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Download mp3 audio Back in the 1880's Nietzsche declared that "God is dead," and before the turn of the Twentieth Century, Shaw and Wells chimed in saying the 20th Century would mark the end of the world's "religious phase." Yet, today a church now meets in Russia's Museum of Religion and Atheism-the former center of atheism. Nearly half of the United States' population attend Worship on a regular basis while revival is sweeping through Latin America and Christianity grows behind China's iron curtain. (From Fresh Illustrations) Nietzsche, Shaw and Wells have long since decayed in their graves, and God continues to live! That's the message of Easter. He is risen. He is risen, indeed! Why do we believe? Recently an African Muslim was converted to Christ. When someone asked him why he had become a Christian, he answered. "Well, it's like this. Suppose you were going down a road when suddenly it forked in two directions, you didn't know which way to take. There at the fork in the road you could see two persons, one dead and one alive. Of which one would you inquire the way?" This is a supreme difference between Islam and the gospel. The Muslim regards both Muhammad and Christ as prophets of God. But whereas Muhammad lived and died and passed from the scene of history, Jesus lived, died, and arose!. (John T. Seamonds) Muhammad died, and was buried. His faithful followers take pilgrimages to visit his remains, the same is true of Buddha and other religious leaders. But it is not true of Jesus. You cannot visit His remains, you can only visit his empty grave, because He isn't there. He Arose! This side of history, we understand that Jesus' death was necessary. Without His death, there could be no resurrection. At the cross, He laid down His life for us. He willingly gave His all. But how did his friends that He laid His life down for view the cross? One answer to that question would be, "from a distance." Except for John, they weren't there. The cross was the ultimate symbol of shame. It was reserved for vile criminals. The disciple's teacher, the one they left home to follow, was hung on a cross, and when He was, they turned their back on Him. No doubt they viewed the cross as shameful. Perhaps they even began to question the wisdom of their decision to follow Him. Disillusioned? Disappointed? Certainly. Afraid? Perhaps. The crowd was out of control. Did they know if they were safe? Could the soldiers come and take them away as they took Jesus away? Then it happened! Jesus broke through the chains of death and arose from the grave. He appeared to the woman at the empty tomb and gave them the word to tell the disciples. Later, he appeared before the disciples, but Thomas wasn't there. The disciples found Thomas and told him the good news. Jesus had risen! But Thomas doubts the apostles testimony. Let's read John
20:24-25 "Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with
the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him,
'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks
in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into
his side, I will not believe it.'"
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