South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-24
RESURRECTION
ROCK Of RELIGION
Rev. 7. J. Parsons Declares 1t
WithStandS All Attacks
BY Critics.

Easter was originally PAGAN
festival. but we celebrate it today
because il synchrOnizes with the
event of the resurrection Of our Lord
from the grave Christians might
we'll make "a great deal of this fact
and defend il against all attack, for
the crux OF Christianity is not the
birth. nor the miracles. nor the death
of Jesus Christ. but His bodily resur-
rectiOn from among the dead" These
were the opening words OF Rev. T..
J. Parsons, pastor Of Quincy Street
Baptist church. Sunday morning in
his Easter sermon on the subject
The CruX of Christianity"
lie spoke Of this fact as the Gil
braltar of the Christian faith. Paul
so understood it, for he did not hest
tate 10 say that if the body of Christ
was not raised from the dead all
Christs claims were false and IL is
FOLLY either TO believe in Him or 10
preach His gospel. The reason why
the resurrection has been the Yer
dun" of attack for the critics is be-
cause they realized II is a crux Of
the whole Christian system.
Filled With Dismay
In part. Rev. Parsons said;
Let us not forget that there was
a time when no one believed in the
resurrection Of Jesus. In the vari-
GUS gospels we are informed that the
Jews sincerely believed they were
cruclfying a fanatical blasphemer.
and the disciples Of Christ were sore
! ~ disappointed when they saw Him
! hang lifeless on the cross. No doubt
/ they thought some miracle would be
performed to deliver Him from the
! disgraceful death OF Calvary. and
when nothing was done they were
filled with chagrin and dismay
Christianity was as dead as it's
founder and nothing short Of a
powerful. supernatural event could
inject new life into those dispirited
men
IT want 20 submit 20 you some ev-
I denCe 20 substantiate the belief i'm
I the bodily resurrection Of Jesus
I Christ. because on that fact the
superstructure Of the church has
been built and We want TO know
whether we are building on sand or
on a rock
The empty tomb is exhibit A. in
I the case The body in the tomb was
| in the hands of the Jews and Ro-
mans. they made both secure with
/ the official seal and a guard OF sol
diers II Jesus did not rise why
did not they produce the body and
settle the question ar once and for
ever?
Change I'm Followers.
The remarkable change In Christ
3 followers is TO be accounted for
/ Mary had evidence before she cried
i 'Rabboni': Peter had some reason
7 for changing from denying Jesus "a
defending Him: Thomas. the skeptic
/ was led 10 CRY My Lord and my
I God Similar changes were eXper1-
Z enced by them all.
The Peutecostal movement. which
! introduced the first century OF the
/ Christian era. was the result of the
! resurrection. The climax of all the
/ preaching recorded i'm the Acts is
| the resurrection Of our Lord.
The conversion of Saul is an un-
I answerable argument for the fact OF
I the resurrection. How else could ar
/ enthusiastic. orthodox Jew be led tC
become the mightiest champion OF
I the very cause he had been jealousy
/ prosecuting. even trying TO stamp out
/ its very existence
I The change OF the day OF wor-
ship. which some enormously cal
/ the sabbath. Saturday. belongs 70 the
/ old creation. Sunday % the new
The Lord changed the day when He
arose and appeared on the first day
OF the week. Paul observed IL and
taught 10, as recorded in his first
letter to the Corinthians. John tell.
ms ne was i'm the spirit on the Lords
] day
The worldwide Christian mis-
sionary propag anda is also an evi.
denCe. Not until after the resurrec.
tion did the Lord give the great com.
mi Ssion 20 evangelize the world: FOL
which we are spending 10000 eco a
wear"