Announcing the Resurrection

Towards the end of my sermon yesterday, I exhorted the Body to take the initiative to ask one person this week the question, "Do you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead?"

In thinking a bit about this after the message, I wonder if that is the best way to pose the question. I still think it is good and right to lovingly find out what people believe about this most important of all events. But I think a better way to frame the question might be, "What do you make of the claim of Christians that Jesus Christ rose from the dead?"

The question as I framed it yesterday may not be helpful because it invites a simple, yes or no response that may not do much to get a conversation going. The question as I've posed it here is more open-ended, and therefore might stimulate some conversation on the subject.

Perhaps you might think of an even better way to frame the question; if you think of one, leave a comment and let us know. No matter which way you raise the issue, I think humbly and respectfully pressing people around us to think about the resurrection and its implications is a biblical way of engaging in evangelism. It may seem direct and even a bit confrontational, but if done with the right spirit I think it may be wise to go right to the heart of the issue with the non-believers in our lives: and that is the claim that Jesus is risen.

If you read through the book of Acts, one thing that stands out is how frequently the apostles come back to the resurrection as the way of validating the authenticity of Christ and His claims. Time and time again, they do not mainly appeal to an emotional experience they had, or how Jesus has impacted their lives, but they argue their case on the concrete, objective evidence of Christ's resurrection on the third day after His death, vindicating Him as the Son of God and the Lord of the universe.

I don't see any reason to deviate from the pattern we see in Acts. So as you go wherever you go this week, prayerfully consider how God may want to use you as His ambassador, heralding the good news that Christ has risen from the dead.