by James Thomas Lee, Jr. 11/06/96 Copyrighted 1995 by James Thomas Lee, Jr. Copyright Number: TXu 704-227
Chapter 17. Knowing That Jesus Is Lord {157 words}
a. Establishing Criteria For Christ's Lordship {402 words}
b. Jesus Was Able To Defeat Death {270 words}
c. The Hope of the Resurrection {148 words}
d. Other Out-Of-Body Death Experiences {119 words}
e. Christ's Experience Was Totally Unique {362 words}
f. Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection {316 words}
Chapter 17. Knowing That Jesus Is Lord {157 words}
The fundamentals of the Christian Faith are centered around knowing that God is real, that Jesus is Lord, and that the Bible is God's Word. In the past six chapters, we have dealt with the first of these three. In this and the next three chapters, we shall deal with the second, but in so doing, an obvious question quickly comes to mind. How does one actually show that Jesus is Lord? Many would admit that He was a great teacher. Many would confess that He healed those who were afflicted. Many would even say that He was a good man. Yet, not too many across the centuries have really dealt with this issue of His Lordship. It is true that He was all of the things just mentioned - great teacher, healer, and good man. But He was still very much more. He was and He is our Lord!
As we consider this question of Lordship, how does one actually prove or show that Jesus is Lord? What criteria or criterion can be established to support such a bold announcement? To find the answer, one must consult the experts, and to do that, we begin by looking first to Mr. Josh McDowell. In his book, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, this author addresses Jesus in terms of His credentials and writes that Jesus had three [1]. First was His impact on history, second was all the prophesy which was fulfilled in His life, and third was His Resurrection. More specifically, though, while the first two have had a measure of importance, it is on this third credential, that of the Lord's Resurrection, with which Mr. McDowell most focuses. In his opinion, Christianity stands or falls based on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Next, in the work noted earlier by Dr. Habermas, this author, and our second expert concerning Christ's Lordship, also commented on the importance of Christ's Resurrection, this time as he discussed its relevance to I Corinthians, Chapter Fifteen [2]. In that section of his text, Dr. Habermas indicated to his reader that the death on the cross of our Lord, along with His subsequent return from that death, forms the whole basis for Christianity. With such words, he has, in effect, said that there would be no Christian Faith had Jesus not been raised again. In basically agreeing with Mr. McDowell, this second author has also concluded that the Resurrection of Jesus is the chief basis for Christianity. In their respective opinions, this event more than any other in Church history has given Christianity its staying power.
If their remarks are accurate, then the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope derived from it are, as one might say, among the more obvious forces which have energized and kept alive the Church. As we shall see when we look at the comments of the next author, this single event more than any other in history has also provided the best and least disputable evidence for the Lordship of Christ.
Mr. W. J. Sparrow-Simpson says in his book, The Resurrection and the Christian Faith, that the Resurrection is proof of Jesus' Lordship. His Resurrection, first of all, declared to the world that He had the power to lay down His life. Second, it also showed that He had the power to take it up again [3]. Death could not keep him! When the evil forces of this world tried to put an end to Him and His ministry, they learned that they could not. Even though they were able to kill Him, His adversaries soon found that they still could not do away with Him so easily! As Mr. Sparrow-Simpson indicates, Jesus as Lord was simply able to defeat death and take up His life again, a clear sign that He and His powers were very different from the norm.
Based on the observations of this author plus the previous two, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ stands out as the one event which best demonstrates the Lordship of our Lord. Therefore, this will be the criterion by which His position as Lord shall be evaluated. In establishing this condition, the logical syntax for such an argument will be as follows. If Jesus Christ is Lord, then His Resurrection was a true, literal event. Conversely, if His Resurrection cannot be shown to be a true happening, then He probably cannot be proven or shown to be Lord!
It is useful to note that the primary point made above by all three authors is essentially the same! The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, to be sure, was an incredible event. But more than that, His Resurrection is the single, critical detail which brings together all of Christianity. Without it, we have nothing. With it, we have everything! Yet, in considering the actual Resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is of His literally coming back to life, another interesting phenomenon must be considered and quickly eliminated. It is that God does not just raise everyone or even anyone from the dead, especially after the dreadful ordeal of a crucifixion. To date, this precise situation has, in fact, only happened once!
So, in dealing with a related, but different circumstance, what can one say about all of those instances where people either have or claim to have experienced death and then mysteriously been brought back to life? Many claim to have had out-of-body death experiences, where their heart actually stopped beating. Often, these individuals have even attested to having seen, or at least having sensed, a serene, peaceful environment. Then, they were suddenly and miraculously snatched from that world and returned to this life. How, if at all, is the Resurrection of Christ unique to these? Such stories are professed by many, but what makes the Lord's experience any different than any of these others?
Besides His obvious relationship to God, there are three other important distinctions between these different types of return-from-death experiences. They are listed in Table 9. First, Jesus was murdered by people who tried to be absolutely certain that He was dead! In most or all of the out-of-body death experiences, doctors were usually close at hand, actively trying to save the person's life. This was definitely not true in the matter of the Lord!
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Table 9. Uniqueness of Christ's Resurrection.
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Second, according to Scriptures, Jesus was dead for three days, while the others who may have experienced death and then been returned to life were typically out of this life for only a few moments. And third, Jesus foretold to others that He would be offered up on a cross, that He would be dead for three days, and that He would rise again! The Bible records one such account:
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [4]"
To those who heard the above words, the message was clear! Jesus would die, be dead for three days, and then return to life. While some individuals in our current culture may have gone through a genuine out-of-body, death experience, theirs does not even begin to compare with the ordeal of Christ. Without question, His Resurrection is critically important, but in addition, it was also much different than what any other human being has ever experienced!
Even more important than these discoveries about the uniqueness of His ordeal is that His return to life forms the foundation for Christianity. Plus, the actual historical occurrence of His Resurrection also shows to all who care to see that He is the Lord. Yet, in considering both of these thoughts, an important question arises, namely a question which pertains to the overall credibility and certainty of the event. How can an individual know for certain that the Resurrection really happened? How can people know for sure that they are not being duped by dishonest gainsayers? Such happenings, as we all know, do take place even in the best of circles. Since the surest measure of Christ's Lordship is His Resurrection, how can a person really know for sure?
Most anyone would have difficulty placing absolute trust in an event which is only believed to be true! Therefore, credible evidence concerning His literal rise from death is essential. How can a person really be totally certain that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ actually happened? The answer is witnesses, and concerning that incredible event, there were plenty of them!
1. Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, volume I (San Bernardino: Here's Life Publishers, Inc., 1986), page 179.
2. Habermas, pages 12, 14.
3. W. J. Sparrow-Simpson, The Resurrection and the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1968 (reprinted from 1911 edition of Langsmans Green, and Co., published under the title, The Resurrection and Modern Thought), pages 287-288. [Note that this reference was taken from the book, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, volume I, by Mr. Josh McDowell (San Bernardino: Here's Life Publishers, Inc., 1986), page 181.]
4. Matthew 12:38-40.
Chapter 18. Witnesses to the Historic Event
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