“those who deny that there is a resurrection”

In the time of Jesus as well as now, there are those who deny that the body will be resurrected. Jesus said to the Sadducees that they “know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” If a person understands scripture and the power of God, they will come to an understanding of the faith as stated in the eleventh article of the Apostles Creed. The eleventh article of the Creed states that we believe in the “resurrection of the body” It is only by the power of God that a body can be raised from death to life and this power is attested to in Scripture. “Although the New Testament does not know the expression ‘resurrection of the body’ (which appears for the first time in St. Clement, 2 Clem 9:1, and in Justin, Dial. 80.5), but uses the expression ‘resurrection of the dead,” intending by it man in his integrity, it is nevertheless possible to find in many tests of the New Testament faith in the immortality of the soul and its existence also apart from the body.” [i]
 
The resurrection distinguishes Christians from all other religions and labels us a people of hope. Our founder, savior and master, is not dead, but alive, not alive in thought, idea or philosophy but physically alive. The bones of Abraham, Mohammed, Buddha, and Confucius are still here on earth you can go to their grave and pay them respect. The tomb of Jesus is empty. The power of the resurrection enables the Christian to look beyond; those without faith are unable to do this.
 
For the Hindu and those who believe in Reincarnation (the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form) there remains a focus on the earth, the soul does not leave the earth but is embodied again.
 
For the Atheist, who does not believe in God, eternity or heaven, there is one shot, you have the years that you are alive and that’s all, the body simply corrupts and decays upon death. 
 
Reincarnation and Atheism are opposite ends of the spectrum, with Atheism there is one shot to live, with Reincarnation there are many chances, both however are focused on the earth, on the temporal. Many believe that resurrection is absurd, but without the resurrection of the body, there is a sense of despair, a despair that leads to absurd beliefs. Some of these absurd beliefs are for example, the belief of zombies (the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose) or the belief in vampires (a corpse, animated by an un-departed soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave).  If the soul and body have no final resting place (heaven), what is to become of them? The soul and body just die (Atheism). The soul is put into another body and stays on the earth (reincarnation). The body roams without a soul, mute and will-less (zombie). The body is taken over by an un-departed soul or demon and stays on earth forever (vampire).
 
“God who is almighty can as easily raise our dead bodies back to life as He once made them out of nothing. This is the greatest lesson of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. It is also the reason why before He raised Lazarus from the grave, He declared, ‘I am the resurrection. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies, he will live.’ (John 11:25).” [ii]

 “If one does away with the fact of the Resurrection, one also does away with the Cross, for both stand and fall together, and one would then have to find a new center for the whole message of the gospel.” [iii] It is from this center that the Gospel spread to the whole world. In one statement “I believe in the resurrection of the body,” we witness the fact that millions of people, live their life and are willing to die for Christ, believing the unbelievable. A Saint once said the fact that the Resurrection is so unbelievable is precisely what makes it believable.

The activity, zeal and transformation of the early Church, especially the apostles is a testament to the power and authenticity of the Resurrection. “ For in what were they confident? In the shrewdness of their reasoning? Nay of all men they were the most unlearned.  But in the abundance of their possessions? Nay, they neither had staff nor shoes.  But in the distinction of their race? Nay, they were mean, and of mean ancestors.  But in the greatness of their country? Nay, they were of obscure places.  But in their own numbers? Nay, they were not more than eleven, and they were scattered abroad. But in their Master's promises? What kind of promises? For if He were not risen again, neither would those be likely to be trusted by them. And how should they endure a frantic people. For if the chief of them endured not the speech of a woman, keeping the door, and if all the rest too, on seeing Him bound, were scattered abroad, how should they have thought to run to the ends of the earth, and plant a feigned tale of a resurrection? For if he stood not a woman's threat, and they not so much the sight of bonds, how were they able to stand against kings, and rulers, and nations, where were swords, and gridirons, and furnaces, and ten thousand deaths by day, unless they had the benefit of the power and grace of Him who rose again?” [iv]
 
What are the excuses we sometimes make to preaching the Gospel and living for Christ? We might say, “if I only had this or if I was only like this or that person”. The apostles had nothing; they did not have confidence, knowledge, power, popularity, money or numbers. They did have the truth of the Resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit and that was enough, not only to be willing to die for the truth, but to change the whole world.
 

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[i] Venerable Pope John Paul II, General Audience of November 18, 1981; 65.2
[ii] Fr. John Hardon, S.J., Basic Catholic Catechism Course; page 40
[iii] Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar
[iv] Saint John Chrysostom