C-Text - Christian Blog.

Saturday, April 11, 2009. Easter is there. Easter 2009. Easter as every year - I well remember the Easter days of the last years, usually we were traveling meeting family and friends. Easter is a time where journals and newspapers write about the Christian faith. Jesus is good for some headlines. The stories resemble themselves - often the same magazine writes about the dead body, that the Christian story of resurrection cannot be true. Other newspapers bring stories about Christian leaders, interviews with some prominent figures of the church scene or some personal opinions what the resurrection could mean.

It is interesting to observe the intellectual efforts to make some sense of the resurrection while still being skeptic about its historical truth. At least half of the Christian world today has abandoned its hope to skepticism! Many of us do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus which is told in the gospel. It is considered to be an allegory, some parable for hope. But the key content of this hope has been lost: this guy Jesus being there again, perhaps not in the same way as before, but he lived, he was not dead any more, he talked to them and continued to be their friend and leader. The disciples were skeptic themselves, but then came to faith!

Today we need to rediscover this faith, which has been the driving force of Christianity ever since. Jesus did not resurrect into some dead story. The story about his resurrection is not an allegory or parable. But he came alive as the first one of a new creation. He was there with the women, with his disciples, with many followers in the following days. With this he prepared his disciples to live without him as a human, but with his Holy Spirit in the faith and loving power of the living God. He is living to be with us, every day and forever. He is with God such that God can be with us. We can be as the disciples at the open grave: we might be asking, might be skeptic, might be frustrated and might not understand. But then we recognize Jesus, realize that it is still his voice today, speaking through his messengers, his people and through the New Testament. The resurrection can be our own resurrection as well into a new life, driven by him! [R.W.E.P., jesusnetwork.eu]

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