Dear friend,

April 10, 2012

Dear friend,

Thank you for  joining us Sunday for our worship service. I don't think you should feel too self-conscious about your visit. We are used to having visitors stop by only twice a year -- at Christmas and Easter. Besides, everyone here seemed to enjoy seeing you once again! I also thank you for the conversation that you and I had following the worship service. 

I did not realized that you were so well educated. I was never a very good student, but I did improve as I got older (maturer?). I almost had to repeat my senior year in high school, because I had a really difficult time with English. Perhaps I should not have cut class so often. I was placed on academic probation during my freshman year in college, and I was in danger of losing my scholarship (I almost had too much fun my first year!). However, by the time I began my studies for a master's degree, I seemed to have "cracked the code" on the whole academic thing. Amazing what hard work and hitting the books will do for a student!

I would love to be able to invest the necessary time and resources to study for a doctorate, but taking care of my family (they have gotten used to having a roof over their heads and food in their belly.  Go figure!) and my other obligations make any further formal education out of the question. Perhaps I will have to wait until I retire. Then, I will have to figure out which PhD program would have me.

I was not taken aback, much less offended, by your questions and statements regarding the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As a matter of fact, it is a rare event when visitors to our church voice such candid opinions as you did. Most visitors, who also happen to be skeptics of the Bible, just say what a pleasant congregation we have, and are reluctant to discuss the sermon at all. I was encouraged to hear you say that you would like to continue having discussions regarding your understanding of Jesus, his work, and his resurrection.

Let me begin our discussion by saying that the death and resurrection of Jesus go hand-in-hand with each other. They are, as it were, on the same side of the coin. Without the death of Jesus, and the particular manner of his death, the resurrection is impossible. And without the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead, his death is meaningless. The two must go hand-in-hand if we are to understand the life and work of Jesus.

The manner of Jesus' death by crucifixion is very important because he had to die that particular manner of death. In the Bible God says, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree," (Galatians 3:13, ESV). Jesus had to be condemned to this manner of death by both the Jewish leadership and Pontius Pilate. Quite simply, Jesus had to die the death of a criminal for the crimes of a criminal. But, and this is the important question, for whose crimes did he die?

The Bible teaches that Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever, either in the sight of God or man. The writer of Hebrews states, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews4:15, ESV) Then, if Jesus was to die as a cursed man, it must be man's sin, yours and mine, for which he was condemned. In the Bible God states, "For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) This lovely Man, who committed no offense against God or man in thought, word, or deed, took upon himself our sin and bore in his own body the wrath of a holy and just God. And Jesus did it voluntarily. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, ESV)

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is just as important to us as is his death. As I said earlier, the two go hand-in-hand. The fact of Jesus' resurrection proves (yes, proves!) that he is the Son of God. It proves that everything that God said about his Son is true. It proves that everything Jesus said about his Father and himself is true. It proves that Jesus satisfied the holy justice of God by offering himself as the sacrifice for our sins and in our place.

Now men can believe the fact that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead, and it will not benefit them one iota. These are not simply historical facts that we simply acknowledge. It requires me to trust the fact that Jesus offered himself as my substitute, bearing the penalty of my sin that I justly deserve. It requires that I confess, before men, that Jesus is Lord whose has a rightful claim as Master to every thought, word, and deed that I have, speak, or perform. It requires that I believe that God raised him from the dead so that I will be raised from the dead unto new life in Christ, and not to condemnation.

The danger of not believing what God has said about his Son and Christ is not just a future condemnation. Those who do not believe already stand condemned and the wrath of God rests upon him; John the Baptist told his disciples, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36 ESV) The additional danger which comes upon man for not believing and trusting Jesus' death and resurrection comes upon him because he calls God a liar! The Apostle John wrote, "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23, ESV)

I hope this explains to you a bit more following our discussion on Sunday. I hope you will think of more questions, and really hard questions. I don't know all the answers, but I know the One who does!


In the bonds of Christ,


Tom