The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-18
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESUR-
REOTION OF JESUS.

We have been studying the resur-
rection of Jesus. We have reviewed
his afterdeath appearances as re-
corded in the Gospels. We have
seen that his resurrection was some
thing far more than the termination
of his physical body. 1t was this, but
much more than this. 1t covers all
the appearances to and interviews
with his disciples between the morn
ing of the first day and his final dis
appearance. 1t may be defined as his
visible ascent out of the material into
the spiritual environment, or his WISH
BILE exclamation. We say visible, for
in this consisted its popularity. At
death all men ascend, but not visibly,
not within the range of sense-per-
ception. For certain purpose Jesus
assembled visibly, within the range of
sense-perception. For what purpose?
Why did he thus ascend? In other
words, What is the significance of his
resurrection his visible ascent?
What does it teach us? What is it's
relation to Faith? We may specify
three things:
a. 1t is the browning fact of that
series of facts that constitute the
foundation of the Christian faith.
Christianity is not philosophy. 1t
is not founded on opinion or process
of reasoning, but on facts. At the
foundation of all lie certain facts.
Jesus was born in Judea, lived sim
less life, taught certain doctrines and
wrought wonderful works, was cruel
fed and rose from the dead. These
are the fundamental facts of our faith.
Upon them are based our religion.
OF these facts the resurrection Of Je-
sus is the browning one. 1t is the
keystone of the arch that holds all
together 1t is the cap stone of the
corner that binds the whole. Take
it away and the whole superstructure
falls to the ground Give up the Wis
ible ascent of Jesus and you must
give up all the facts upon which our
religion rests. Not one of them can
stand if this is rejected. Paul knew
whereof he affirmed: eff Christ be
not raised, your faith is vain" Take
away this key stone of the Christian
arch and the foundation of the faith
is gone. All the other facts of our
religion stand or fall with this. Ac-
cept this and all the others fall into
harmony; deny this and all the Others
lose their significance and power.
Nothing is more certain than that
Christianity would have died at its
birth if Christ had not risen from the
dead. His resurrection, his visible
ascent, gave meaning and life to all
the rest; created faith in the hearts
of the disciples, and established the
kingdom of God among men. The
resurrection of Jesus, therefore, is the
browning fact in the Christian sys-
tenn of facts and grandly completes
the. foundation of faith.
(2) It Eliminates the life immor-
tai. Paul says that Jesus by his APP
pearing brought life and immortali-
ty to light" but better rendering is,
we think, that he illuminated the life
immortal or illuminated life and i'm
mortality. The meaning is, not that
he brought Immortality to light, i'm
plying that it was not taught before,
but that he illuminated it, threw
light upon it. What was an obscure
doctrine before, now came out into
the full light of revelation,-the twi-
light was turned into the brightness
of monday.
This he accomplished by his sap
pearing," by his visible ascent. Not
merely by reviving his mortal body.
A resurrection to mortality is no evil
dence of resurrection to immortal
ty. If Jesus had risen in his physi-
cal body and remained in it for forty
days or forty years and then died, the
disciples would have been as much
in the dark as before. They could
not possibly have known that the
second death did not end all. But
Jesus rose to immortality through
visible appearances. He used his
mortal body only to make himself
known to his disciples-in no other
would they have known him-not as
means of his ascent. Hence he APP
peared and disappeared, put it on
and put it off until he thoroughly
convinced them not only that he
lived, but of the life beyond death, of
life not dependent upon physical
forms. Slowly he elevated their
thought, slowly he opened their eyes
by these appearances and disappear
ances, until at last they beheld, in
f.. f.