Window Shopping for the Heresy of the Day

Passing by a book store today there was a title on display that caught my eye – The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-up in History by Michael Baigent.  Intrigued I went in the store to get the scoop?  Was this just another version of the Holy Grail/Mary Magdalene married to Jesus with children story line ala Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code?  Especially since the cover of the book noted that Baignent was a co-author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail which Brown used as a source for the Code.  But alas when I turned the book over and looked at the back cover – this was all something new (though there is nothing really new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9).  I can’t remember all the questions but essentially: What if all we have been taught about Christianity was a lie? What if a the secret has been hidden by a small group until now?  What if there was “incontrovertible” proof that Jesus survived the Crucifixion?

So there it is, in some ways the same song different tune – but the thrust of this new book appears to be that Jesus never died on the Cross, which then would indicate He was never raised from the dead either.  I didn’t take long to thumb through the book (it even had colored pictures perhaps to add to it’s authenticity) and placed it back in the window display – which by the way also included the newly rediscovered The Gospel of Judas and the Lost Gospel  (both by Bart D. Ehrham who seems to have a thing for discrediting Christianity.  And since there were no “counter” books displayed my guess is that this may be the “thing” for the store owner as well unless they are just trying to capitalize on the controversy).  

So what is going on here?  Well again, nothing new really – Gnosticism came to its height in the early centuries of the Church and all these issues make their way back to that heretical movement in some way.  And this latest book?  Haven’t any of these folks ever read the “truth”?  Have they ever read Paul’s defense of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15 – Paul poses essentially the same question – in a “It’s a Wonderful Life George Bailey gets to see what life would be like if he weren’t born” sort of way, Paul considers – what would happen if there were no resurrection of the dead – “ Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (1 Cor. 15:12).  Then Paul goes on to list the consequences of the denial of the resurrection.  The most significant is then that Christ has not been raised (vs. 13) and then (well I will let Paul finish it):

1 Corinthians 15:14-19   14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.  15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.  16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;  17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

So, certainly the question raised in The Jesus Papers is a valid one – what if Jesus survived the crucifixion and therefore did not die and raise again (making Him btw just an ordinary man ala Gnosticism)?  Well if Baignent can prove his point with his “incontrovertible” evidence then Christians are pathetic, we have been taken as stooges, our faith is in vain and we might as well close up all the churches, there is no hope for those who have died believing in Christ they are just dead, The Apostles were liars and false witnesses and apparently so am I as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Then so be it.  But the burning question would then be – what if historic Christianity is right and Baignent, Brown and the other modern day prophets of Gnosticism are wrong?  What if Jesus did indeed die on the cross (a single man with no children)?  What if He did rise again on the third day?  How will Baignent’s “incontrovertible proof” stack up to Luke’s “infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3) or Paul’s list of confirmed eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection glory (1 Cor. 15:1-8)?  Or the weighty proof of the Roman Centurion and even Pilate himself as an official in the government of the Roman Empire (Mark 15:39,44-45)?  Even the Jewish leaders could testify to Christ’s death (Matthew 27:62-66)?  Does Baignent offer such a wide array of eyewitnesses (including followers, enemies and government officials) for his “incontrovertible proof” to compare to the Bible’s “infallible proof”?  Well I didn’t take the time to find out.  

I had already recently read The DaVinci Code while on vacation a few weeks ago and I wasn’t about to waste anytime purchasing and reading this new twist of the same old, same old heresy that has been thrust into the public square.  Besides, I can’t defend the truth any better than the Apostle Paul:

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Cor. 15:20).

Praise God for this Infallible Proof!!

(just a p.s.  I didn’t bother to provide “links” to these books on Amazon or anything – not really worth the trouble - I will leave that to the interested reader).

Sunday Postscript - Remember Jesus Christ

Yesterday’s message was from 2 Timothy 2:8-10 “Remember Jesus Christ”.  In this passage Paul urges Timothy to focus his attention away from himself and on the person and work of Jesus Christ – Paul sums up the Gospel with two brief statements about Jesus Christ that Timothy is to remember … His resurrection and His Messiahship.  I will just make the one point about the resurrection here.

Yesterday being Easter or Resurrection Sunday – many have went to church with their thoughts and remembrances on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is a good thing.  As Christians, we should remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday – it is indeed the reason for the season.  And yet, though it may seem obvious to us – it may not be so obvious to others.  How many people do you know who don’t know about the resurrection of Jesus?  How many children do you know who think that Easter is all about colored eggs, the Easter bunny, candy and toys?

How many people are not thinking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ at all – but instead are thinking about Judas and his supposed gospel, or about whether Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had children and about whether Leonardo Da Vinci has hidden within his artwork codes and clues to the true nature of the “Holy Grail”?  Others of course are just thinking about their lawns and gardens as spring has finally sprung.  So it is not a given that everyone remembers or thinks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, even on Easter Sunday.  Even the local newspaper had a little blip on the Sunday paper saying “Happy Easter” and then the editor when and listed all the things that Easter Sunday is about and what people might be doing, yet no where was the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The closest thing was the mention of people attending ‘church services’ – but no reason given as to why.  Yet this is the world – certainly we shouldn’t expect so much from the world.

But even among Christians there is a problem.  How many Christians celebrated, meditated and dwelt on the power displayed in the resurrection of Jesus and the hope that it brings to us yesterday – but today it was business as usual.  The thoughts and cares of this life and world forced Jesus and His resurrection to the back burner until next year.
But this should not be so … The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very corner stone of our faith – Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17 if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ seals for us the hope and promises that God has made to us through Jesus Christ – that we will have victory over sin and death, that we will one day be raised to eternal glory with Christ Jesus in heaven.

Certainly the resurrection should be at the forefront of our hearts and minds, not just this one day a year but each and every day that we seek to live our lives in faith.  So Paul urges Timothy and us, to Remember Jesus Christ, that He is risen from the dead.

Sunday Prescript - Covered by Faith

I will be headed out for vacation early Monday so I am doing a Sunday Prescript instead of a Postscript today.

My message tomorrow will be from Genesis 3:20,21. Two verses that seem a little out of place, but by God’s perfect inspiration, they are right where they should be. God has given His judgments for the sin of Adam and Eve – so how do they respond? Adam responds in the only manner that he possibly could – he names his wife (vs. 20)!! Though it may seem as though Adam has missed the boat, he actually is making a confession and profession of faith in the Gospel promise of God.

With the simple act of naming his wife, “Eve” because she is the mother of all the living – Adam is demonstrating that He believed God’s promise in Gen. 3:15 that one day the Seed of the woman would rise up and bruise the head of the serpent, thus gaining victory over sin, death and Satan. God of course responds to Adam’s faith with an abundance of Grace and mercy (vs. 21).

The late Dr. James Boice, Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philly made these four points about Gen. 3:21: 1) a covering was needed because of Adam and Eve’s sin induced shameful nakedness. 2) The covering that Adam and Eve provided for themselves (the fig leaves) was inadequate. 3) Only God could provide an adequate covering – only God knew how to make clothes! 4) In order for Adam and Eve to have their nakedness covered an animal had to be killed.

Now to consider for a moment these four points – they sound an awful lot like the sacrificial system that was required in the OT for the atonement of sins. God was here in Gen. 3:21 instituting the sacrificial system. Why else would Cain and Abel be offering up sacrifices in Gen. 4? Why else would Noah? Abraham? Or any of the patriarchs? God’s covenant with Adam required death for law breaking (Gen. 2:17)? Hebrews 9:22 notes that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. But in Genesis 3, instead of God immediately consuming Adam and Eve in judgment – out of His grace and mercy He allows a substitute to take their place – the animal that was slain to provide the covering for their nakedness (which obviously is also symbolic of sin).

But later in Hebrews we note “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (10:4). So how is it then that this substitute is allowed by God? It can only mean that the animals that were substituted in the sacrifices to atone for sins were an inescapable prophetic picture of the substitutionary atonement that was accomplished once for all through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

We need a covering for our sin lest we face the Just wrath of God leading to eternal condemnation and death. We cannot cover ourselves. Certainly, some may try with their good works, but these works are like fig leaves in God’s sight, they are inadequate. Since, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God only God can provide a perfect and unblemished substitute for our sin, even His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God for His Grace and Mercy poured out upon us; that we might live through Christ.