There are lots of different religions.
There are lots of opinions about God.
Most everyone believes in some form of afterlife.
So how do we know which one is right? Or are we all wrong one way or another?
How do we know what is true?
Christianity is different from every other faith, worldview and belief-system.
Because Christianity, centrally, is based upon a historic, verifiable event to prove its validity. All other belief systems demand blind, unquestioning faith. Christianity invites investigation. God invites us to use every tool in our toolkit: our hearts, our souls, our minds, our strength, to learn about Him and ultimately to love Him. So investigate, do your worst to prove Christianity wrong. You may just find it is true.
The Case for Christ
Basically, here’s the argument:
1. There was this guy that died.
2. And three days later he came back to life.
3. Therefore, he is worth knowing, and can be known, since he is still alive.
If Jesus didn’t really live, if warm blood didn’t pulse through his physical body, then our faith is fiction.
Similarly, if Jesus didn’t really die, didn’t really experience torture unto death, then our faith is false.
And if Jesus didn’t really come back to life, then he is no different from anyone else. He's just like any other philosopher, revolutionary or liar.
But Jesus really did live, die, and live again. This is verifiable by historical accounts -evidence, eyewitnesses and by the survival of his message.
Jesus’ closest earthly friend, John, tells it this way:
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. (1 John 1:1-2)
Our faith is not blind. It is based on the eyewitness accounts of people who truly knew Jesus – seen him live, heard his teaching, seen him die, touched his corpse, looked upon his grave, saw it was empty, saw him alive again, touching his mortal wounds and yet beholding his eternal life.
Christianity stands up to your criticism. As a historian. As a literary critic. As a scientist. As an atheist. As a pluralist. As a liberal or a democrat or a communist or a conservative. It happened. It really did happen. He really is risen. Jesus of 2000 years ago is alive today! Not merely alive in the hearts of all who love him, but really alive, physically, spiritually alive forever.
Most people live their entire lives never asking themselves the most important question: what is true?
Now is the time to ask yourself the most important questions of existence:
Who is God? What’s She or He or It like? What is their plan for me? What happens when I die?
We all need to grapple with these questions. It is crazy to live life with no idea where you are headed! To think all you have is 80 years of mediocre, normal earthly life, without ever seriously exploring the possibility that there is more to life than this!
Death: The Only Certainty?
"In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes" quipped Benjamin Franklin.
But death is far from certain. Perhaps it is the greatest mystery all, and we are afraid of examining it.
Some of us don’t ask because we are terrified our thoughts on death are wrong.
Others don’t ask because we are terrified that our dead loved ones aren’t where we want them to be.
Others just figure it is a mystery that cannot be solved, as none of us can prove anything about death or what happens afterwards.
And whoever has bested Death is the one voice who is worth listening to. Regardless of who they, their testimony is the one we should be dying to hear!
We have been given the words of the one person in history who walked through the doorway of death, only to re-emerge three days later holding the keys.
And that voice belongs to Jesus.
“Do not be afraid” Jesus says to those who beheld him risen, “I am the beginning and I am the ending and I am alive. I died, but I came back to life, and my life is now forever. And look! I now own the keys that open and lock Death’s door.”
Death is dead.
Love and life has won.
Jesus Christ has conquered.
The resurrection changes everything.