The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
An EASTER
SERMON

To-day the Christian world celebrates the
high festival OF Easter: not the festival of
the change of the seasons, as did our Ger
manic forefathers. nor the festival modern
advanced ideas, sO-called, make 1t out to
be; we Christians celebrate to-day the high
festival of our Savior's rising from the
dead.
No historic fact is better substantiated
than the truth that the disciples of Jesus
Christ were satisfied that their and our
Master did not remain among the dead
long after crucifxion. but rose TO new life.
The greatest of them, Paul Of Tarsus, as
sures us in a manner admitting of no
ground for dispute that the Savior. who
had risen from the dead. appeared to him
In person before the gate of Damascus
and summoned him to be His herald and
messenger.
acknowledgements of Christian COM
munities all over the world assembled to-
day I'm the name and for the glory Of Jesus;
IN His name children are baptized, mar
riages solemnized and numerous other
Christian works performed-each act tes-
timonial to the living, ever-creating God.
We honor, love and praise Jesus Christ,
not as a great man who lived thousands of
years ago. and of whom we have but scant
direct Information, but we love and honor
Him as the everlasting principle for good
that knows no death. but life, life only.
Without. Easter there would be no Chris
tian church. AS the Savior rose from the
miraculously opened grave, the Christian
religion was born. Easter is it's birthday.
Easter made the church possible made it
imperative-a world factor!
The Messiah-ideaI had apparently van
ished with the death on the cross. There
and then His disciples saw all their hopes
dashed 10 the ground, their belief in the
sacred Master was shaken.
Maybe they contemplated forming a COM
partnership or order TO keep the Masters
memory green, and to exchange views on
His holy life and deeds. but at the same
time they were satisfied that the man whom
they had seen die on the cross was not the
hoped-for Messiah. And If He was not the
Messiah they could not go out into the
world to I'LL 1t with the Messiah's words
and teachings, with His love and promise
OF heaveb!
II Christ had not risen from the dead
there would be no New Testament, no
Christian religion.
The first Easter morn dawned. and few
weeks later we see the disciples turned into
apostles. preaching the words of Christ
with courage and an amount of energy
that completely nonplussed the high coun-
ellis OF the Jews.
Remember, the apostles were ordinary
men without education or special talents,
yet. instead of simple-mindedness they dis
played wonderful enthusiasm: instead of
ignorance they were remarkable for logic
Never before had they preached but now
swayed vast multitudes that hung upon
their lips with breathless expectation.
What event turned the apostles mental
restitution into abundance, what power
gave them eloquence. influence, made them
powers in themselves? The thrice mirac-
uIous fact of the savior's rising from the
dead!
True. the Christian church did not orig
inally utilize the fact of Christ's rising
from the dead to win adherents. That
would have been a method ill-conforming
with the dignity of so sublime an institu-
ton Only in connection with the whole
life and teachings OF Jesus Christ was the
fact Of His eternal existence. after physical
death. made use of.
Let US for a moment reflect on natures
unalterable laws. AS we see them they in
volve incessant destruction and renewal of
life.
Nothing short OF a miracle. or an up
heaval OF the laws applying to US poor
mortals. then. could work the perpetuation
Of physical life in Christ after physical
DEATH AS to eternal life. independent of
physical existence. that is another matter.
We all know that the most dull-brained
savage in the African jungle is blessed with
an immortal soul.