Easter and the Core Questions of Christianity
As Easter approaches, Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, a cornerstone of the Christian faith. Theologians say that there are three essential questions about Easter that every Christian should be prepared to answer: Was Jesus God? Was He crucified? Did He rise from the dead? These questions are fundamental to the Christian faith, and according to theologian and author Dr. Lee Strobel, every other detail about Jesus’ life, ministry, arrest, trial, and death sentence is secondary in comparison.
According to Fox News, Dr. Strobel discussed these questions with Hugh Hefner, the owner of Playboy magazine and an agnostic, about Jesus. Strobel asked Hefner, "What if the resurrection were true, that Jesus actually rose from the dead? Hefner replied, "Well, yeah, that would change everything?" Then Strobel asked, "Have you ever investigated the Resurrection?" Hefner answered, "No." This response highlights the culture’s general beliefs about organised religion, with researcher George Barna noting that the greatest spiritual threat today is "syncretism," where people create a fusion of different religions without committing to any one of them.
Dr. Strobel, a former atheist trained in law and journalism, spent two years investigating the claims of Christianity and concluded that the historical data supports the Resurrection of Jesus. He has written a series of books based on his investigations, including the best-seller "The Case For Christ." His latest book, "Seeing the Supernatural," explores the mysteries of the unseen spiritual realm, including angels, demons, mystical dreams, near-death experiences, and the Resurrection. As Fox News reported, Strobel says that as an atheist, it would have taken more faith for him to maintain his atheism than to become a Christian.
So, are these three questions about Easter answerable? According to Strobel, the answer is yes. He points to the New Testament Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, which clearly show that Jesus claimed to be God. Theologian and author Rick Renner, in his book "Easter: The Rest of the Story," highlights key events of Holy Week that help answer this question. For example, when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He identified Himself as "I AM," the same words God used to identify Himself to Moses in Exodus chapter three, as reported by Fox News.
The second question, regarding Jesus’ crucifixion, is also crucial. Strobel notes that despite conspiracy theories suggesting that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, the evidence proves otherwise. He cites not only accounts in the New Testament but also five ancient sources outside the Bible that talk about Jesus’ execution. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a secular, scientific, peer-reviewed medical journal, found that "clearly the weight of the historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead even before the wound to his side was inflicted."
The third question, about Jesus’ Resurrection, is perhaps the most significant. Strobel argues that the accounts of the Resurrection are quite early in the historical timeline, with scholars dating them back to within months of Jesus’ death. He notes that this is a "news flash in ancient history," especially when compared to the biographies of Alexander the Great, which were written 400 years after his life. The empty tomb is also a significant factor, with Strobel arguing that the fact that everyone admits the tomb was empty corroborates eyewitness accounts.
Former cold case murder detective J. Warner Wallace, a former atheist, used his forensic skills to investigate Christianity and concluded that the Resurrection is true. He argues that the four Gospel accounts of the Resurrection provide four different eyewitness accounts of the same event, which, when evaluated using the same tests as in a murder investigation, demonstrate the validity of the accounts.
In conclusion, the three questions about Easter – Was Jesus God? Was He crucified? Did He rise from the dead? – are fundamental to the Christian faith. According to Fox News, Dr. Lee Strobel and other theologians and authors provide compelling evidence to support the answers to these questions. While intellectual assent to these facts is possible, embracing Jesus as Lord and Saviour requires a leap of faith. As Easter approaches, Christians around the world will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, a cornerstone of the Christian faith.
