KNOW YOUR FAITH, LIVE YOUR FAITH,TEACH YOUR FAITH!

Is Christ’s resurrection a real fact? Part- 1

Today we will start a new series where we explore the evidence that Christ has truly raised from the dead. So, we will look to the historical facts and we can deduct that Christ is risen from the dead; there is no other option. But, before going about it logically we must understand that the proves of the resurrection have been in front of our eyes all along. When we see, someone like saint Moses the strong this person that wasn’t baptized that was transform to become like an angel was transformed to the point that he couldn’t even bear to judge his fellow brothers in monasticism. Which is a sin that is committed easily today. Another example, saint Mary of Egypt a person who was living in the lusts of the flesh, although she was baptized, but then repented and became like an angel living on earth. We don’t even have to go that far, that one friend or family member that god had put in your life that was completely changed, that person that used to sin with you, go to unsuitable places with you that now you find carrying his bible, praying the Agepya, in the liturgy. That one person, God put in your life as an evidence for his resurrection. God transformed him and he wants to transform us as well. So, that is the real evidence that we have, an evidence that is much stronger than the logical one, because logic sometimes can fail. But the other one is a true life, a true transformation that I have seen personally. Saint Athanasius, on the incarnation of the Word, said “Before the divine sojourn of the saviour, even the holiest of men were afraid of death, and mourned the dead as those who perish but now that the saviour has raised his body, death is no longer terrible, but all those who believe in Christ tread it underfoot as nothing, and prefer to die rather than to deny their faith in Christ, knowing full well that when they die they do not perish, but live indeed, and become incorruptible through the resurrection. Even children hasten thus to die. Not men only, but women train themselves by bodily discipline to meet it. So, weak has death become.” He is discussing and talking about the first centuries all these martyrs, where Roman soldiers would come and kill you, because you are Christian; and other Christian would run after the soldiers and tell them “hey I also am a Christian.” It wasn’t because they love to die, but because they love to live with Christ. It doesn’t matter for them to live with Christ on earth or in heaven, they gained that crown of martyrdom. Again, we don’t need to look that far. If look to the twenty one Coptic martyrs of Libya, how they stood or knelt in front with all confidence. Also, look at this other picture where this man is praying and his face is full of grace, it is the true power of the resurrection. Now there is different types of martyrdom. In other religions, there are martyrs as well. But it is different. Martyrdom comes from the word “martyria”, which means “to witness”. In other religions, there are people that witness to their god, but the witness that their god is a god of violence, a god of corruption, a god of death. But as a Christian when I am the one being targeted, or killed for my faith, I witness that my God is a God of love, a God of peace, and a God who gives me the strength that, although I’m unfairly treated, I can bare it. I become a martyr in Christianity, because I put on the marks and the wounds of Christ. Not because I have been brain washed, but because I have truly been transformed through the power of the resurrection of our Lord.

Having said this, we should understand that the Resurrection is the corner stone of Christianity, without it there is no Christianity. Our Lord Jesus Christ has proclaimed that he was going to rise from the dead and he did. The Christians simply believe that out of mere faith. Christians are not unlearned or dumb people. We also are smart logical people. Here we have some examples. Thomas Arnold a former Chair of Modern History at Oxford and expert in determining historical facts. He said “Thousands and ten thousand of persons have gone through it (evidence of the resurrection) piece by piece, as carefully as every judge summing up on a most important cause. I have myself done it many times… I have been used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort than the great sign which God has given us; that Christ died and rose again from the dead.’’ (Arnold, as cited in Smith, TS, 425- 26). Nothing else compares to the resurrection of Christ according him. Another example, Sir Lionel Luckhoo was a lawyer. He won 245 successful defenses in murder cases. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth twice. He was Judge of Supreme Court in Guyana and was named for 14 years as the world’s most successful lawyer. This man was not a Christian, but he was challenged by a Christian to look into the evidence of the Resurrection. His conclusion was this: “I say unequivocally that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt”. This is what the smart people did when they looked at the resurrection of Christ and the evidence for it; they became Christians. That is also what we will look into in the next videos of this series.

Remember; know your faith, live your faith, and

teach your faith.