This is a copy of my talk given at Saint Stephen’s in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Easter Sunday 31 March 2024.
Prayer
Heavenly Father
I thank You for Your word
By the power of the Holy Spirit
May You speak to my heart
And change my life
In the precious name of Jesus I pray
Amen.
On this Easter Sunday morning, I want to suggest 5 ways that you can have confidence in, or be assured of, your Christian faith and why following /trusting Jesus is absolutely the right thing to do.
- You Can Be Assured Of Your Faith By Jesus’ Teaching
Jesus is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest teachers in the world … ever! What he taught was simple, authoritative and of universal significance. It’s amazing how many people think they are quoting Shakespeare when they are actually quoting Jesus from the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ or some of His other sayings in the Gospels.
Bernard Ramm, an American professor of theology, said this about the teachings of Jesus:
They are read more, quoted more, loved more, believed more, and translated more because they are the greatest words ever spoken. … No other man’s words have the appeal of Jesus’ words because no other man can answer these fundamental human questions as Jesus answered them. They are the kind of words and the kind of answers we would expect God to give.
- You Can Be Assured Of Your Faith By Jesus’ Works
Jesus said that the miracles he performed were in themselves evidence that: ‘He came from God’ (John 10:38). Sometimes people say “Oh, Christianity, it’s so boring!” Well that’s something you could never say about Jesus. He must have been the most extraordinary person to be around. When he went to a party, he turned water into wine (John 2:11). He took a little boy’s picnic and fed thousands (Mark 6:30-44). When he went to a funeral, he raised the dead (John 11).
Jesus demonstrated control over the natural and spiritual world and carried out the most remarkable miracles (opening the eyes of the blind, the deaf to hear; the dumb to speak; the lame to walk). Yet it wasn’t just his miracles that made him so impressive. It was his love, especially for the loveless and marginalised, which seemed to motivate all that he did.
- You Can Be Assured Of Your Faith By Jesus’ Character
The actor and playwright Noel Coward was once asked: ‘What do you think about God?’ to which he replied: ‘We’ve never been properly introduced.’ But we have. Jesus said that if we want to know what God looks like, to look at him.
In Jesus, we see a perfectly balanced human being. We see strength without hardness; gentleness without fragility; courage without recklessness; authority without arrogance; humility but not weakness; joy but never at another’s expense; kindness but not indulgence. He was a person in whom even his enemies could find no fault. Jesus’ character has impressed millions who would never call themselves Christians.
The British journalist Matthew Parris who describes himself as ‘an avowed atheist’ wrote this in The Spectator:
I’ve got such huge respect for Jesus because his life was so radical, it was so inconvenient.’ … If Jesus had not existed, the church most certainly would not have invented him.
- You Can Be Assured Of Your Faith By Jesus’ Claims
Jesus said some amazing things. ‘I am the bread of life’ (John 6:35). ‘I am the light of the world (John 8:12). For a mere human being to make such claims would be outrageous. Of course, there are all sorts of crackpots who make all kinds of claims in life. The fact that somebody claims to be someone doesn’t mean that they are right. There are many people, some in psychiatric hospitals (and many I looked after in prison), who claim to be Napoleon or Elvis or John Lennon … Jesus!
As C.S. Lewis pointed out:
We are faced then with a frightening alternative. The man we are talking about was (and is) just what he said or else a lunatic or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that he was neither a lunatic nor a fiend; and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that he was and is God. God has landed on this enemy occupied world in human form.
- You Can Be Assured Of Your Faith By Jesus’ Resurrection
Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me … will never die’ (John 11:25-26). History is littered with politicians, religious leaders, academics, researchers, lawyers, detectives and such like, who have all attempted to establish that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, yet their conclusions, however disagreeable to them, state that only a resurrection from the dead can adequately account for the phenomenon they were investigating.
I guess the most telling testimony of Jesus’ resurrection must be the changed lives of those early Christians. Those disciples, who deserted Jesus to save their own skins, were willing to suffer death rather than deny the fact that they had met a risen Jesus. They were flogged, stoned to death, thrown to the lions, tortured, crucified – all to stop them from talking. It seems inconceivable they would be prepared to endure all they did for a lie. Would you be willing to die for a lie? I know I wouldn’t.
The physical resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christianity.
I’ll never forget some graffiti that was written on a toilet wall when I studied at Oak Hill – yes, they even have graffiti in theological colleges! It had been there for years. Painted around but never painted over! You could say it was one of the best pieces of theology I came across whilst I was there, which is probably why it was left! It was simply this:
|
Confucius’ Tomb |
Occupied |
| Buddha’s Tomb |
Occupied |
| Mohammed’s Tomb |
Occupied |
| Lenin’s Tomb |
Occupied |
| Jesus’ Tomb |
Empty |
And the world, as a consequence of this empty tomb, has never been the same again.
As that great Christian apologetic Sherlock Holmes often said: When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
The writer and well-known atheist, Richard Dawkins, said: “If the resurrection is not true Christianity becomes null and void.” It’s probably the only thing he’s ever written when I’d agree with him! The resurrection explains us! It establishes who we are and why we are here today. Because the resurrection happened – the church happened.
Conclusion
Did you know that, in his younger days singer Lionel Richie was a star tennis player and accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute? Did you also know that Richie seriously considered studying divinity to become a priest in the Episcopal Church? He was also a talented musician. He ultimately decided he wasn’t cut out to be a sportsman or a priest and opted for a musical career – in which he has sold 90 million records and become one of the most successful recording artists of all time – and a multi-millionaire in the process. Guessing he made the right decision! Anyway, I saw him interviewed on TV by Jeremy Vine, and he was explaining that he came from a very poor background but started to make money out of his singing.
And one time it was his father’s birthday, and he gave his father this huge present, and his father was really excited about it. But as he took off the wrapping paper, he found there was more wrapping paper inside. And then he took off another layer; there was more wrapping paper, and more wrapping paper. And this present just got smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller, and he could see his father’s face falling.
And eventually he got to the heart of it, which was just a little tiny piece of paper. And on the piece of paper, it just said this: `All debts paid.’ And his father said, `What, you’ve paid my credit card debt?’ He said, `Yeah, I’ve paid off all your credit cards.’ `Well, what about the car?’ He said, `Yeah, I’ve paid off the car.’ His father said, `Well, what about the mortgage?’ He said, `Yeah, I’ve paid off your mortgage, too’. All debts are paid.
All debts paid. This is what God has done for us. In his love, he came to earth in Jesus and paid the debt for our sin on the cross and deals with the mess we so often make of our lives, and he changes our lives forever.
So, you can be reassured of your faith because of Jesus’ teaching, works, character, claims and resurrection. Some of you may not have needed any reassurance about your faith this morning. Some of you may feel encouraged by what I’ve shared.
And there are some of you who are sceptical about Jesus. You’re sceptical about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. But one thing we can’t deny is the experience of the many Christians down the centuries, and around three billion people in the world today, who celebrate Jesus’ rising from the dead and who would testify to the fact that a risen Jesus has turned their lives downside up!
But some people don’t want to believe in Jesus’ rising from the dead because it means that He is who He says He was and that’s (almost) frightening isn’t it? Why? Because they have to make a decision about whether to follow him or ignore him.
Philip Yancey echoed this sentiment when he wrote:
In many respects I find an un-resurrected Jesus easier to accept. Easter makes him dangerous. Because of Easter, I have to listen to his extravagant claims and can no longer pick and choose from his sayings. Moreover, Easter means he must be loose out there somewhere.
And if Jesus is ‘loose out there somewhere’ then each one of us has a responsibility to look for him, don’t you think?
If you want to find out more about the claims of Jesus, I’m planning an Alpha Course on Wednesday afternoons in May and June – watch out for details in the next few weeks. And if you can’t wait until then, don’t forget, I’m always happy to catch up for a coffee or a beer!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
in times of doubt and uncertainty,
grant us the reassurance we seek.
Fill our hearts with faith and peace,
reminding us of Your unwavering love and guidance.
Help us to trust in Your plan for our lives,
knowing that You are always with us,
leading us towards a brighter tomorrow.
Amen.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author, Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.
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