The importance of Easter in regards to the Christian faith as a whole cannot be overemphasized. In short, everything regarding the truthfulness of Christianity is dependent on the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus didn’t literally, physically and bodily rise from the dead then Christianity is a deceptive hoax. If Jesus simply died and remained in the tomb, there is no point in reading the Bible, going to church or a small group Bible study, or living for God. In 1 Corinthians 15:17, we read, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
Why is this? Consider all of the times that Jesus Himself clearly declared that He was going to die and then subsequently be resurrected. I decided to list all the times Jesus makes this clear statement in just the book of Matthew. He speaks of His resurrection in Matthew 17:9, Matthew 17:22-23, Matthew 20:18-19, and Matthew 26:31-32. On my Good Friday blog, I stated that Jesus was innocent, pure, and sinless. But if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, He is a liar, and therefore certainly not innocent, pure, and sinless. If this is the case, He is not the Savior of the world; He would actually be an imposter and a religious con artist. Once again, everything regarding the Christian faith depends on whether or not Jesus resurrected from the dead.
Because of this, opponents of Christianity have proposed numerous theories as to why Jesus didn’t actually rise again, all equally ridiculous. Some have suggested that Jesus never actually died as a result of the crucifixion. This view says that Christ only appeared to die, but He was only wounded, not dead. Others have suggested that the disciples stole the body of Jesus from the tomb so the story could be told that Jesus arose, when He didn’t. Still others claim that Christ was never even crucified, rather it was someone who looked like Him, once again, a clever ruse from the disciples, proponents claim. There are many other views, but they are all ludicrous.
Christianity is valid because, the truth is, Jesus did physically arise from the dead. After stating that Christianity is useless if Christ didn’t rise again, Paul writes in verse 20 of 1 Corinthians 15: “But now Christ is risen from the dead.” Verse 26 of this same chapter: “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” Christ is the victor, even over death itself! Easter is the greatest of days because it is a celebration of the day that Jesus proved that He really is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). This is because He arose from the dead, just as He repeatedly predicted that He would do.
Happy Easter!
Kevin
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Why is it called "Good Friday"?
It is ironic to contemplate that the holiday that commemorates a bloody crucifixion is called “Good Friday”. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why this would be a day characterized as good? What’s good about an unpleasant scene like a man being beaten, bloodied, stripped naked, and nailed to a wooden cross? Why celebrate perhaps the most violent, cruel, and humiliating death that has ever been devised by mankind? Why is it called “Good Friday”?
My answer is Good Friday is considered good because we are celebrating the Man who died on the cross for all of humanity. You see, this wasn’t a normal crucifixion. This Man, Jesus Christ, was an innocent man. Unlike every other crucifixion, Jesus didn’t die for His sins; the Bible makes it clear that Jesus was pure, spotless, and sinless (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-22). Jesus died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humankind (1 John 2:2). The Bible says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Why did Jesus choose to die this kind of death? In a word: love. Jesus modeled a selfless, genuine love when He died on the cross. He knew how difficult a path it would be to take the road to Calvary; He even prayed for God to spare Him from the cup of suffering that He was about to take, if there was any other way, but then ultimately submitted Himself afresh to God's will (Matthew 26:39,42). After all, the cross wasn’t just torture physically, but also mentally and spiritually as well. But Jesus endured it all, out of a deep love for humanity.
1 John 3:16 declares, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death, the price for mankind’s sin has been paid; that’s why it’s called Good Friday.
Kevin
My answer is Good Friday is considered good because we are celebrating the Man who died on the cross for all of humanity. You see, this wasn’t a normal crucifixion. This Man, Jesus Christ, was an innocent man. Unlike every other crucifixion, Jesus didn’t die for His sins; the Bible makes it clear that Jesus was pure, spotless, and sinless (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-22). Jesus died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humankind (1 John 2:2). The Bible says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Why did Jesus choose to die this kind of death? In a word: love. Jesus modeled a selfless, genuine love when He died on the cross. He knew how difficult a path it would be to take the road to Calvary; He even prayed for God to spare Him from the cup of suffering that He was about to take, if there was any other way, but then ultimately submitted Himself afresh to God's will (Matthew 26:39,42). After all, the cross wasn’t just torture physically, but also mentally and spiritually as well. But Jesus endured it all, out of a deep love for humanity.
1 John 3:16 declares, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death, the price for mankind’s sin has been paid; that’s why it’s called Good Friday.
Kevin
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
My opinion on Super Bowl weather
I've wanted to talk about this for a while and today seems like a good day to bring it up. When did the NFL get the idea that a Super Bowl should be played in a city where cold and even snow could be a factor? In my opinion, this is a silly notion. In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl 48, people were talking about the weather forecast as much as anything else. They were asserting that Peyton Manning cannot play in the cold or the snow (this, by the way, is a false assertion), and that if the snow was falling the Broncos would be a distinct disadvantage. Of course, the weather was a non-factor, but the Broncos were at a disadvantage anyway because of their superior opponent.
That said, long before anyone knew the teams that would participate in Super Bowl 48, I thought it was a strange idea to introduce the notion of playing the Super Bowl in a cold, snowy climate. This isn’t about New Jersey; I’m talking any cold weather city, Denver included. My viewpoint is that a Super Bowl should be played in a warm city. The Super Bowl is the biggest game in professional sports, so shouldn’t the winner be determined by talent, will, and execution of a game plan rather than who can better handle playing in inclement weather?
The NFL is all about parity, not giving anyone an unfair advantage. So, consider for example, if the New England Patriots play the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl in a cold weather city. The Patriots are used to the snow and the cold, thus they would have an advantage over the Saints who are a dome team. Of course the Saints might still win in this example, but they aren’t playing on level ground, so to speak. My opinion on this is that the NFL should stick to what they've done all these years: playing the Super Bowl in a warm weather city.
Kevin
That said, long before anyone knew the teams that would participate in Super Bowl 48, I thought it was a strange idea to introduce the notion of playing the Super Bowl in a cold, snowy climate. This isn’t about New Jersey; I’m talking any cold weather city, Denver included. My viewpoint is that a Super Bowl should be played in a warm city. The Super Bowl is the biggest game in professional sports, so shouldn’t the winner be determined by talent, will, and execution of a game plan rather than who can better handle playing in inclement weather?
The NFL is all about parity, not giving anyone an unfair advantage. So, consider for example, if the New England Patriots play the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl in a cold weather city. The Patriots are used to the snow and the cold, thus they would have an advantage over the Saints who are a dome team. Of course the Saints might still win in this example, but they aren’t playing on level ground, so to speak. My opinion on this is that the NFL should stick to what they've done all these years: playing the Super Bowl in a warm weather city.
Kevin
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