As we prepare to observe Easter and remember what the Lord has accomplished for us on the cross in this season of Lent, I remember a term paper I wrote many years ago with the same title as this week’s reflection. Though I cannot recall the details of the paper, the impact of such a paper on my faith journey is still vivid in my mind.
I was born into a Christian family and raised in a “protected” environment. Starting at an early age, I attended Sunday school, participated in fellowships, and joined Sunday worship service regularly. In 1971, I had the opportunity to attend college in the United States. It was an eye-opening experience for me. As a teenager, away from home, I was alone in an unfamiliar environment. On one hand, I was excited for the opportunities to explore innovative ideas, visit different places, and make new friends. On the other hand, I struggled spiritually. I began to doubt some of the values I learned since childhood, questioned the basic premise of my faith, and was uncertain about the relevance of some biblical teachings in a contemporary society. I searched for answers.

When I was a sophomore, I took a religion course, Anatomy of the New Testament. One of the requirements of the class was to write a term paper on one of the themes of the New Testament. I studied Paul’s teaching about the resurrection of Jesus from I Corinthians 15. Paul spoke of receiving the truth of Christ’s death and His resurrection. The reality of such truth was verified by the Holy Scriptures and through the historical evidence of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to His disciples, the women who were with Him when He was crucified, a large company of five hundred believers, and later to Paul. Most of these witnesses were still living when Paul wrote this passage. Perhaps, the most convincing evidence was the impact of the resurrected Lord to the lives of these individuals and their total commitment in realizing Jesus’s Great Commission.

I thank God for such an opportunity to study Paul’s teaching on the resurrection of Jesus. It encouraged me to stand firm in what I believe and strengthened my faith in Christianity. I am convinced that Jesus resurrected because I experience His presence and He lives within my heart. Amen.