Thank you for the great article, Miss Zoll. Although I wish you could write a better title.

Yes, resurrection in Christianity is central and vital to our believes in the Lord
Personally I am very interested in the way the Lord rejoice His resurrection and travels to many places and meet lots of people and also have picnic either breakfast or luncheon wherever He goes after that great Sunday. It was a victory picnic wherever He goes.

One of my most memorable moments in the holy land was in the Galilee where Christ have breakfast with His disciples after they netted about 153 fishes (at Mensa Christi) and also in Jerusalem where the Lord ascended to Heaven plus the Viri Galilea church.

Dwen, I read an intriguing article about the beliefs of Brits regarding the resurrection.

As it turns out… “The opinions of atheists are especially interesting. 23% of respondents identified themselves as such, but 14% of these think Easter was about Jesus dying for the sins of the world, 12% believe he rose again from the dead, and, remarkably, 7% think he was son of God.” Yes, I know I had to read it two or three times to make certain I was reading it correctly.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/over.half.of.britons.believe.jesus.rose.from.the.dead/17383.htm

If Jesus had not been resurrected would we be having this conversation? I doubt it.

Those who first proclaimed the Christ as risen from death knew that if they were lying about it they would be sinning by saying He was alive if in fact He were still dead. They went to their graves proclaiming "He is risen!!" They put everything on the line. The safety of their families, their lives, fortunes & sacred honor...every thing! It is hard to believe that liars would be so bold in proclaiming a lie that could cost them so dearly. They knew the risk & took it gladly!

If they were not telling the truth, as Paul said, we would be of all mankind the most miserable & we would still be trapped by the power of our sin.

I know Jesus is alive because of what happened in me when I -prayed the simple prayer "Jesus come into my heart, forgive my sin & help me live for You!" He did just that & has proven Himself so faithful over the years since that November day in 1969 when I experienced Him my self!

Yes! I am experienced! I hope Jimi & Eric knew & know what I'm talkin' about!

If you are not sure ask Him! Just be of sincere heart & ready to repent & follow Him. Pray something like "God I am a sinner. Your Book says that to me. Jesus, please forgive my sin, come into my heart (innermost being) & help me know You! Make me born again by your Spirit. Thank you " Then start reading the Bible. Start with the Gospel of John & the book of Romans.

He is alive! He is risen! Go with Him while you can.

About 25 years ago on an early but sunny morning I was walking around a beautiful small lake. Life had't been very good to me. I had lost everything dear to me. As I passed a Christian college I had worked at for several years, I happened to look up at three empty crosses on a hill. Suddenly, tha chapel bells began to peal. The melody was familiar, "The Old Rugged Cross," rang out and it suddenly occurred to me that it was Resurrection Day. The Feast of First Fruits! Yeshua Hameshiach had risen!
No Easter ever goes by without me calling to remembrance that day.
Oh, the old rugged cross and the precious blood that was shed, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins. The lamb of God that was slain from the foundation of the earth.
Christ is risen indeed!

Dwen,
Real truth does not rely on public survey.

Response to Quote 1
"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotisms. "
- Albert Einstein, obituary in New York Times, April 19, 1955
And Einstein was not wrong, he just misunderstood God or perhaps he never had children who went astray.

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.
- Albert Einstein, "Religion and Science," New York Times Magazine, November 9, 1930"
Unfortunately, the heart is not mathematics (Einstein's genius). The reality is that it is when man "follows his heart" that he does the most evil. If there is no ground, then the basis for moral ground if found in those who have the most power - and rarely does that exact for good. Einstein may have thrown off his religious underpinnings but he held fast to their virtues and that in them which he saw as good and worthwhile. Seems a little hypocritical to pick and choose.

I'm more troubled that the scholars are troubled.
The scriptures are quite clear about what the resurrection means.

If we die as sinners (physical death), we also die to God (eternal spiritual separation from God).

Christ's resurrection is the only way to die with our sins forgiven (physical death), and then live with God (eternal spiritual togetherness with God).

All we must do is believe. But Satan loves to confuse us with Reasonable Doubt.

Well of course the Jewish people believed in a physical resurrection and that the Christian belief is based off of that hope. Outside of the Saducees and some fringe elements of the population, they had bone boxes and a record of expecting to be physically raised when messiah came to put the world aright. Only the ignorant or the liar will claim anything else. Ignorance is overcome with teaching, liars are overcome by Yeshua.

Grace and Peace,
Jim