Who is your favorite musician or movie star alive today? OK, break into small groups with those around you and discuss. What if I told you my favorite musician alive today is John Lennon. Not only do I believe John is still alive, but he helps me write songs (well probably not my new Green Day parody which is now available on the “Best of Larry Bubb plus 17 Bonus Tracks” CD described on page 2 of the newsletter). John also helps me with my guitar playing. I’m still trying to figure out how come when George plays, his guitar gently weeps, but when I play, it sobs uncontrollably! If I told you that John literally gives me ideas and helps my guitar playing, I know what you would be thinking . . . “Larry, you are one fry short of a happy meal, you’re skating on the wrong side of the ice, you probably think Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company and that Beirut was a famous home run hitter and that a lawsuit is something you wear to court!” Well maybe not in those exact words. But think of it, if I literally did believe that he was murdered, yet somehow still alive, not too many people would consider me a credible or totally sane human. (By the way, it was reported in the San Diego Union newspaper last year that John made 22 million dollars the previous year. Not bad for a dead guy, although it is a bit sad that a dead guy will make more money in one month than I will my entire life.)
This Easter I started thinking about that, not the $22,000,000 part (cause I heard in a song once that “money can’t buy me love”), but rather that as Christians we actually believe a man named Jesus did rise from the dead and walked around and talked to people. Not only that, He inspires us and guides our lives, some 2,000 years later. As I pondered that, I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who is not a Christian and what they should be thinking if they really did carry this premise to its logical conclusion. It seems to me that they should conclude that Christians are crazy. What would you think if a few people actually believed that the actor John Ritter rose from the dead and now helps them lead their lives? So why don’t non-believers think we are totally loony tunes? (Now granted there are some who SAY they are Christian who are a bit off and there are a few who would say that all Christians are off - but for the most part, they simply don’t agree or choose not to embrace Christianity for themselves.) I don't know of anyone who thinks I am crazy simply because I am a follower of Jesus, which also means that I believe He is actually alive.
One reason we may not be considered loony tune cartoon characters is that literally billions and billions of people for 2,000 years have believed this story of a man rising from the dead. If it was only a handful of us, you better believe no one would go for it. I think another reason we are not categorically labeled as crazy is that there are so many credible, intelligent, normal, sane people who do believe, which makes it hard to dismiss as a religion made up of delusional people. But many don’t stop to consider how outrageous our claim really is. How is it that all these seemingly normal people really believe that a formerly dead person is now alive? Some may not even realize that we don’t just claim to follow the teachings of a dead man, but literally believe in a Christ who is alive and actually lives within us by God's Spirit.
Maybe one of the factors is that Christians at times are TOO normal. There are many people who claim to be Christian but really aren’t truly following Jesus. Some do not live their lives any differently than anyone else so they are not light in a dark world. Others spend a whole lot more time on what people can’t do or what they are against rather than emphasizing Who they are for, namely that aforementioned Guy who rose from the dead. I just read in Group Magazine that “love” is mentioned 697 times in the Bible!
I think one problem for the non-believer is that there really is so much evidence that the resurrection took place. Hundreds saw Him alive again. All but 2 of Jesus’ original 12 disciples were put to death because they followed Jesus and literally believed that He rose from the dead. The 2 exceptions were John (who experienced life imprisonment because he would not deny Jesus) and Judas. Why would they go to their death if they knew it was a lie? Even Tom Brokaw had no explanation for the resurrection at the end of the TV special he hosted a few years ago.
It may be an interesting conversation for you to have with someone to encourage them to really think this through. Maybe not so much whether they believe Jesus rose but what they think about the fact that you believe that He did. If Jesus did not rise up from the dead, then there are billions who have been duped and believe the most elaborate hoax or delusion in history. Remember, we are not just claiming Jesus was a great teacher or a great religious leader and seeking to follow his teachings. We are literally saying He is alive and if that wasn’t enough, that He actually lives within us! If someone cannot deny or discredit His resurrection, then they need to seriously consider His claims. Because if He did rise from the dead, He proved He was divine and deserves to be followed.
So do you believe I am delusional and crazy for believing that a man rose from the dead and lives within me? If not, and more importantly, if you do have suspicions that it is true are you following Him since He undoubtedly deserves to be followed if He really did come back to life?
“Imagine” there’s no death . . . it’s easy if you . . . follow Someone who defeated death (John 11:25, 26). “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever puts their faith in me will never die.”