I WILL not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet, a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (John 14: 18- 19, ESV).
From the biblical perspective, there are two groups of people living on the earth – Christians and non-Christians. Scripturally, non-Christians are often referred to as the world, that is, people and systems which are not in and of Jesus Christ. Christians have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and live by His teachings. It is thus written that Christians are in the world, but not of the world.
Now, Christians believe and confess that Jesus Christ, the Creator Son of God took on the form of man and came into the world to minister; He died, was buried, raised from the dead and lives forevermore. But the world disputes that Christ Jesus was raised, arguing that the story of the resurrection was concocted by his disciples to deceive people. The apostle Paul faced people like that in the Corinthian church; he insisted that Christ was indeed raised from the dead and that there is resurrection of the dead.
“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain…But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15: 12- 120, ESV).
You can clearly understand from the above scriptural verses that Christianity is not about any Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Bishop/Pastor or Teacher. Christianity is all about Jesus Christ; it is from Him and for Him. Genuine ministers of the gospel are but servants called to lead the Church of Christ by His Spirit and Word. The Holy Spirit who makes overseers also empowers them to bear witness about the resurrection of the Christ.
And that was exactly what Paul, Peter, Philip and other evangelists went about doing with miracles, signs and wonders. It is the same ministry many true servants of God are engaged in today. But the world wonders why many unbelievers did not and cannot see Jesus Christ physically after his resurrection, but only His disciples. All manner of arguments they raised with the intention of discrediting the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, failed. Christ Jesus, the Rock, is indestructible.
Now, the disciples have always insisted that Christ was raised from the dead and lives eternally. As it is, who is telling the truth or lie? Understand that each party has a sound mind but with a great difference concerning revelatory knowledge and encounter. So, what is the way out? The way out is the evidence that indeed Christ Jesus was raised from the dead.
It is important for us to appreciate the fact that normal functioning human beings will not defend Christ Jesus to the extent of dying for Him if they have no conviction of the genuineness of the evidence of His resurrection from the dead. The disciples of Christ have evidence of His resurrection so they do not fear to die for their faith in Him.
The problem with the unbelievers is that they have no clue of the unequivocal evidence true Christians have, and they cannot have it unless they become genuine Christians. Here is the secret. Before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, He had spoken to His disciples concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit to be with them after His death. He made it clear that the world, that is, non-Christians would not see Him again after His death, but His disciples would. Christ said:
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet, a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (John 14: 18- 19, ESV).
The expression “a little while” in the above verse of Scripture means a short period of time, and Jesus said from that short period of time forward the world would see Him no more. That means, the world saw Jesus physically, preaching the Kingdom of God and healing the sick. However, Christ said, “In a little while” the world would see Him no more but Christians would see Him both spiritually and physically after His resurrection.
Now, what Christ had spoken ought to be fulfilled. The Lord had said the world would see Him no more, but His disciples would see Him. And truly the disciples saw Him (1 Corinthians 15: 3- 8). How then should it be surprising to unbelievers if Christ did not or does not appear to them, after His resurrection? It must be understood that the appearances of Christ to His disciples is a fulfillment of prophesy.
Today, there are countless Christians who have supernaturally seen or encountered Christ Jesus. I have too. I encountered Him when He laid His hands on my head in a dream and healed me of a strange deadly disease medics at KATH could not diagnose in 2016. My faith in the Lord Jesus increased greatly after that supernatural encounter. As a result, currently, I need no one's argument about the existence or deity of Jesus Christ.
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FROM James Quansah, Kumasi
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