Bible Speaks by Rev. L. Althouse 

 

March 22, 2015

Background Scripture: John 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4

Devotional Reading: Romans 14:13-19

A man and his wife made a visit to the Holy Land. The husband was a sour, negative man who was also sometimes verbally abusive to his wife. So she was hoping that pilgrimage to “walk where Jesus walked” might trigger a change in him.

It did: He was suddenly stricken and died there!

The undertaker told the wife she could ship her husband’s body home for about $8,000, or he could be buried there in the Holy Land for about $500. She thought carefully about this before turning to the undertaker and telling him that she chose to ship him home.

The undertaker was surprised and asked why she would pay out $8,000 when she could bury him for $500.

“Well,” she said, “Long ago, a man was buried here and after three days he rose from the dead. I just didn’t want to take that chance!”

Of course, I just took a chance in introducing our subject for today, experiencing the resurrection, in something less than a grave manner. And I did that for a purpose, because all too often, I believe the resurrection is handled in a manner that is anything but joyful.

In fact, Easter should be an occasion for sheer joy. For some people, however, it is an occasion for dispute.

A few years ago, I participated in our church’s Lenten study of the book The Resurrection of Jesus, a dialogue between Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright and professor John Dominic Crossan and eight other scholars. Although Crossan and Wright agree the resurrection of Jesus is the bedrock of Christianity, they disagree pointedly on whether it was a physical-material event, as claimed by Wright, or a metaphorical one, as advocated by Crossan.

As usual, I was amazed mere mortals can pontificate on a subject with which none of us have any personal experience – until, perhaps, it is too late to write about it.

Discrepancies?

So, I think we need to ask ourselves: With all the discrepancies in the four Gospel accounts, can we trust them as authoritative? For one thing, none of the four gospels records anyone witnessing the resurrection of Jesus. They record only the appearances after the resurrection occurred.

In reading a paper by my friend, Dr. Richard Batzler, I found something we tend to overlook: “A common feature of all the appearances is that they were granted to those who were already followers of Christ.” There is possibly one exception: Paul on the road to Damascus. But, if we examine all the accounts of that experience, we find Paul only heard the voice of Jesus (Acts 9:1-9; 22:4-11 and 26:9-18; Galatians 1:13-17.).

People will argue as to whether the voice of Jesus was “a resurrection” experience, but I see no need to do so. The Gospel of Mark mentions no resurrection appearances, only the statement by a “young man” at the tomb who tells them not to be amazed: “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.” (Mk. 16:1-8). In Matthew 28, Mark’s “young man” is an angel who tells them pretty much what was said in Mark.

In Luke 24 there are two men “in dazzling apparel,” and the message is different: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and on the third day rise.”

In Matthew and Luke the two Marys go to the disciples with the good news, while in Luke the group at the tomb includes Mary, the mother of James, and also Joanna and “the other women with them.” In Luke, the disciples dismiss this news as an idle tale.

In Matthew, the disciples go to Galilee and meet Jesus on a mountain where he gives them the Great Commission to carry the gospel to the world. In Luke, nothing is said of Galilee, but the first resurrection appearance is to two men on the road to Emmaus – except that they did not recognize him until later – and then in Jerusalem to the group of disciples for a breakfast of fish and a promise of “power from on high.” Then they go to Bethany where he ascends to Heaven.

The answer is ‘Yes!’

In John almost everything is different. Mary Magdalene finds the stone rolled away from the tomb and runs to tell Peter, who, with another disciple, “the one whom Jesus loved,” run to the tomb and find it empty. They leave, but Mary remains and encounters a man she eventually recognizes as Jesus.

He tells her to go to the disciples and tell them: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Mary delivers the message and then later, Jesus suddenly appears in their midst and bestows upon them the Holy Spirit.

In Luke, however, the Holy Spirit is bestowed 70 days later on the Day of Pentecost. In John the initial appearance of Jesus is in Jerusalem, but later the disciples go to Galilee where they experience the risen Christ again over a breakfast of freshly-caught fish. Because it is believed Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians (15:3-8), chronologically speaking, it would be the first scriptural reference to the resurrection.

Because of discrepancies such as those cited above, in Samuel Butler’s novel, The Way of All Flesh, the central character, a clergyman’s son, loses his faith and becomes an agnostic. So, is this any way to run a resurrection? Next week I will answer with a resounding: “Yes, it is!”

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Rev. Althouse may write to him in care of this publication.