I was teaching my class the Easter story the other day.
As I was teaching about the glorious events of the resurrection morning, I had a thought.
I've shared with you before that as I teach the Bible I learn as much as the kids.
I told the kids that some believed that someone stole Jesus' body. That is pivotal. It is the great conspiracy theory.
For if someone stole the body it would perpetuate the lie that Jesus was just a man.
Just a man.
But, if he arose, that proved He was God.
Many believe he was just man and that it was a great con.
If this was true I've given my life to a lie.
I've served a charlatan.
If this is true I should be an object of pity
but
Christians are an object of hate.
But why so much hate?
Many around the world hate Christians - persecute Christians.
The Christian faith started with just a small band of believers.
A handful.
A handful.
Think about that.
If it was a conspiracy how did such a huge following of the faithful grow from a pittance of believers?
They were zealots.
My brother used to call me a Jesus freak.
They were freaks.
Yet the very nature of the hate and vitriol against the small band of believers, that has grown to be one of he major faiths of the world, should be a sign to the world that it wasn't a lie or a conspiracy.
Isis would ignore those small pockets of believers in the mountains of Iraq.
They would discount the Christians at a small university in Kenya.
They wouldn't be vowing to irradiate Christians and Jews all over the world.
They would consider them to be nothing more than harmless fools.
My brother used to say that I used my faith as crutch.
He said I leaned on that instead of turning to drugs or alcohol.
Okay?
It is better to use my faith as a crutch rather than use something with mind numbing capabilities.
I don't believe that I've given my life to a lie or used my faith as a crutch.
My faith has made my life better, not perfect, but better. Painful events from my childhood would have overtaken me.
I probably would have succumbed to substance abuse or something else. Instead my faith and relationship with Jesus is the platform for the healing of my soul and the calling in my life.
My faith has sustained me through dark and trying days.
It is the hope to which I know with certainty that everything will be okay even if it isn't without suffering.
I believe that.
For He is who He said He was.
He wasn't stolen away.
He was alive that first Easter morning
and
and
He lives!
Happy Easter.
He is Risen Indeed!
Katie
