Did you know that you are a person of faith, whether you think of yourself as “religious” or not? We all are actually.
We all adhere to a set of beliefs about reality that we cannot prove. And these beliefs impact our values, our ethics, and even our sense of purpose. They affect how we engage the world.
There are people with all kinds of beliefs that cannot be proven. There are people whose beliefs are greatly influenced by their friends. There are people whose beliefs change over time. There are people who have beliefs, but never stop to identify what they are or why they have them.
I have a confession to make. I have been all of these people at one point or another. That is why I am so thankful that the first goal of a Lightglider is respect. We are all on a journey, and we want to respect each other no matter where we are on that journey.
I want to tell you what happened to me that solidified my beliefs.
Years ago at Lightglider Academy, Professor Watts said to me, “Marlon, how do you know that your life matters?”
I had to think. “I’m not really sure Professor, but I know it does. My parents tell me I’m special all the time. I feel it in my heart. And I hear it here at Lightglider Academy. I mean, purpose is one of our core values.”
Then the Professor asked me the question that changed my life. “But, Marlon, how do you know that it is true?”
I didn’t have an answer, at least not one that was solid. “Ok, Professor, you got me. I guess I don’t really know why my life matters.”
Then I decided to challenge him. “But, Professor, do I have to have a reason? Why can’t I just believe that my life is valuable because I feel it in my heart, and that be enough?”
The Professor looked at me with sadness in his eyes. “Marlon, you can try to do that. Many people do. Your feelings are very important and you should listen to what they are trying to tell you. But, your feelings come and go. What will happen on the day that you begin to feel insignificant? What if that day turns into weeks or months?”
“Professor,” I muttered, “are you saying that my life is insignificant?”
“Absolutely not, Marlon!” There was no sadness in the Professor’s voice this time, rather a fiery passion. “You are valuable. You are loved. You are significant. You matter!”
I admit, it felt good to hear this from someone I admire so much, but I had to ask my new favorite question. “Professor, how do you know this to be true?”
Professor Watts smiled and said, “Easter.”
Now I was truly confused, but also curious. “Easter! I don’t understand. Are you talking about the holiday where we look for eggs?”
He laughed. “I am. It is also the holiday where we celebrate the most important event that ever happened --the resurrection of Jesus. If this happened, then your sense of value, purpose, and significance rests upon truth.”
Once again, I was confused. “Professor, I don’t understand. How does that event affect my sense of purpose? And, if it does, how can I know that it actually happened?”
And the Professor said to me, “Marlon, investigate Easter and you’ll see.”
I left my conversation with Professor Watts not knowing exactly what to do. I mean, how do I investigate an event that happened 2,000 years ago? And how could it affect my sense of purpose? The only thing I knew to do was to look at Jesus; what he did, what he said, and what others said about him. I went to the Lightglider Academy Library to begin my investigation.
And here are some of the things that I found out:
1. Jesus is one of the most influential people in the history of the world.
As I studied his influence on the last 2,000 years, I could not help but conclude that Jesus of Nazareth has had and continues to have a huge impact on the world. Yet, when he was crucified, he did not have but 100 or so followers. And many of these deserted him when he was arrested.
2. Jesus made bold claims about himself and his role in the world.
Jesus claimed to be God and the Savior of the world. And he did it many times. Just look at a few of his quotes.
• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
• “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30
• “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Claiming to be God is flat out crazy (unless it’s true). But, Jesus is the only person in history who claimed to be God AND has had a major impact on the world.
3. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity.
The claim that Jesus died on a cross and three days later was resurrected back to life is the event upon which Christianity rests. If it is true, it validates his teachings, his claim to be God, and his authority to call us to believe in him and receive eternal life. If it is false, it is the most impactful hoax, whether intended or not, in all of human history.
4. There is strong evidence that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened.
Like any investigation, we have to look at the facts. The following events are considered knowable history by virtually all scholars:
• Jesus was a man who lived in the 1st century and claimed to be God, the promised Messiah.
• People who heard Jesus speak saw him do things that appeared to be miracles.
• Jesus convinced many of his disciples that he was God.
• Jesus died due to the rigors of Roman crucifixion and was buried.
• His death caused his disciples to despair and lose hope.
• Jesus was buried in a tomb that was discovered to be empty just a few days later.
• The disciples and others had overwhelmingly real experiences that they believed were literal appearances of the risen Jesus.
• Because of these experiences, the disciples were transformed from doubters afraid to identify themselves with Jesus to bold proclaimers of his death and resurrection.
• Many of these disciples were killed proclaiming their belief in the message of Jesus’ divinity, death, and resurrection.
As I looked at this evidence, I could not help but think about Jesus’ disciples. The very ones who deserted him at his death actually spent the rest of their lives proclaiming his resurrection. Many of them were even killed for it. Why would they do that if they did not see a risen Jesus? That doesn’t make any sense.
5. If the resurrection happened, then our lives are EXTREMELY valuable.
The death and resurrection of Jesus is evidence that my life is significant. Yours too. If the resurrection is true, then it is proof that I need a savior, that I need to be rescued from my sins. If God cared about me so much that he sent Jesus to die for me, then I am truly valuable. It cost God A LOT to love me. He paid for my life with the blood of Jesus. And the resurrection is the evidence that this story is true.
I am loved. My life is extremely valuable. This is something I need to remember whether I feel it or not. My feelings come and go, but the resurrection proves that I matter. This goes for you too!
Happy Easter, everybody! And thank you, Jesus!
