On Good Friday, we left the church with the dead body of Jesus lying in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. The last words we heard from the Gospel of Mark were:
“So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.”
Symbolically we went out into the darkness. The candles and the lights extinguished. What we re-enacted, the devoted followers of Jesus lived through. With the death of Jesus, darkness descended. In the minds of his followers, the hope of redemption through Jesus died with his death on a Roman cross.
But something amazing happens. The darkness begins to recede. Early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women, who had seen where Jesus had been laid, go to the tomb. The tomb is empty. They are met by two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning. The women were frightened and confused as they heard these puzzling words: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen.”
The two angels saw the blank looks. They understood the bewilderment. So they proceed to explain: “Remember . . . remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”
The angels’ words have their affect. Jesus words to his followers came back to the surface of the minds of the women. “Oh, yes! We remember. We remember! It didn’t make sense then. We couldn’t figure out what Jesus was saying. Die? Be crucified? Come back to life? How do you make sense of that?”
As the women stood in the empty tomb and heard the words, “He is risen,” their darkness began to turn to light. Joy fills their spirits as they go to the eleven disciples and the other followers of Jesus with their startling story. In spite of the intense excitement and enthusiasm of the women, the disciples were sceptical. Luke puts it this way: “But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”
Luke only gives us a summation of their response. I imagine the sceptical disciples gave the women a hard time. If someone tells us something that sounds like nonsense, our response can be quite rough. It probably began with “What are you talking about?” and progressed to “Are you crazy? Are you out of your minds?” And finally, “Are you sure you went to the right tomb?”
I can also hear the women defending their story. “No! It’s true! We did not go expecting an empty tomb. We were surprised by the two angels.” Finally in exasperation, they probably said. “Go to the tomb yourselves. Then come back and tell us what you saw.”
Peter did just that. He got up and ran to the tomb. He was confronted with the same reality. The tomb is empty. Not only is the tomb empty but the strips of linen used to wrap the body of Jesus are lying by themselves.
Can you hear Peter breathing out heavily in bewilderment? Can you see him shaking his head and asking, “What is going on? This does not make sense. Could the women have been right?”
That evening Jesus came to the disciples. He spoke to them. The reality of his resurrection then began to sink in. The disciples believed. Jesus is alive. They have seen him, heard from him. Hope is not lost. God is at work in Jesus to fulfill his promises. . . Jesus is the Christ.
Now fast forward to the book of Acts (Chapter 10). Peter is at the house of Cornelius, a non-Jewish person. Much has happened between the first day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead and Peter’s visit to the house of Cornelius. Jesus spent many days with the disciples helping them to understand what the scriptures had said about his death and resurrection and its significance for them. After 40 days of instruction, Jesus leaves his disciples to ascend into heaven to be with his Father. The disciples are to continue his work but first they must wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes. The disciples and followers of Jesus are empowered for ministry. The event attracts a crowd. The story of Jesus is told. Several thousand people respond. Those who responded were fellow Jews who came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
Something new happens at Cornelius’ house. The story of Jesus breaks out of the Jewish culture. Peter has a recurring vision from God that causes him to accept an invitation to go to the house of Cornelius. Not only was he not Jewish, but was a Roman military person living in Caesarea. Peter’s decision to go to Cornelius’s house broke with his (and a typical Jewish) tradition that Jews did not enter the homes of non Jews. Such action was forbidden by strict religious rules about food and the social barriers that had been erected over time.
Peter’s opening words to the people who had gathered at the home of Cornelius revealed the transition taking place in Peter’s thinking. Peter says: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. This is the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” The message is concluded with these words, “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was not a national truth or a personal truth. The story of Jesus was universal. The good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was not to be limited to a few but to be told to everyone. And for everyone who believes there is forgiveness of sins through his name.
This was a huge step for Peter. He was used to seeing God’s salvation in terms of his own people. Other people, other nationalities had their own gods. The gods of other nations were not like the true God of Israel—but that was their problem! Ironically, many times in the past, it had been Israel’s problem as well for the nation of Israel frequently and eagerly embraced other gods.)
This idea of Christianity as a universal truth, a truth for everyone, a truth that would redeem and bring people into a right relationship with God, was a hard truth to sell to people in the first century. There were a multitude of gods and deities. In addition, the Roman emperor saw himself as a god who stood above all gods. Worship any god you liked, but make sure you were willing to acknowledge the emperor as Lord. If you didn’t, 2nd and 3rd century Christians discovered their lives could be short lived.
We come now to the 21st century. Are there any parallels between first century spirituality and 21st century spirituality?
Like the first century, we honour many gods. These gods can take the form of a nebulous spirituality aimed at satisfying an inner emptiness without specific belief. Christopher Dawson puts it this way, “There is the search for a “religious emotion divorced from religious belief.” (Charles Dawson, Dynamic of World History, ed. John J. Mulloy, p.xix. Quoted by James Emery White, Serious Times, p. 63).
Modern religious pluralism arises out of the idea that there is no universal religious truth. Another way to put it: There is no real truth. There is only personal perspective. If what I believe works for me, truth claims are not important. What I believe may not work for you – or anyone else – but it works for me and that is all that really matters. So let’s all believe what we want to believe and everyone will be happy.
The existence of multi-gods or the denial of universal truth can lead to scepticism about belief in any god. On one extreme, there is a superstitious fear where a person’s life is controlled by a desire to appease all the gods. On the other end of the spectrum, there is religious ritual and verbal consent without any belief that these many gods make any difference in one’s life. All is done for show.
Scepticism about the gods existed in the first century and continues to exist today. One of the current bestselling books on the nonfiction list is The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, who also wrote The Blind Watchmaker. According to Gerald Walton Paul, Dawkins pledges as an atheist and scientist to do all in his power “to warn people against faith itself, not just against extremist faith.”
In an age that questions whether there is any universal truth Dawkins reintroduces the idea of universal truth. Only for Dawkins, truth is not religious. Truth is shaped by science. Science is the one thing that is real. Superstitious beliefs, particularly those related to myth and religion, are no more. Science becomes the measure of all truth. According to Dawkins’ brand of science, science does not need god and, in fact, leaves no room for God.
Dawkins’ universal truth is scientific or what some might label “scientism.” Science becomes the new God. Dawkins argues his position in the face of many scientists who propose that science does not eliminate God. It actually points to God.
Back to the Apostle Peter. He was convinced that, through the resurrection of Jesus, there is universal truth. Universal truth is transcends science. Truth is in Jesus who brings forgiveness to a world that is desperate straits. Jesus can and will leads us to God, the creator and Lord of all.
How does one decide? Is there universal truth? If there is universal truth, what shape does it take?
What we know is this: If the resurrection took place, Dawkins’ argument for atheistic scientism collapses. The resurrection points to the reality of God at work in our world in a very specific and visible way. God has clearly made himself known in human history for those who have eyes to see.
On the other hand, if the resurrection of Jesus did not take place, then Christianity is a delusion. The Apostle Paul claimed to have seen the resurrected Christ—along with the disciples and 500 other people. Paul writes this in his letter to the believers in Corinth (1 Cor. 15:14ff): “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.... Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
We know the importance of historical events. This weekend, 5000 Canadian students have travelled to France to be part of a crowd of over 25,000 who will assemble on a pock-marked shoulder of land on Monday morning to mark the anniversary of a 90-year-old battle. Many call it “the birth place of a nation.” (Whig Standard, April 7, 2007; p. 11) For this reason, Vimy Ridge is considered to be a defining point in Canadian history.
The resurrection was a turning point in the history of humankind. The empty tomb, Jesus’ appearance to his disciples and the transformation of the disciples into people of faith who turned the world upside down, points to the universal truth of God at work in our world.
The resurrection can be dismissed as Dawkins does, but to do so is like ignoring an important sign post along the road that is providing needed instructions to get to our destination. Dealing with the truth of the resurrection will lead us to God. We will become aware that there is salvation and hope for a broken world. As individuals, we will taste of God’s goodness, his salvation and the hope that is ours through the resurrected Christ.
The tomb is still empty. The first women who went to the tomb got it right. Christ was and is no longer in the tomb. Christ has risen. He is alive. He wants to make a difference in your life. Will you let him?
If you want to read more about this subject, the booklets “Why Jesus?” and “Why Did Jesus Die?” are available by contacting the church office at 613-542-1323.
For further discussion, you can email Pastor Peter @ peter@kschurch.ca.