I love this time of year. Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday is a highlight on every church calendar. Additional worship services, large crowds, and first-time professions of faith create lasting momentum that churches often ride for months. Social media posts and pictures ought to bring a smile to our faces as we celebrate all that God is doing in congregations across our nation.
And yet, I cannot help but think of another reality that often follows the largest Sunday of the year. When surveying the New Testament, we quickly realize that the initial response to Jesus’ resurrection was confusion, and even unbelief. People heard the reports. They listened to the testimonies. They knew the tomb was empty. And yet, most struggled to believe at first.
If doubt plagued potential followers of Christ in the first century, certainly we modern pilgrims will struggle with uncertainty as well. Perhaps you have heard the story of Jesus’ cross and resurrection before. The news of God’s love may not be anything new to you, but deep down you might be wondering if all this religious fervor is really true?
Two of Jesus’ earliest followers illustrate the anxious tension you might be experiencing in the aftermath of Easter Sunday. A man named Cleopas (Luke 24:18), along with a friend, discussed the commotion surrounding Jesus’ missing body while they journeyed toward Emmaus (Luke 24:13-14). Reports that Christ had risen from the dead only seemed to confuse them more as they discussed it.
Because the men were unable to piece the significance of the weekend events together on their own, Jesus met them along the road while they traveled (Luke 24:15-17). The willingness of our Savior to run to their doubts rather than away from them ought to encourage us. Though these sojourners rightly understood Jesus’ prophetic teaching, miraculous deeds, and death on the cross, they seemingly had no category for His victory over the grave (Luke 24:19-21).
A similar disconnect between the sacrifice of Jesus and His resurrection remains today. According to Barna Research, though eight out of ten Americans celebrated Easter this year, less than half of them associate the holiday with the empty tomb of Christ. Whether due to ignorance or confusion, we, like Cleopas and his companion, still look upon Jesus rising from the dead with suspicion and uncertainty.
Thankfully, Christ is neither angered nor annoyed by our skepticism. Our questions do not intimidate Him, nor does our hesitancy frustrate Him. Just as Jesus spoke with clarity on the Emmaus Road, He is still guiding us to truth today (Luke 24:25-26). And how does He do so? Luke simply reports, “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27).”
Maybe Jesus explained from the book of Genesis that the Messiah would suffer a bruised heel (death on a cross) before crushing the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Perhaps He explained that Isaac on the altar offered a picture of His death as a sacrifice on Calvary (Gen. 22). Or, Jesus might have recalled the first Passover in Egypt in order to identify Himself as the final Passover Lamb by which God will pass over our sins (Exodus 12). He could have reminded them that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days as a picture of His three days in the tomb (Matt. 12:40).
Regardless of what Scriptures our Savior used, the point is that from cover-to-cover the Bible points us to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s plan, of which the resurrection is foundational (John 5:39). Apart from a risen Savior, Christianity is a lie and the Bible is the greatest hoax in the history of the world. If Jesus did not rise, this life is all there is. The truthfulness of the Bible and the redemption we seek are inseparable.
Not surprisingly, Jesus’ strategy worked. After systematically addressing the concerns of these questioners, our Lord vanished from their sight. As Cleopas and company debriefed, each man marveled, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us (Luke 24:32)?” The pattern was not unique for these two men, however. While addressing another group of bewildered followers, Jesus once again pointed to the Law, the prophets, and the Psalms in order to demonstrate is salvific mission (Luke 24:44-47).
Herein is a clue to help us face our doubts and answer our questions as well. Do you struggle with whether to believe all this talk of resurrection from the dead? Let me encourage you to read the Scriptures and see for yourself. The Bible holds up to our scrutiny. It answers our deepest questions, while quieting our secret fears. And the Word of God will unapologetically point you to Jesus Christ as the risen Savior who can change your life forever. B&R – Adam B. Dooley is pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson and author of “Hope When Life Unravels.” Contact him at [email protected].