In
recent years it has become fashionable to produce documentaries that simply
omit the resurrection of Christ when attempting to provide information about
Christian history. It is not enough for such businesses as The History Channel
to refrain from presenting the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a fact; they
refuse even to acknowledge the historical fact that the Apostles preached the
resurrection of the Lord from day one, and did so as eyewitnesses and
eventually as martyrs. The most glaring example I have seen was one documentary
about Jesus, which aired on Holy Saturday night in 2015 (and will probably air
again). It seemed to be not bad until the end. In the closing moments, as the
credits were appearing on the screen, the viewers were left with Christ dying
on the cross just outside of Jerusalem
In fact, a message about yet another
Messianic claim that ended in the death of the claimant would have ended up
like all the others, forgotten to all but a few very knowledgeable historians
who deal in the most trivial factoids of antiquity. Certainly we would have
nothing called “Christianity,” no such thing as the Church, and no historically
significant knowledge of the Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. His followers would all
have scattered and returned to making a living, hoping not to be identified with
that embarrassing younger period of having followed Jesus.
Furthermore, the death of the cross,
far from attracting anyone to form or join a movement, was seen as shameful. As
St. Paul
“For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not
God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the
Greeks seek after wisdom: But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; But unto them which
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of
God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser
than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (I
Corinthians 1:18-25).”
However,
why is it “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” to all who believe?
For that we look again at St. Paul
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I
preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep
in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was
buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then
of the twelve: After that, he was
seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain
unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then
of all the apostles. And last of
all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles,
that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God. But by the grace of God I am
what I am: and his grace which was
bestowed upon me was not in
vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of
God which was with me. Therefore
whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye
believed (15:1-11).”
Christ
crucified and Christ risen is one message, one Gospel. A
Christ crucified, with the story ending at His brutal death, is not the full message.
A Christ risen, without the death of the cross, is not the full message either.
And, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, thus paying the full
price of all human sin by the one offering of Himself, only cures one part of
our terrible condition, namely the guilt of sin that causes estrangement from
God. We need as well the risen Christ, the One who has conquered death itself,
so that we may receive of His eternal life, never again subject to death when
He comes again and makes all things new, just as He is never again subject to
death.
NOT AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY
STORY
At
this point I must state my objection to using the popular phrase “The empty
tomb.” Just as the Church would never have taken root and spread if the story
ended simply with Christ’s crucifixion, so too had it ended only with an empty
tomb. The empty tomb is the question; the appearances of the risen Christ to
His chosen eyewitnesses answers that question. After all, unbelievers spread
the story of the body being stolen – a story that makes no sense in light of
the privation and persecution to the death that would have brought an end to
any con game. Nonetheless, even St. Mary Magdalene had a mistaken explanation
for the mystery of the empty tomb, and that after
hearing from angels.
“Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But
Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two
angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where
the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She
saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where
they have laid him. And when she
had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not
that it was Jesus. Jesus saith
unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be
the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where
thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus
saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is
to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended
to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my
Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the
disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her
(John 20:10-18).”
No.
We don’t preach some mystery of the empty tomb. We preach the risen Christ,
seen by eyewitnesses; indeed, eyewitnesses who gave their whole lives to
hardship, persecution and the death of martyrdom to make us know the certainty
of their faith.
Let
us stand together and recite the words we see in the Book of Common Prayer on
page 162 and 163:
CHRIST our Passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us
keep the feast,
Not with [the]* old leaven, neither with the leaven of
malice and wickedness : but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor.
v. 7.
C
HRIST being raised
from the dead dieth no more : death hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto sin once : but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
sin : but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom.
vi. 9.
C
HRIST is risen from
the dead : and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death : by man came also the
resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made
alive. 1 Cor. xv.
20.
[Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world
without end. Amen.]*
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