Of Christianity’s two biggest holidays, Christmas is the easier one for pagans to swallow. ’Cause Jesus the Nazarene was born. That, they won’t debate. There are a few cranks who think Jesus’s life is entirely mythological, start to finish; but for the most part everyone agrees he was born. May not believe he was miraculously born, but certainly they agree he was born.
Easter’s way harder. ’Cause Jesus the Nazarene rose from the dead. And no, he didn’t just wake up in a tomb after a two-day coma following a brutal flogging and crucifixion. Wasn’t a spectral event either, where his ghost went visiting his loved ones to tell them everything’s all right; he’s on a higher plane now; in time they’ll join him. Nor was it a “spiritual” event, where people had visions or mass hallucinations of him, or missed him so hard they psyched themselves into believing they saw him.
Christians state Jesus is alive. In a body. A human body. An extraordinary body; apparently his new body can do things our current bodies can’t. But alive in a way people recognize as fully alive. Not some walking-dead zombie, nor some phantom. Jesus physically interacted with his students, family, and followers, for nearly a month and a half before physically going to heaven.
That, pagans struggle with. ’Cause they don’t believe in resurrection. Resuscitation, sure; CPR can keep a heart going till it can beat on its own, or doctors can revive frozen people. Returning from the dead happens all the time. But permanently? In a new body? Which he took with him to heaven? They’re not buying it. They’re more likely to believe in the Easter Bunny.
But that’s the deal we Christians proclaim on Easter: Christ is risen indeed.
It’s not the central belief of Christianity; God’s kingdom is. But if Jesus didn’t literally come back from the dead on the morning of 5 April 33, it means there’s no such kingdom, and Jesus is never coming back to set it up. And nobody’s coming back from death. There’s no eternal life; at best an eternal afterlife, which ain’t life. There’s no hope for the lost. The Sadducees were right. Christianity’s a sham. There’s no point in any of us being Christians.
No I’m not being hyperbolic. This is precisely what the apostles taught.
- 1 Corinthians 15.12-19 KWL
- 12 If it’s preached Christ is risen from the dead,
- how can some of you say resurrection of the dead isn’t true?
- 13 If resurrection of the dead isn’t true, not even Christ is risen.
- 14 If Christ isn’t risen, our message is worthless. Your faith is worthless.
- 15 Turns out we’re bearing false witness about God: We testified about God that he raised Christ!
- Whom, if it’s true the dead aren’t raised, he didn’t raise.
- 16 If the dead aren’t raised, Christ isn’t risen either.
- 17 If Christ isn’t risen, your faith has no foundation.
- You’re still in your sins, 18 and those who “sleep in Christ” are gone.
- 19 If hope in Christ only exists in this life, we’re the most pathetic of all people.
No resurrection, no kingdom, no Christianity. Period.