"Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to... Rise from the Dead the Third Day.
Such was the Son of God's identification with humanity that he became man, lived under the Law, was baptized (though he knew no sin), and experienced death. He went down into death, and came up and out the other side. We do not have this ability within ourselves -- as even atheists will admit!
That is why Jesus, and Jesus alone, can say, "I am the resurrection and the life -- no man comes to the Father, but by me".
If you have no interest or desire to know the Father, or to live in his presence, then this will not concern you. Your wish will be granted by eternal separation from God. But, if you do, Jesus is, most assuredly, the only way, the only provision, to the Father.
And, he assures us, "anyone who comes to me, I will in no way turn away". That's a generous offer.
As a young man, I was saved not by going to church, but by reading and hearing the words of Jesus Christ. They have saving power.
Why? Because he is alive today and speaks today.
"I am the resurrection and the life -- no man [person] comes to the Father, but by me".
I heard Jesus speaking -- I hope you will, too.
And that's the way the Easter Egg bounces.
8 comments:
EVERY religion/superstition claims that they are "the one true religion", and yours is no different in that respect. Likewise, they all claim their own particular share of "miracles" as "evidence" to show this, and, once again, yours is no different in that respect. Finally, your zombie story is ALSO seen in other religions/superstitions, seen before and since, so yours is likewise no different. Without any factual, concrete EVIDENCE, your superstition is identical to all of the thousands of others that have been dreamt up by people.
SDC
Thank you for your attempts at enlightening me.
I think I'll stick with the one who said, "I am the light of the world".
But, thank you for caring enough to take the time to write.
Your kindness is appreciated.
Well, they say that some people are so desperate to believe in magic that they won't believe their eyes even when you show them how a trick is performed. Have a nice day off.
Actually Annonymous most of the Christians I know came to be Christians based on the evidence they witnessed. That you are too deaf and blind to see as others have plainly heard and seen does not make you a person to be envied but rather an person to be pitied.
As has been testified for millenia, He is Risen, and all God's children acknowledge, He is risen indeed.
Joe -- I gave my heart to Jesus Christ after studying 20th cc. existentialism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, the Old Testament and the New Testament, and after looking both within myself, and "out there".
"I am the way, the truth, and the life" is "out there".
Some hear his voice, some do not.
The balance does not rest in puny man shaking his tiny fist at God, it rests in the voice of the Almighty thundered, or whispered.
RKBall:"Some hear his voice, some do not."
That hardly seems fair!!
joe agnost
Well Joe Agnost, God our Creator has the inalienable right to, "Have mercy upon whom I have mercy and have compassion upon whom I have compassion." Or put it another way, isn't it up to the potter to make from the same lump of clay, pottery for noble and ignoble purposes.
This is balanced by Jesus who says "if any man comes to me, I will in no way reject him".
So, if any man wants to come, Christ will receive him. But without the wooing and drawing of the holy Spirit, no man will come.
So, salvation rests ultimately in God's initiatives, not man's "decision" for or against God. Man's pride must be broken, and this does it.
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