Resurrection: Key to All Biblical Faith

Bulletin

John A McKee
07/11/21 - Evidence-Based Faith

Legitimate faith is not blind faith, it is based on evidence. The existence of complex design all around us necessitates a Designer, but all we can tell about the Creator from such observation is that He is powerful and has divine characteristics (Romans 1:19-20).

The Scriptures claim to be the mind and will of the Creator, revealed to men inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Internal and external evidences help to substantiate the legitimacy of the writings of the Bible, but I would suggest that Christ is the key to a proper understanding of who God is. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most powerful confirmation that Jehovah God is, in fact, the Maker and that the Bible is His revealed word.

Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be so much more than a good man and a prophet. He acknowledged His own divinity (John 20:28-29; John 8:58). The simple fact is that Jesus is of no consequence if He was not who He claimed to be. But if He is, in fact, a member of the Divine Nature, then everything He said and taught is of primary importance and must be taken seriously.

Jesus performed miracles that even His most ardent opponents could not deny (John 3:2). The lame and blind were healed immediately and completely. The dead were raised, even some who had been dead for four days (John 11). But the most potent evidence of His divinity was His resurrection from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. The resurrected Christ appeared to hundreds over a 40 day period and His apostles spent their persecuted lives testifying on His behalf and most suffered violent deaths for their witness.

The resurrected Christ confirmed the Genesis account of Jehovah God creating all things including all life (Matthew 19:4). The resurrected Christ put His divine stamp of approval on Mosaic Law given to the Jewish people (Matthew 11;13) but also emphasized that all authority had been given to Him (Matthew 28:18) and that His words will one day judge us (John 12:48). The resurrected Christ legitimized the Messianic prophecies by fulfilling them all (Matthew 5:17).

In short, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). Not only did His life, death, burial and resurrection secure our redemption from sin and make Him our perfect High Priest, the visitation of God in our midst forever tied the evidence of the Creator to Jehovah God of the Bible as well as the revelation He has provided for our benefit.

Blind faith is worthless, but validated faith in Christ means acknowledging Him as the Lord of my life (Romans 10:9-10) and living my life accordingly.