The Relevance of the Resurrection

Throughout history, many have denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ, saying it was a hallucination, myth, conspiracy, or even that Jesus only appeared to die, but actually recovered and survived. But by far the most popular way of denying the resurrection is also the subtlest, and it’s even believed by some in the Church. This is to affirm the historical fact of the resurrection, but then deny the need for it by trusting in your own righteousness. We see this when the Lord’s Supper goes beyond the symbols and becomes a re-crucifying of Christ, when baptism is believed to be the means of justification, or by trusting in the inherit value of your race, ethnicity, or Christian upbringing. How do you affirm the resurrection in practice? By repenting of your pride and confidence in your own imagined superiority, or the spiritual advantages of belonging to some group, and submitting to God’s righteousness. We don’t stop obeying the Lord or stop our good works, rather we stop trusting in our obedience, and stop believing in the efficacy of our works.