Why would anyone believe in the idea of resurrection? Why not? The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians at Corinth writes: "But someone will say "How are the dead raised? And with what body do they come? Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies."
(1 Cor. 15:35-36)
Every wheat seed dies first before it comes to life. Nature does nothing short of screaming "Resurrection."
But before we criticize the disciples for not understanding (from Scripture) that Jesus must rise from the dead. What about us today? Do we fully understand (from Scripture) why Jesus had to rise from the dead?
It is true that we may not understand the process of resurrection, but we can understand from the Scripture, the purpose of it.
To the disciples on the Emmaus road, He (Jesus) said: "O foolish ones and slow to heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:25-26)
In 1 Peter 1:8-12, Peter tells us the purpose for why Jesus had to rise from the dead. Along with His sacrificial death for the sins of the world, Jesus rose from the dead to bring to us the hope of eternal life.
The prophets wrote about our salvation, and a grace that would come to us. Even thought they did not fully understand it, they foretold about the salvation we would receive through Jesus Christ.
That salvation embraces the blessing of rising from the dead as Jesus did, and living for ever with Him in heaven.
Who can understand the process of resurrection. Nature shouts it every Spring. But we can understand the purpose of it. New life.
In Jesus Christ we can have new life, because He arose from the dead, and paved the way for us to have new and eternal life.
This is something that we as fellow Christians, can understand, embrace, and believe in with all of our hearts. "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied."
(1 Cor. 15:19) GP
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