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Something to Live For...Something to Die For

Something to Live For...Something to Die For

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I'll admit it, I get mixed up sometimes. Well, a lot of times actually. I think I just have one of those brains that is similar to the Windows operating system. I freeze up, crash often, and probably have conflicting software running in the background.

Examples from childhood:

  • I once stuck the hose up the dryer outlet and turned both on to see which one would win.
  • Another time I put grass in the lawnmower gas tank under the theory that it would improve its performance.
  • Oh, and I also got the idea that it would be cool to light up a chain link bicycle lock, so I stuck it in a lamp socket that fortunately for me was unplugged at the time. Sort of like my brain most of the time.

But the one that takes the cake was my early theory about Jesus and the Resurrection. Two independent pieces of information fused into one coherent worldview that went something like this:

Jesus died on the Cross, was put in the grave, and on the third day came out, and because He saw His shadow, there would be six more weeks of winter.

Or something like that.

Y'know, it's OK to be mixed up about some things like dryers and hoses and lawnmowers (oh my!). But...it's not OK to be mixed up about the most important event in history: the literal and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why? Well, forget what I might say about it - check out what the Apostle Paul declared:

If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. (I Corinthians 15:17-19)

In three short verses, Paul perfectly explains why the resurrection of Christ is not just a part of Christianity, it IS Christianity. If the resurrection didn't happen, then you and I are trapped in a miserable sinful life until we die like dogs and get put in the cold ground. Nothing to live for, nothing to die for, nothing to hope for.

A little worse than six more weeks of winter...wouldn't you say?

So let's clear up the mix up. The resurrection happened. The stone was moved. The body is gone. He appeared to more than 500 people. The eyewitnesses wrote it down. The Roman guards peed their pants. (OK - made that last one up.)

And, of course, the disciples formerly known as wimps became warriors for the good news of the gospel - which is the fact that since Jesus came back from the dead, He proved that He is God and the only way to heaven.

Something on earth or beyond the earth caused every single disciple to transform from this:

At that point, all the disciples deserted him (Jesus) and fled. (Matthew 26:56)

To this:

Martyrs

Martyrs are people who die for their faith, and the disciples not only died, but check out these details:

  • Stephen was killed with stones.
  • James was beheaded.
  • Philip was crucified.
  • Matthew was slain with a sword.
  • James the brother of Jesus, had his brains dashed out with a club.
  • Matthias was killed with stones and then beheaded.
  • Andrew was crucified.
  • Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria.
  • Peter was crucified upside down.
  • Paul was beheaded with a sword.
  • Jude was crucified.
  • Bartholomew was beaten then crucified.
  • Thomas was killed with a spear.
  • Luke was hanged.
  • Simon was crucified.
  • John was literally boiled in oil, but lived and was exiled and died on the island of Patmos.

For some reason, the men who were afraid to go out in public for Christ ended up facing cruel and painful fates with the boldness and courage of a lion. What reason? Well, according to them, they gave their lives for the fact that Jesus really came back from the dead. Let's face it folks, most people don't sacrifice their lives at all, and no one lets himself/herself be killed for something he/she knows to be a lie. But the disciples knew that life without the resurrection is no life at all, so they all gave their lives to the fact that the Savior came back from the dead.

And that doesn't sound very mixed up to me!

Head: What you need to know about this truth

In addition to the solid proof for the resurrection from the Bible, the changed lives of the disciples is a strong argument that Christ really came back from the dead.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Motivated to serve Christ just like the disciples. They were so impacted by the fact that Jesus came back from the dead that they changed the world...you can to!

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Bring up the subject of Christ coming back from the dead with your friends and discuss what this article talked about.