Do Christians have to believe God is God? I know, it seems like a stupid question. Until I read an article at salon.com titled, Do Christians believe God resurrected Jesus from the dead? Well, it's complicated. Really? It's complicated? How complicated can it be? If God is God, then why can't Christians believe Jesus was Resurrected from the dead? I'm writing this just after Easter, so it seems like an important question.
I have to admit, I never thought I'd use a site like dummies.com, but I can't resist.
They have a page titled, Christian Holy Days, Holidays, and Seasons.
The entry for Easter, you know - the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, that includes the following.
Bar none, Easter is the single most important holy day of the Christian Church, for it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central event in Christianity. To Christians, the resurrection backs up Jesus' claim that he had the authority to die for the sins of the world and the power to come back to life again. It also gives hope to Christians that they too will experience a resurrected life in heaven.
Even dummies.com, sorry no insult intended towards them, know that Easter is the single most important holy day of the Christian Church. Even more important than Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. And more important than Good Friday, the day we commemorate Jesus' death on the cross.
Do Christians have to believe God - even about Easter?
Why is Easter so important? Everyone who ever lived was born. Obviously. Everyone who ever lived, with the exception of Enoch and Elijah from the Old Testament, either did die or will die. And many believe Enoch and Elijah will be the two witnesses in Revelation, and that they will also die during that time.
But who else has ever been resurrected and brought back to life? OK, Lazarus. But Lazarus wasn't the son of God. Lazarus didn't die for our sins and reconcile us with God. Every Christian (should) know that.
That's why Easter is the most important Holy Day for Christians.
Although, having said that, I also believe the little-known Ascension Day is also really important. I came to know about it as a Catholic in my younger days, but rarely hear about it as a Protestant. If you don't know much about it, you can learn more at The problem of the forgotten holiday – Ascension Day.
More about why Easter is so important to Christians
If all that wasn't enough for you, and for many it wasn't, how about this, from Paul?
The Resurrection of the Dead
1Co 15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
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