”For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).
The significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be over emphasized. Jaroslav Pelikan (1923—2006), late Professor of History at Yale said, “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen – nothing else matters.”
Some say that the current and dominant attitude toward the claim of Christ’s resurrection is that it is a quaint mythical relic from the past. Just in case you are moving in that direction, I’d ask that you seriously consider the following story, but especially the closing Scripture.
There was a reclusive old gold miner who lived in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, distant relatives came from the city to collect his valuables. All they saw was an old shack with an outhouse beside it. Inside the shack, next to the rock fireplace, was an old cooking pot and some mining equipment. A rickety table with a battered chair stood over by a small window. A kerosene lamp on the table was the only source of light. In another corner of the little room was a dilapidated cot with a threadbare bedroll on it.
They picked up the few things they thought might be sellable and left. As they were driving away, a friend of the miner rode in on his mule and flagged them down. “Do you mind if I help myself to what’s left in my friend’s cabin?” he asked. “Go ahead,” they replied. “There is nothing of any worth left anyway.”
The old friend entered the shack and walked directly to the table. He reached under it and lifted one of the floorboards. He then removed all the gold his friend had discovered over the past 53 years; enough to build a palace. The recluse died with only his friend knowing his true worth.
As the friend looked out of the little window and watched the car full of relatives disappear over the hill, he said, “They should have gotten to know him better!”
If you come and go from Easter and the celebration of the resurrection and regard Jesus as some relic of history that lived long ago and far away, rather than as a present reality…well...you just missed the gold! And I think I must add just one more thing … You really should get to know Him better!”
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Are you seeking Him?
Pastor Ross Helgeton is senior pastor at Erskine Evangelical Free Church.
— FAITH & REFLECTION