Chapter 5 - The Resurrection

I think most of us would agree - without a belief in the historical event of Jesus' resurrection, there is NO REASON to be Christian. Our claim to have found (or better yet, been found by) the greatest revelation of God - in Jesus - is confirmed in His dominance over even the forces of death. Other religious movements may point to prophets or other divine men, but not one of them (and I'll jump on a wagon that Danny first showed me) is reliant in the current life of a man who was born of virgin and who rose from the dead, by His own will.

I appreciate Drane's observation about the disciples. Here was a band of "yeller, chicken-hearted fools" who had all jumped ship. Now, I write it like that for two reasons: 1) John Wayne movies are just awesome, and 2) I would have been hiding with them. For this "band on the run" to get it turned around in such a way that they "were prepared to stake their lives on the fact that Jesus was alive," (p. 105) just shouts out how convinced they were of two things: 1) Jesus had been dead, and 2) Jesus was now alive. The basis of their ability to move beyond their fears was the foundation of the church.

The earliest Christians were convinced, and Drane examines this briefly too. Surely he must be right when he says, "[there] can be no question that the earliest Christians were completely convinced that the resurrection event...was a real, historical happening that had taken place in their own world." (p. 98) I believe that we too, some 2000 years later, have an ability to rest as confident in our Savior's power to preserve life and grant it in everlasting fashion - just as the first christians did because of the resurrection.