The Hope That Defies Empires
To understand the weight of the resurrection, we can look back to a powerful moment in 1930s Ukraine. Nikolai Bukharin, a prominent Soviet leader, stood before a crowd in Kiev for a full hour, unleashing a verbal assault against the Christian faith. His goal was “demoralization”—to gaslight the people into believing that there was no hope in Christ and that the government was their only savior [01:03].
When he finished his tirade, a single man stood up and simply shouted, “He is risen!” The crowd erupted in response: “He is risen indeed!” In a time of Stalinist oppression, the resurrection wasn’t a nice “Sunday morning experience.” It was their life. It was the only thing that kept them going [02:03]. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, it changes the outlook for everything. It becomes our “spiritual bread” that provides for us even in our darkest trials [02:32].
The Reliability of the Risen Lord
The foundation of our faith rests on a simple premise: Because Jesus did what He said He would do (rise again), we can trust that He will do what He says He is going to do in the future.
In Luke 24:6, Jesus clearly predicted His own death and resurrection, stating that the Son of Man must be delivered to sinners, be crucified, and be raised on the third day [03:53]. He didn’t want it to be a surprise. He told us so that when it happened, His words would be validated. Because He proved Himself the author of life over death, we can have absolute confidence in His promise to return for His children [04:52].
The Great Trilemma: Lunatic, Liar, or Lord?
When Jesus stood in Caesarea Philippi—a place notorious for idol worship and human sacrifice—He asked His disciples a question that every person must eventually answer: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” [06:21].
Theologian C.S. Lewis famously argued in Mere Christianity that we cannot simply call Jesus a “great moral teacher.” Jesus didn’t leave that option open to us. Based on His claims to be God, Lewis presented three possibilities:
- A Lunatic: A man who claims to be God but isn’t is no more a “moral teacher” than a man who claims he is a poached egg [12:37].
- A Liar: A man who knows He isn’t God but leads others to believe He is would be a “demon from hell” [13:16].
- Lord: He is exactly who He said He was.
You can shut Him up for a fool, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God [13:27].
Evidence Beyond the Grave
For those who struggle with the “legend” theory—the idea that Jesus was a myth—even secular history provides a challenge. A search for the historicity of Jesus’ death reveals that his crucifixion is considered a “historical certainty” [09:24]. Beyond the Bible, we have accounts from:
- Josephus: A Jewish historian who witnessed the early church and the martyrdom of James, Jesus’ half-brother [10:13].
- Pliny and Tacitus: Roman historians who documented that the early church truly believed in the resurrection, even if they found it “superstitious” [10:57].
Furthermore, the statistical odds of Jesus fulfilling just eight of the 300+ Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah are one in 100 quadrillion. To visualize this, imagine covering the entire state of Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, marking one with an ‘X,’ and picking it out on the first try while blindfolded [19:33].
The Eyewitness Testimony
A lie or a lunacy doesn’t usually produce 500 eyewitnesses. In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul notes that Jesus appeared to Peter, the twelve disciples, and then to more than 500 followers at once [22:36]. Most of these people were still alive when Paul was writing, essentially saying, “If you don’t believe me, go ask them” [22:48]. Jesus wasn’t a ghost; He ate with them, let them touch His wounds, and proved He was alive in the flesh [23:07].
Your Personal Response
Easter is more than a tradition or a “check in the box” to make family happy. It is a confrontation with the King. Simon Peter answered the question correctly when he said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” [24:54].
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord [26:03]. You can make that confession today of your own free will, or you can wait until His second coming when the reality will be undeniable. If you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven [26:54].
He is risen! Let that truth be the anchor of your soul today.
Watch the full sermon here: Easter Sunday | Jesus is LORD