Easter (or Resurrection Day as I prefer to call it) falls on April 12 this year. That's still a couple of weeks off, but it never hurts to contemplate that special day early. And to do that, check out this special commentary by David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus.
In his wonderful column, David discusses the division that is present within Judaism over the subject of the resurrection from the dead. I want to excerpt the following segment from it -- an outstanding summation of the core matter at least for Christians:
The Bible confidently affirms bodily resurrection from the dead whereby we'll be radically changed, yet somehow be ourselves. We know that we'll be praising God, but we also know that "eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard" the wonders that await us in those resurrection bodies. The Bible offers unbounded hope for this life and the life to come. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead not only remains the most compelling evidence that He is the Messiah; it also confirms that He alone is the Lord who gives life. Because He rose from the dead, we who believe in Him will also rise. Hope in the resurrection is central to our faith. The Apostle Paul said, "For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:16-17)
That really is the crux of the matter. That is why evangelicals such as me get a bit riled when theologians who ought to know better fudge on the resurrection, especially that of Christ. A Christianity without the Resurrection of Christ is not Christianity at all.
As we approach Resurrection Day, we would do well to remember that.
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