Title: Easter Needs No Proof

Date: 2009-04-12

Reference: Mark 16: 1-8

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was never meant to be proved but experienced. As a matter of fact it cannot be proved, as no one of us was there. We have to take the word of others who were. Those early witnesses were very passionate about their testimonies. Many were will to be martyred in defense of their convictions. But ultimately the resurrection is to be experienced not proved. The most convincing evidence of the Resurrection of Christ is the transformation of the people who know Jesus and believe in Him.

I decided long ago, the only proof of Easter I will ever need is memory. I remember what my life was like before I met the living Christ and I know what my life is now, as I share it with Him. I would not stand here and tell you I am always the man I should be. But thanks to the living Christ, I am not the man I used to be either. The risen Jesus Christ has made all the difference.

Late in life, John Newton, the former slave trader who wrote Amazing Grace said.."My memory is almost all gone now. But I remember two things. I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”

Remembering those two truths will allow us all to experience Easter and Resurrection. So many people have been totally and absolutely transformed by knowing Jesus personally. Plans are going well for our mission trip to Uganda this Summer. I have been reading all I can find about this African country in preparation for the ministry there. I read an account written by a Ugandan Bishop in 1973.

This was a dark time in the history of Uganda. The Bishop had been called to witness the execution by firing squad of three men from his diocese. On that day people from the village were commanded to come to the soccer stadium to witness this execution. On that day death permeated the atmosphere. A silent crowd of 3k was there to witness this killing. The Bishop was given permission to speak to the condemned men before they died. As they were brought into the stadium they were handcuffed and shackled. The Bishop wondered what he would say. “How do you share the Gospel with condemned men who are probably seething with rage?” he asked himself.

The faces of the prisoners were glowing. Before the Bishop could say anything, one burst out: “Bishop, thank you for coming. While I was in prison I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart. He forgave my many, terrible sins. I am going to be with God. Please tell my wife and children I am going to be with Jesus. Ask them to invite Jesus in as I did.” The other two shared similar stories.

The Bishop translated the man’s testimony into a language the guards could understand. The three faced the firing squad. They came close together and began waving at the crowd. Then the shots fired and the three were with Jesus. Throughout the district there was a revival as people turned to Jesus who challenges and defeats death. Hundreds of persons were introduced to the living Christ as a result of this testimony.

The resurrection needs no proof. The resurrection was meant to be experienced. Easter allows us to live with confidence knowing that Jesus is alive and his victory over death has opened heaven to us and to all who believe. We know one day we will be with Jesus in paradise as he promised.

The deepest meaning of Easter is that life on earth is only a beginning for us and there is so much more to life than we experience here in this world. Jesus said: “Because I live, you shall live also.”

My family received several beautiful Easter Cards this year from families in the church. Thank you for thinking of us in this way. One of the cards we received said: “Real Power isn’t always where we think it is.. Real power is not in armies or in sport’s arenas, or the latest high tech wonder. Real power is on a hill far away where an old rugged cross once stood. And it’s in an empty Tomb just down the road. It’s knowing without Question that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from our risen Lord and Savior.”

The Bible says it this way: “Can anything separate us from the Love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, hard times, hunger, nakedness, danger or even death? I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Not life or death, angels or spirits, not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all of creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34)

Easter People don’t seek proof. We have experienced the love of God through the Risen Christ. As the old Hymn says: “You ask me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart.” When we know Jesus lives we cannot help ourselves. We must tell everyone.

Years after the first Easter the Apostles Peter and John were preaching and teaching about Jesus. They were reporting what they had seen with their own eyes and experienced in their hearts. The Religious Officials called them in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

Peter and John replied: “Do you think God wants us to obey you or Him? We cannot, we will not stop telling everyone we meet what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4: 18-20) Years ago people attending training sessions for the Billy Graham Crusade in Denver were asked: “What is your greatest hindrance to sharing the Gospel?” The number one reason for not sharing was fear. Many were afraid of what others would think of them and how others would react if they were to tell them about Jesus.

After the Resurrection the Apostles had no such fear. Peter and John were two of Jesus’ closest disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry. They had heard Jesus preach and teach. They had seen the miracles..demons cast out, the sick healed, the hungry fed, the dead raised, storms calmed. And of course they had seen the empty tomb and the resurrected Jesus. They had heard Jesus say: “Go into all the world to preach the Good News to everyone.” Seeing and hearing all these things had lit a fire of passion within them to tell others. Peter and John spoke respectfully to the Religious Leaders who had them thrown into prison for preaching the Gospel. Because of their relationship with the living Jesus they continued to give a clear, unequivocal message..”No matter what you do to us, we cannot we will not stop preaching. After what they had seen and heard there was no way they could stop.

What keeps us from sharing and telling our friends, neighbors, coworkers and neighbors about Jesus today? One of the great privileges of knowing and following Jesus is the opportunity of telling others about Him. What he has done for you and what he can do for them. We should use each and every opportunity we are given to share our faith with those God has placed in our lives.

Last Sunday right afternoon as I drove home from church I noticed a small army from Kingdom Hall descending on my neighborhood. As I walked to the house dressed in a suit and tie, arms full of Bible and other things I had carried from church it was evident where I had been. As two men came toward me I thought they would pass me by since it was obvious I had just been to church. I had not been to their church.

Many of us hesitate to share our faith with Jehovah Witnesses or others because we don’t know our Bibles, we don’t like arguing, we like to live and let live and we are afraid we won’t be able to prove our point.

The message of Easter is we don’t need to prove anything. If Jesus is real to you, if the Spirit of the living Christ is living in your heart, you have an experience to share. A testimony should be as simple as this: “I once was lost and now I’m found. Jesus has made all the difference in my life.” I get so tired of arguing fine points of theology with people. The older I get the simpler it gets. I’m like the man in the Bible Jesus healed. He had been blind since birth. He had never seen the beauty of God’s world or the faces of his loved ones. One day Jesus restored his sight. The Religious People wanted to pick a fight with him. They couldn’t argue the fact he had been healed. They put the man on the witness chair and said: “Testify that Jesus is a sinner. He is a rule breaker. He doesn’t follow the law.” The healed man said: “I don’t know about any of that. This is all I know.. This one thing is what I know...I once was blind and now I see. And Jesus has made the difference.”

I have so many people ask me what Methodist People believe. The simple answer is this: “God loved the people of this world so much he sent His only Son.

So that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never die.” Many years ago one of the astronauts who walked on the moon was interviewed and asked: “What do you think about when you stand on the moon looking back at the earth?” He replied: “I remembered that the spacecraft was built by the lowest bidder.” On Easter Sunday we can rejoice that the work of salvation did not go to the lowest bidder but was done by an infinite loving God. There will never be a deficiency in His work. Our salvation is as sure as the architect of that salvation Almighty God.

We don’t come this day seeking proof. We come to experience all God has for us. He Is Risen.