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.
…
If someone is a Christian, but they don’t believe Jesus was resurrected, there are big problems with their “religion”. If Jesus wasn’t resurrected, then we won’t be either. And if Jesus wasn’t resurrected, He couldn’t have gone to Heaven. And we won’t either. What then is the point of being a Christian?
Without the belief that Jesus died for our sins (Good Friday), was resurrected (Easter), and returned to Heaven (Ascension Day), then why be a Christian? Why not be a Pagan? Or anything but a Christian?
But then, I get ahead of myself. Let’s get into the article from salon.com.
Do Christians have to believe God is God on Easter? – How complicated can we make it?
Over the years, Christians have engaged in passionate debates over this central doctrine of Christian faith. Over the years, Christians have engaged in passionate debates over this central doctrine of Christian faith.
That’s a scary thought, isn’t it? Passionate debates over a central doctrine of the Christian faith? Tell me, just how far afield from what God Himself said, in His Word, the Bible, and still be a Christian?
Two major approaches emerged: the “liberal” view and the “conservative” or “traditional” view.
Ooh. Nothing gets people into a fighting mood quite like the words liberal, conservative, and traditional. Not to mention, the implied words like modern and progressive.
Current perspectives on the resurrection have been predominated by two questions: “Was Jesus’ body literally raised from the dead?” and “What relevance does the resurrection have for those struggling for justice?”
Why do we need to talk about these questions, in the minds of some people?
These questions emerged in the wake of theological modernism, a European and North American movement dating back to the mid-19th century that sought to reinterpret Christianity to accommodate the emergence of modern science, history and ethics.
There’s the “modern” word!
And when we get to modern versus traditional, we also read another word – reinterpret!
This makes me ask again –
Tell me, just how far afield from what God Himself said, in His Word, the Bible, and still be a Christian?
Was Jesus literally raised from the dead?
You know, it might – maybe – help if a word that had one single meaning was used in the question – “Was Jesus literally raised from the dead?” No, I’m not nitpicking here. Do you know how varied the meanings of a simple word like literally are? Dictionary.com has these definitions.
Definition of literally
adverb
- in the literal or strict sense:
- She failed to grasp the metaphor and interpreted the poem literally.
- What does the word mean literally?
- in a literal manner; word for word:
- to translate literally.
- actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy:
- The city was literally destroyed.
- in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually:
- I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume.
Do you see what I mean? Literally doesn’t even mean literally, if we use definitions 3 and 4 for the two instances of the word “literally” in the sentence “Literally (#3) doesn’t even mean literally (#4).
In any case, the overarching question I have is this. Does it matter if Jesus was literally raised from the Dead? Isn’t the point that somehow, a God who’s far more powerful and capable than we are, can and did somehow cause a dead Jesus to be alive again? I mean, if God can create everything in our universe from nothing, then why can’t He “resurrect” Jesus, in some manner?
And are we going to do something dumb, like reject our own resurrection by God just because we don’t know how He does it? I don’t know about you, but I’m not doing that! I’ll be resurrected without the smallest drop of knowledge on how it’s done. After all, He’s God and I’m not. If God chooses to resurrect me, I’m delighted. Period.
What does the resurrection have to do with justice?
Well, justice and the resurrection do have a link to each other. However, not the kind you think if you’re looking for some kind of justice in this world. Just remember what Jesus said about His kingdom and this world.
Given out topic today, whether Christians should believe God or even the more basic question of whether God is God, the NIV passage title is more than a little ironic.
The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony
The fact that the article in salon.com shows self-proclaimed Christians who don’t believe God’s Word shows that we still question the validity of Jesus’ testimony today.
Jn 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
We seem to think we can somehow straddle between darkness and light. But honestly, is that possible? Jesus said that if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Therefore, if we do try to move back and forth between darkness and light, then certain things must be true.
- If we walk in darkness, then we do not have the light of life.
- If we do not have the light of life, then we are not truly following Jesus.
- Finally, if we are not truly following Jesus, then we also aren’t truly Christian and we don’t need to worry about whether the resurrection was literal or even made up, because it’s not likely to happen for us.
And do you realize how we got here? Because some people don’t believe God is God, don’t believe God, and make up their own gods as they go along.
Jesus then carries on a dialogue with those disputing His authority. If that’s you, or someone you know, it’s good reading. It’s also a good thing to look in the mirror and ask the person you see to think about both the questions and the answers.
Jn 8:13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
Jn 8:14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
Jn 8:19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
Jn 8:21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
Jn 8:22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
Jn 8:23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be , you will indeed die in your sins.”
Jn 8:25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
Jn 8:27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
How did we get to where we ask, Do Christians have to believe God?
How did we get to where we ask, Do Christians have to believe God? Sadly, it wasn’t hard. It also wasn’t even a recent thing. It just feels like it’s a popular thing to do now.
In 1922, Fosdick delivered his famous sermon “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” rebuking fundamentalists for their failure to tolerate difference on doctrinal matters such as the infallibility of the Bible, the virgin birth and bodily resurrection, among others, and for downplaying the weightier matter of addressing the societal needs of the day.
Tolerating differences. That’s a topic all on its own. You can get a feel for it in The problem of Coexist – and – Love your enemy. After all, coexisting and tolerance often end up in something being watered down in order for coexistence to take place. And that means the old-time fundamentalists have to give way to the modern new “thing”.
What must “fundamentalist” Christians give up?
Let’s look at what we just read. The things Christians are supposed to give in on. And what’s wrong with those requests. No – not requests. Demands.
1. Infallibility of the Bible
As Christians, we should believe the Bible is “God-breathed”. Church words for God-inspired. That it is from God.
If we don’t believe the Bible is from God, then what value is it?
Or, if we believe the Bible is from God, but it’s wrong, the question remains – what value is it?
If God is wrong, then nothing we believe can be trusted! And the question only gets more urgent – what value is it?
If you want to believe what you want to believe – fine – believe what you want. But, why does it have to supplant Christianity? Why must we believe something else in order to fit in with someone else’s religion? This is sort of tongue in cheek, but if you want to change the Bible and have a new religion, how about the Modernized Bible, Version 2.0 with a religion like God your way, where God is made in the image of man?
Seriously though, the Christian God doesn’t force anyone to believe anything. However, if we’re right and He’s the Creator and the Bible is His guidebook to life, both now and eternally, then what you call “fundamentalism” is actually the way things are.
2. The virgin birth
Jesus is at the core of Christianity. That should be self-evident from the name, Christianity. And, Jesus is believed to be the Son of God. Now, in order for that to happen, three things were required.
Jesus needed a mother. Someone to carry the child in her womb until He was born. Mary.
Jesus needed a father. Not to be the sperm source, because that didn’t happen. Rather, a father was required because of the societal and religious norms of the time. Joseph.
Since Joseph wasn’t the biological father, a “real” father was needed. A Father who could miraculously make Mary “with child”, as it was called back then. Pregnant.
In other words, God the Father miraculously made Mary the mother pregnant with Jesus aka God the Son.
As I said, these were requirements. Or at least something along those lines. God can make it happen however He wants, but this seems to be what He chose. At least as best as we can describe it today.
At the end of the day, the virgin birth was a necessity, because if Mary was the mother and Joesph the father, how can Jesus be the Son of God? I know it’s putting a really complex event into really simple words. But hey – those words do a pretty good job of telling what happened.
So how can Christianity give up the virgin birth? Only by saying Jesus wasn’t the Son of God. But then, by definition, we aren’t Christians anymore.
As C. S. Lewis said about Jesus in his book, Mere Christianity,
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. 1Lewis, C. S.. Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis Signature Classics) (p. 52). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
If God wanted a great moral teacher for us, Joseph could’ve been the father. But God wanted His Son to pay the price for all evil things we did, are doing, and will do in the future. A great moral teacher wouldn’t have met God’s objectives. Why would we even want to give that up?
3. Bodily resurrection
I think I’ve already covered this well enough. As with the first two items, why would any true Christian want to give up the idea of a bodily resurrection?
But wait, there is one more thing I just thought of. Check out the underlined verses below.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Lk 24:36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Lk 24:37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
Lk 24:40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
Lk 24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Lk 24:45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
I must ask – did Jesus’ spirit eat the fish? I don’t think so.
As to other possibilities, like is the Bible wrong about this, those types of questions are already asked and answered.
4. Anything else that gets in the way of the weightier matter of addressing the societal needs of the day
Ahh – back to justice and society.
Do you remember what the weightiest matter of society was back when Jesus came to earth?
Jesus Heals Many – Luke
4:38-41 pp — Mt 8:14-17
4:38-43 pp — Mk 1:29-38
Lk 4:38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
Lk 4:40 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
Lk 4:42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Yeah – the most important thing wasn’t healing people, doing miracles, or (as we saw above) the human justice system. No, the most important thing was preaching the good news.
Conclusion – Do Christians have to believe God is God on Easter?
As Jesus said – I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.
You may remember, Jesus also said something important in the passage below. Something related to us – and related to spreading the good news.
The Great Commission
Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
So tell me, does it make any sense at all that Jesus, the Son of God, sent by the Father, said He was sent to preach the good news of the kingdom of God, and yet we’re supposed to preach some message other than His? Some message other than the one God wanted Jesus to spread?
No! It makes absolutely no sense at all that we should spread some other message than God’s own message.
If we do that, then we are no longer Christians.
Furthermore, we’re not only leading people away from God, we are leading them directly to Satan.
As Jesus said, if someone doesn’t like the message, walk away.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve – Mark
6:7-11 pp — Mt 10:1, 9-14; Lk 9:1, 3-5
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
Mk 6:8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”
Mk 6:12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
Shake the dust off your feet and leave.
Jesus never, ever, said to change the message. Or to force people to believe the message. Not even to pretend they’re OK with the message. Jesus only said if they don’t want to hear it, shake the dust off your feet and leave.
And that’s what we should do today. We should not change God’s message. Nor should we give up on God’s message. We should continue to try to spread it. And if they reject, not us, but God’s message, we should shake the dust off our feet and leave, with the message intact. Why” Because we do believe God is God, not just on Easter, but every day.
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Footnotes
- 1Lewis, C. S.. Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis Signature Classics) (p. 52). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.