LIFE AFTER DEATH!

“Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

– 1 Peter 3:15

March is an appropriate month for our Lenten observance as we long for winter’s end and the beginning of spring. Lent began in February at the heart of winter as the church renews its focus on repentance looking at the Cross and Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. And an unusual winter it has been. We’ve seen more than our share of cold days and nights and with greater than average snowfalls. Yet it seems to fit the season, and yes ours is mild compared to our friends in the north and northeast. But we are looking forward to spring, new growth in our lawns, gardens and forestations. The warmth of days and nights with longer light with which to enjoy them offer great appeal while temperatures are still dipping below freezing despite periods of sunshine amidst cloudy skies. Our longing reminds us that there is still life after death.
That of course is the message of Easter, now only a month away and by then spring should be in full bloom. But it is never too soon to be reassured of the Savior’s promise. And Holy Scripture gives us all we need for our faith to be kept alive even when the days of our lives are dark, whether due to season or circumstance. God’s Word brings us light and hope, encouragement and insight when we need it most. As Christians, the Bible is our surest source of knowledge and truth concerning this life and the next.

But there is other evidence in support of our confidence as believers in the Resurrection. A recent book by Dinesh D’Souza titled “Life After Death; The Evidence” examines our hope from reasoned, scientifically based analysis apart from the Bible. The author of “What’s So Great About Christianity,” another important apologetic review, D’Souza looks at the latest discoveries in physics and neuroscience, at convincing philosophical deductions and conclusions drawn from anthropology and biology which lend further credibility to the prospect of life after death.
Further, Dinesh shows how the view that death followed by an expectation of life beyond our present has benefited mankind in many important ways: “This means that life after death is not merely a rational and even probable belief; it is also a conviction that sustains and strengthens our civilization.” He is also not absent in urging consideration of the Bible’s claims as the most logical place for one to go to for reconciliation. Four historical facts are accounted for: The crucifixion and death of Jesus by his enemies, the empty tomb, the verifiable appearances to his followers and finally their astounding accomplishments in spreading the faith despite persecution and martyrdom. “These facts are affirmed by the mainstream of modern historical scholarship,” he writes. “In other words, the resurrection is believable because it makes sense of all the other facts listed above,” he concludes.

True, for the Bible-believing Christian (is there any other kind?) research like D’Souza’s offers little to our need for understanding. God has clearly made a more than adequate case in his own Book. But we live in a world of growing agnosticism against ever-stronger atheistic influences. That is reason enough to be armed, for the purpose that we are “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” For our hope, though it includes the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, ultimately rests on one essential fact: our life after death.

Winter is nearly over! Spring is coming!