Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1041431
"Christianity is the only religion that worships a divine founder who rose from the dead in space-time, datable history. The founders of all other religions died and stayed dead, and their adherents do not dispute this. Thus Easter commemorates and celebrates a historical event unlike any other: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Dr. Doug Groothuis ENGAGE 3 PRESIDENT'S LETTER Mark Young, PhD PRESIDENT Gravity is a high-stakes reality. It changes everything. If gravity weren't real, our lives would be dramatically different. Most of us can't even imagine what life on earth would be like if there were no gravity. Photos and videos from the International Space Station give us surreal images of humans floating from room to room and liquid pouring "upward" out of a bottle. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate high-stakes reality. It changes everything. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15, our faith is futile, our preaching is useless, our gospel is a lie, and we have no hope. In fact, Paul goes on, if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, "we are the most pitiable members of the human race" (v.19, The Kingdom New Testament). But Jesus has been raised from the dead. I'm as sure of that as I am that gravity is keeping my feet planted on terra firma. When Jesus Christ rose from that grave, He declared to the world that everything they had thought about God had to be rearranged and reformulated. And it demanded that those who believed in Him must change their lives in ways that none of them could have possibly envisioned beforehand. The Resurrection validated the victory of God over sin, evil, and death through the death of Jesus Christ. It was God's shout to the world, "JESUS IS LORD!" Only He has the power to defeat these three universal human nemeses. And that changes everything! The resurrection of Jesus isn't just a critical historical fact. It is a life-changing encounter with the living God. Paul said it this way, "I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Phil. 3:10–11, NLT). Paul's words challenge me. Do I want to know Christ and the power that raised Him from the dead if that means I have to also suffer and share in His death? What does it mean to experience resurrection power in my life today? Let's explore those questions together this year. The answers, if we're willing to embrace them, will change our lives. With feet planted firmly on the resurrection of Jesus Christ,