The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the heartbeat of the Christian faith. “Alleluia! Christ is Risen,” has been the message from the beginning upon which the Christian way grew. It is the Gospel, the Good News…

People often argue about Jesus. Was he God in the flesh or just a great teacher? Perhaps he was a liar or even a looney? Throughout the centuries folks have wondered if he faked his death, or that somehow he was revived before he died. However, all of these theories fall short of being able to explain how Jesus could have convinced a great number of pious God-fearing Jews that he was in fact the glorious risen Lord. It is not Jesus that we need to examine to determine the historical truth of his resurrection. There are no direct writings by Jesus of Nazareth. All that we know about what he taught and did were written down by others. It is the veracity of their witness that needs to be examined.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15: 3-8, NIV)

Historically, the forming of Christian communities pre-dated the letters, and the giving of the resurrection message pre-dated the development of these communities. Thus, these communities were formed a short time after the resurrection event. So, the idea of the resurrection being a legend that was developed by later Christians is not an option…

The final option to explain the resurrection is to admit that Jesus’ disciples did, in fact, have profound and real encounters with the risen Christ! In real time, they most assuredly would have rejoiced and been scared. They would also have honestly labored to understand all the implications of what resurrection means. They would have prayerfully reflected, over and over again, the events of Jesus’ life. They would have wondered and debated how Christ’s Resurrection redefined their understanding of Jewish law and their faith. They would have reexamined their understanding of the scriptures. They would have debated with other Jews about what they experienced. They would have struggled to understand how they should compassionately incorporate gentiles (non- Jews). All this is exactly what we read about in the pages of the New Testament. (A portion of Father Dan’s book Godly Presents: Present 17 “Risen Indeed!”)

Reflections on the Resurrection appearances

Join us for a closer look at the accounts of Jesus’ Resurrection as told in the four Canonical Gospels:

Sundays at 9:00am May 3, 10, 17 and 24 in person at church.

Wednesdays at 7:00pm May 6, 20, and 27th via zoom. Connect through the link on our website.

WE Like Conversations Over Meals!

Please join us for WELCOM Dinners with Fr. Dan

What is this? Randomly assigned groups of 6 will gather for a meal and conversation with Fr. Dan. Date, time and location TBD by a host, with input from the group.

What will a Host do? As host, you coordinate a dinner (or brunch) at a restaurant, your home, the church, or a picnic. You'll be randomly assigned a group. You decide whether it’s a pitch-in, just appetizers/desserts, a meal out, or you can choose to provide the entire meal. Then connect with your group and Fr. Dan to select a date and time.

Cool! Sign me up! Sign up in the narthex if you would like to be included in a dinner group. Indicate if you are willing to be a host. We’ll randomly assign groups and a host will reach out to set up your meal date and time in the coming weeks. If you can't sign up at the church, feel free to call or text Gail at 317-796-6871.