryside. (Luke 24:13-35) These men did not want to be associated with Jesus at all, not after what they had seen.         

And this is where it starts to get interesting.

Now, it is necessary to point out that in the First Century Jewish culture, women had little to no social standing. They were, for all intents and purposes, property. A man could divorce a woman over anything—burning dinner, for example. A woman however, could not divorce her husband. Women were forbidden from speaking in the Synagogues, and were only allowed to worship God within the Women’s Court of the Temple in Jerusalem. Furthermore, women were also forbidden from speaking to a man in public without permission unless that man was their husband. 

A common prayer of the day was, “I thank God that He did not make me a Gentile, a dog, or a woman!”
   This was the kind of attitude people had in first century Israel. Women were on the same level, if not lower than the Gentiles. (Anyone who wasn’t a Jew by birth.)

Women had little to no standing in society—Greek, Roman, or Jewish. Which is what makes the Gospel accounts of the resurrection so astonishing. 

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.”

~ Luke 24:1-12 New International Version (NIV) [Emphasis added]

Notice the emphasis on the women, and the Apostles’ response to their story. Women discovered Jesus had risen from the dead, and the Apostles didn’t believe them. Women, who had no position in society and who were considered to be unreliable witnesses, were the first ones to see that Jesus had risen! If the Apostles were the ones who made up the story, then why didn’t they elevate their own status by being the first ones to see the empty tomb?

Abraham—the father of the Jewish Nation—was a man. Moses was a man. All of the Prophets were men. John the Baptist was a man. Even Jesus was a man. No matter how you look at it, first century Judea was a very male dominant society. Which I feel is why most of the Apostles didn’t listen to the women in Luke 24:11. 

If you were to create a religion in first century Judea, you would have had men—most likely yourself—be the one(s) to discover the empty tomb. Not women. 

That was how their society operated. If you went around giving all the credit to women—telling others that they discovered the empty tomb first while you and your friends hid in town—no one would believe you. You would have been a laughingstock!

The prominent role of women in the New Testament is completely counter-cultural for the day.

So, according to the Bible, women discovered the tomb before men. This alone is pretty substantial evidence from a cultural standpoint. But there is more.

Remember the guards stationed at the tomb? Well, something happened to them on the day of the resurrection as well.

“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.”

~ Matthew 28:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)

Notice that not only did the guards faint, but an angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone. The tomb wasn’t open when they got there. Jesus got out while the stone was still in place. The angel opened the tomb to let the women in, not to let Jesus out.

In any case, the guards stationed at the tomb were incapacitated with fear and fainted. We’re talking about a squad of trained, Roman soldiers—somewhere between 30 and 60, maybe even 100 men—all collapsing in fear. Some translations say  “... their knees knocked together, and they became as dead men.”

A squad of soldiers from the most disciplined and well-trained army the world had ever seen, collapsed in fear at the tomb of a dead Jewish carpenter. That would have been unheard of—not to mention highly embarrassing for the Roman Garrison. Which partly explains what happens in verse 11 of the same chapter.

“As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, ‘You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.’ So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.”

~ Matthew 28:11-15 New Living Translation (NLT)

Interestingly enough, in the Roman army you could be executed for falling asleep at your post. Which makes what the Jewish leaders said to the soldiers in verse 14 seem a bit futile, especially when you consider that Pontius Pilate despised the Jews. (Evidence of this can be found in both the Gospels and the works of contemporary historians like Josephus.) 

That being said, it seems very likely that these soldiers were severely punished, if not executed, once word of the resurrection got out.

Despite this, it is clear from their actions that they witnessed something that day. Something they were willing to cover up.

Which leads me to my final point: If the story of the resurrection was made up, then why is it that no one was ever able to produce the body of Jesus?

Remember the tomb was sealed. Anyone could see that it had been opened and that the body was gone. So why couldn’t the Jewish High Council or the Roman government find the body? They obviously had enough money to bribe people. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for what amounts to about $200 (U.S.) in today's money. If one disciple was willing to betray Jesus for $200 while he was still alive, wouldn’t you think one of the other eleven would be willing to hand over the body for far more? Given the amount of effort the Jewish leaders put into stamping out the early church, I would assume that a person could just about name their price if they knew where to find the body of Christ. Yet no one did. The body was never recovered. It can't be recovered. 

Why? 

Because Jesus is still using it.

Furthermore, all but one of the Apostles were later executed for their beliefs. Peter was crucified in Rome, Paul was beheaded, and John died in exile. They were tortured, imprisoned and killed. And yet they never once renounced their faith. 

That’s the funny thing with Christianity; the more it’s persecuted, the more it spreads.

If the Apostles were lying, wouldn’t you think that at least one of them would have given in at some point? It definitely would have been a lot easier to give them the body, take the money, and retire to Sicily, rather than face certain torture and death.

To me the fact that these men and women were willing to die for what they had seen is one of the strongest proofs of the resurrection. It would have been easy for the disciples to lead the authorities to Jesus’ body if they'd had it. They could have lived like kings on the bribe money. But instead they died as beggars, destitute and broken, far from home. They started off as cowards, fearing for their lives. They died as martyrs, carrying the Gospel message to the ends of the earth.

But you might be thinking: Couldn’t the Jewish leaders have stolen the body? Or maybe they moved it to keep the disciples from stealing it? 

Under normal circumstances one might assume that this could be possible. However there are two crucial pieces of counter evidence found in the scriptures that rule out the possibility of Jewish interference. 

First of all, the Jewish leaders were the ones who killed Jesus. They knew he said he’d rise from the dead, which is why they had guards posted outside—to keep people from saying that Jesus had risen. They wanted him to stay in the ground. (Matthew 27:63-66)

Secondly, if the Jews were responsible, then all they would have to do to undermine the Christian movement was produce the body. If the body of Jesus were presented to the people, then the church would have died on the spot. As  the Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15: The entire Christian faith hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Debunk the resurrection and you debunk Christianity.

“And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

~ 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

Christianity shook the world to its core. The belief that this carpenter from Galilee was God incarnate, that he died for the sins of the world, and that he rose again three days later, liberated thousands and paved the way for social reform as well as cultural and scientific advancement.

In light of the available evidence—the empty tomb, the counter-cultural eyewitness accounts echoed in all four Gospels; the willingness of the Apostles to be persecuted for their beliefs even to the point of death, and the absence of a body—it is my conclusion that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.

There is no other logical explanation for the change we see in the lives of the men and women who saw the events of that Easter Morning two millennia ago. Our entire culture, the sum of western civilization, has been irreversibly influenced by three simple words declaring the one universal truth: Jesus is alive!

         

*For more insight into the death of Christ, check out my article: 

The Prayer of Jesus: The Heart of the Savior

      

          

"Peter, Do You Love Me?"

John 21:15-17

New Living Translation (NLT)

15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep...”

            If you are at all familiar with the biblical timeline, then you’ll remember that this passage takes place shortly after Jesus’ Resurrection. Only a few days earlier, at the Last Super, the Apostle Peter had boldly proclaimed that he would never desert Jesus; that he would rather die than deny Him. A few hours later, he denied Christ three times.  The Gospel of Luke paints a dramatic picture of the scene.

Luke 22:54-62

New Living Translation (NLT)

54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

            Not only did Peter deny that he ever knew Jesus, he said it to His face. (verse 61) Jesus was their, most likely being escorted to either Herod or Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. He heard Peter’s denial. And Peter turned and left, weeping bitterly, his heart broken in shame.

            He was at his lowest point in this verse. But even though Peter abandoned God, God never abandoned Peter.  When Jesus was raised from the dead, he sought him out on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and he asked him, “Peter, do you love me?”

 Now, in English, we have one word for love. But this passage was written in Greek. And the Greeks had four words they used to describe the different aspects of love: Eros (Erotic, Sexual Love) Philia (Friendship, or brotherly love) Storge (Affection) and, of course, Agape [agápē](Unconditional, sacrificial love)

In John 21, when Jesus asks, “Peter, do you love me?” He uses the word Agape [agápē]. He is asking if Peter loves him unconditionally. Peter, however, replies using the word Philia, saying, “Yes Lord, you know I love you [like a brother.]”

Jesus repeats the question, again using Agape [agápē]. And again Peter replies with the word Philia. Then Jesus does something interesting; He uses Philia in verse 17. You see, Peter couldn’t bring himself to use the word Agape [agápē], because of his shame. But Jesus didn’t hold it against him, he met Peter where he was and said, “Simon son of John, do you love me? [like a brother.]”

            Jesus said, “Healthy People don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” (Matthew 9:11 NLT) God doesn’t say, “Get your act together, and then we’ll talk about your salvation.” He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)

            God knows we can’t fix ourselves, that’s why Jesus had to die for us. He doesn’t demand the impossible in exchange for His mercy; He offers it freely. (Ephesians 2:8-9) No matter how far we fall, He is always there to pick us up again.

             God meets people where they are.  

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10 NLT)

The Privileged Generation.

Hebrews 11

New Living Translation (NLT)

Great Examples of Faith

11 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.



             This is a great passage. The Bible’s “Hall of Faith.” Each of these individuals were, and are still considered to be, some of the greatest men and women in the Bible. The writer of Hebrews used them as examples of faith, to encourage the church during a time of great persecution. But there is a little more to this passage that I wanted to point out, and it applies especially to those of us living today. Look again, if you will, at verses 13-16.

             13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Notice what verse 13 says: “They saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.” The “it’ they were looking forward to was Jesus. They lived and died looking forward to His coming. That was how people were saved in the Old Testament; the same way we are today—through faith in Jesus. They trusted in God’s promise that Jesus would come. We trust in God’s promise that He did come and that He will come again.  For example, look at what King David wrote in Psalm 98.

Psalm 98

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Sing a new song to the Lord, 
 for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!

2 The Lord has announced his victory
 and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!

3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!

5 Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, 
 with the harp and melodious song,

6 with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!

7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in.

8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy

9  before the Lord. For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.

(See also Deuteronomy 32:21, Isaiah 52: 7-10, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53, and Daniel 7:13-14.)

David knew that Jesus would bring salvation, not just to the Jews, but to all nations. Not only that, he also mentions Christ’s return in verse 9.  King David knew that the messiah was coming to extend His grace to the entire world, and he rejoiced; even though he knew he would not live to see it.  This is echoed in verse 39 of Hebrews chapter eleven.

“All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. “

All of these people died under the Old Law. Before Jesus, this was the only way to restore our relationship with God. But once Jesus came, He fulfilled all of the law’s requirements, and freed us from sins power. Romans chapter eight puts it this way:

Romans 8

New Living Translation (NLT)

Life in the Spirit

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

            We are free. God has freed us through His grace, and has extended this same grace to anyone who will accept it. Something the people of the Old Testament could only dream of.  Jesus himself put it this way in Matthew 13:

Matthew 13:16-17

New Living Translation (NLT)

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

             The Believers of old longed to be in this age with us, looking forward to what we have through Christ, with hope and joy. Think about that for a moment. All of the greatest people in the Bible—the heroes, prophets, patriarchs and kings—were looking forwarder to what God has given us.

            We have what they did not.

Titus 2:11 New Living Translation (NLT)
11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.

           

Think of all the great things these men and women of faith were able to accomplish before God sent His Son. Can you imagine what a man like David—a man after God’s own heart—would do if he had the freedom we have in Christ?  If he had free and unrestricted access to God the Father, and the power of the Holly Spirit living within him? I doubt he would just sit around and do nothing. He would take this gift and use it for the glory of God!

 It is true, we are a privileged generation. But this is nothing to boast about. We haven’t done anything to deserve this gift. Yet God gives it to us freely, though His son Jesus Christ. So if we are to boast in anything, let us boast in Jesus!

Ephesians 2:8-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

God has given us more than we could ever hope for—more than anyone else, at any other time in history.  Furthermore, He has entrusted us with His gospel. We are Christ’s ambassadors here on earth. It’s our job to bring the good news of Jesus to everyone, and to make disciples of all nations. This is both our calling and our privilege. 

So let’s be faithful with what He has given us.

2 Corinthians 5:18

New Living Translation (NLT)

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.