#DailyDevotion The Christian Faith Is Based On Witnesses Of Jesus’ Resurrection

Monday Easter 6

Acts 10:39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

 

The Christian religion is a religion of faith. It is a religion of faith in who Jesus is, what did he accomplish, and what happened to him for us, for the world. It doesn’t take faith to believe Jesus existed. That’s a fairly established fact except for people who just have a problem with religion in general. But to believe Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion, that his death won eternal salvation for all people, that he ascended into heaven bodily and he is coming back to raise the dead on day, that takes faith.

 

But our faith is not in some made up story. The Christian faith has a foundation. That foundation is the apostles. Jesus had chosen certain people, five hundred plus of them according to St. Paul, to be witnesses of his resurrection. That would include the apostles, Paul, and a number of other disciples he showed himself alive to and taught them what the Scriptures meant concerning him. They ate and drank with him, at different times because Jesus wanted them to know he wasn’t a ghost, a phantasm or a figment of their imagination. They even held him. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day just as he said he would.

 

Now if Jesus is raised from the dead, we are justified, declared innocent of our sins. It means the Father had laid our sins upon him and made Jesus the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world. If Jesus is raised from the dead, then death can have no hold on us. Those who have this faith possess eternal life. While we may physically die, we do not experience the pains of death like unbelievers. We have the promise we will be raised from the dead like Jesus the day of his visible return. Even unbelievers are raised from the dead bodily like us because of the resurrection of Jesus, but are raised only to be cast into the lake of fire.

 

These are things the Lord Jesus Christ taught to his disciples while he was with them during his pre and post crucifixion event. All of his teachings the apostles handed down to us, his Church. None of his teachings are hidden away somewhere in a vault. Everything Jesus taught to his apostles has been handed to us in the form of the New Testament writings. It is upon these writings which the Church was founded and is what we believe, teach and bear witness to the world. As the apostles bore witness now we who believe their words and trust in Christ Jesus also bear witness to the world. Jesus is risen and in him is the world’s salvation

 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the witness of the apostles of Jesus’ resurrection and his teachings with give us eternal life as handed down to us in the Holy Scriptures. Grant us faith always in this witness and grant us your Holy Spirit that we may be witnesses also of his resurrection power in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.