The church in which I have been involved for the past 8 odd
years meets in the student union building on the campus of the local
university. The building has an atrium in its center and all three floors
overlook the atrium. Banners are hung from the second floor balcony announcing
various student activities.
This past Sunday the banner that caught my attention was the
one announcing a speaker whose topic is “Jesus of Nazareth: Man or Myth?” The
speaker is sponsored by the university’s secular student association, one of a
number of campus groups.
Why the banner particularly caught my attention was the
event is scheduled within the same week as Easter Sunday. This particular time
of year produces more than its share of speakers and articles questioning the
existence of Jesus, his resurrection from the dead, and the accuracy of the New
Testament accounts of his life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection.
While Christians in North America are not experiencing the
kind of violent attacks their brothers and sisters in Egypt, Kenya, India, Nigeria,
Pakistan, and other parts of the world are experiencing, their beliefs are
increasingly coming under fire. This past week Yahoo.com published one article drawing
attention to perceived inconsistencies in the New Testament, a second article dismissing
the deity of Jesus, and a third article arguing that Christians prayed to the
wrong God.
Easter is not just a Sunday but an entire season. It is a
season that traditionally is devoted to celebrating Jesus’ resurrection from
the dead. It is also a time of the year when it is profitable to give thought
to the implications of his death and resurrection and why we set aside 50 days
each year for this purpose. Here are five articles that do just that:
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