“3… 2… 1…” I was about to jump off a 300-foot cliff.
The jagged rocks below would kill me if I fell into them, but I was determined. I had seen other people do it and they were fine, but they were not me.
Would the parachute hold? In my head, I knew it could, but jumping would require more than just a head-knowledge. I would have to trust my parasailing instructor to save me from sure death.
Finally the moment came when he said, “Ryan, we’re going to run straight off that cliff. Are you ready?”
Hoo boy… here we go.
TRUST AND FAITH
Trust is a scary word.
A “trust fall” is when you fall backward into someone else’s arms.
You trust a chair to hold you and a plane to fly you safely.
Trusting Jesus feels different, though. You’ve seen a chair hold someone and you’ve seen an airplane fly. It is scary to do a trust fall, but if you have some strong friends, you trust that they will catch you (depending on which friends you choose, that is!).
But trusting Jesus? I have never seen Jesus, so how can I trust him?
Well, that’s where faith comes in. But it’s not a blind faith.
THE CASE FOR THE RESURRECTION
In his book The Case For the Resurrection, author Lee Strobel lays out five “minimal facts” in support of the Christian’s belief that Jesus rose from the dead. “Minimal facts” are facts so historically grounded that even skeptics accept them as true.
These facts don’t prove Jesus’ resurrection, but they sure make a good case for why Christians trust God so deeply. It is not such a blind faith after all.
Fact #1 – Jesus Died by Crucifixion
Virtually no credible historian denies Jesus of Nazareth died by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. It has been verified by Christian, Jewish, and Roman historians, and theories of him passing out have been thoroughly debunked.
Fact #2 – Jesus’ Disciples Believed He Rose
This creed apparently traces back to within years (or even months) of Jesus’ death:
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3–4)
The earliest historical writing we have of Alexander the Great dates to 400 years after his death, so the resurrection creed among Christians was no myth that developed over centuries—it was popularized within the lifetime of eyewitnesses.
This does not prove that Christ arose, but history shows that hundreds (and soon thousands) of people believed that he rose from the dead. That is hard to explain if his body were still in the grave.
Fact #3 – Paul Was Converted
Imagine Kim Jong-un converting and trying to win North Korea to Christ!
Imagine Hitler—in the middle of World War II when Germany is at the peak of its power—ending all attacks and preaching Jesus.
Saul of Tarsus wasn’t quite Osama bin Laden, or Hitler, or Kim Jong-un, but he was close. History shows that Saul of Tarsus flipped sides for no apparent reason other than his own words: “he [Jesus] was seen of me also.” 1 Cor. 15:8 (also see Acts 9, 22, 26) He had see the resurrected Jesus, and could no longer persecute Christians. Instead, he became their greatest advocate.
Fact #4 – James, the Brother of Jesus, Was Converted
Even those who grew up with Jesus had initially rejected him as messiah—that is, until they saw him rise from the dead. Jesus’ brother, James, went from being a skeptic to the lead pastor of the church at Jerusalem.
No one in the ancient world would make up a story about their religious leader being rejected by his family, but James’ initial rejection and later conversion actually add to the validity of the claims that Jesus rose from the dead.
These two converted skeptics—Paul and James—don’t prove anything on their own, but they are certainly hard to explain if Jesus never rose from the dead. Both men (and thousands of others) were martyred, and liars make terrible martyrs! They must have really believed in the resurrection of Jesus.
Fact #5 – The Tomb Was Empty
Granted, about 25% of historical scholars have alternate theories, but the vast majority (75%) of Christians and skeptics agree that the tomb is, in fact, empty. The cover story (“The disciples stole the body!”) would not have been needed if Jesus’ body was still in the grave—they could have simply opened the grave and quashed the rumors right then. “Nope. He’s dead. See? Here’s his body.” But they did not.
So what happened to the body? Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, taught people for 40 days, and then ascended back to heaven. After that event, the world turned upside down and it has never been the same since.
WHAT NOW?
These facts alone do not prove that Jesus rose from the dead, and modern atheists will find a way to explain away all these facts as mere coincidences or head-scratchers, but their position is still a matter of faith.
I ask you… where is your faith? Are you still hoping that an alternate explanation would arise—one that would plausibly explain all these facts?
Or are you ready to trust Christ?
It really is a matter of trust, isn’t it?
JUMP OFF THE CLIFF
The cliff was the launch-pad in Torrey Pines for a parasailing experience my wife had bought me for my birthday. I waited for my turn, watching all the safety videos and signing all the waivers. I knew in my head that the parachute could hold me.
But it got real when I snapped in.
“You ready?” my instructor asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Okay, run toward that cliff and JUMP. 3… 2… 1… GO!”
My heart was pounding, but I jumped.
We dropped over the edge, and WHOOMPH! The parachute caught me!
At that moment, I went from a head knowledge to complete faith. I trusted the parachute.
HEAD KNOWLEDGE? OR TRUE FAITH?
Many people know about Jesus. I was 5 years old and my dad was a pastor. I knew that I was a sinner—I had broken God’s laws—and I knew Jesus died for my sin.
But I had never personally accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation for myself. I had never personally called on him to be my Savior. I knew he was the Savior, but I had never trusted him for myself.
IT’S SIMPLE
My older brother explained the Gospel to me, and I accepted it. Since then, I have heard it put as simple as A-B-C
A
Admit that you are a sinner. We’ve broken God’s commandments and have to face the judge on judgment day for breaking the law.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
B
Believe that Jesus died for your sin. He rose from the dead the third day to show he’s more powerful than death and sin, and he took all the penalty for your sin on himself.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
C
Call on Jesus to save you. If you are ready to turn from sin to Christ, confess him as your Lord and Savior, you can do that right now. Trust him. Believe on him not just with a head knowledge, but with the full faith of trusting a parachute.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
After I talked about being saved from drowning by grabbing the life vest, a lady names Stephanie told me, “I want to grab the life vest and be saved, but I’m not sure how.” We read the verses above, and then with tears in her eyes she prayed something like this:
“Oh God, I need you! I need you! I feel so lost and I want to be found. I believe you died for my sin and rose again, and I need your forgiveness. Thank you for saving me. I trust you with all my heart.”
When she looked up, she was a new creature.
You can do that too.
AFTER YOU ARE SAVED
The Bible says that God makes you brand new—a new heart, new desires, and a new outlook on life! The Holy Spirit is in you and helps you grow in your new faith.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
When the devil tries to get you to stumble, you can use the Scriptures to defeat him. After you place your faith in Christ alone, you can know that you are a child of God.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.