The Resurrection - A Unitarian View

Christian orthodoxy will condemn me as a heretic for simply saying that the story of the physical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, is not as literal or as factual as the Bible seems to tell us or as the Church would have us believe. But I can still say that I believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth was executed like thousands of others under Roman rule. He was executed as a common criminal for reasons of public order, as a matter Roman of expediency. He was executed through crucifixion on that day we now know as Good Friday. In the aftermath of this event came his resurrection.

In life as Jesus of Nazareth he was fully human, a man a prophet and a teacher in whom God was met. He was a flesh and blood man who met his death on the cross, he had a history as the son of Mary and Joseph the carpenter. He had brothers and sisters and was part of a wider family network. He had his friends and disciples. The story however, that is essential to the Christian faith is that Jesus died on the cross and yet he rose on the third day. The day on which we commemorate his rising, Easter Sunday was decided upon by the church, ruling that it should fall after 21^st March each year, according to the phases of the moon. We could therefore say that the whole thing is an ecclesiastical construct but we should not let this observation invalidate a deeper essential truth.

Perhaps the most compelling of the resurrection stories may be found in the Gospel of John 20:24-29.

Jesus Appears to Thomas

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

What are we to make of this?  Why should Thomas have doubted in the first place? That's the question we really need to ask. I mean, wasn't Thomas part of the inner circle, one of the twelve disciples and had he not been there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? And surely, on the testimonies of the other disciples, Thomas should have believed having been told, as it were, that Jesus had come back from the dead?

Yet we have it on record, in the Gospel of John, that Thomas resolutely refused to believe until he had seen his Lord and placed his fingers into his wounds. In this story, Thomas, presents as one who lives life without faith like those who would much rather have the bad news than the good news. In modern parlance, we might say the lights are on green for 'go', but it still requires faith to drive through them. The story of Thomas and his doubts really points to the fundamental question of how we might live our lives. And therefore, the real question is, can we have faith? Can we live our lives in the spirit of Jesus who said:

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have life abundantly' (John 10:10)

Those of us who have even the smallest inkling of God, of a greater reality instinctively sense that there is more to life, the world and the universe than our minds can grasp. There is, I believe this vast ocean of consciousness, of love of which we are all a part of if only we can know and if only, we could live each day as though it were true. The great religions, the mystics and the poets bring that same message to us and point to our true destiny and our eternal home. St Paul in his dramatic encounter with the Christ saw only a blinding light on the road to Damascus and heard his voice; it was an encounter that not only transformed Paul but changed the world forever. 

The 19^th century pre-Raphaelite artist Holman Hunt also claimed an encounter with the risen Christ, an encounter that inspired him to create what essentially became his life's work: that painting that became known as 'The Light of the World' and that painting was seen by millions in the early years of the twentieth century decades before the advent of modern mass communications.

Each year at Easter we are brought face to face with the great mystery of life, of death and renewal and the confirmation of eternity. The Easter story, the death and the resurrection bring the victory of hope over despair, of life over death. The power of the resurrection story is really the confirmation that death is not the end and that the human spirit is eternal. In his first letter to the Corinthians St Paul made this clear when he wrote that 'flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God'. The resurrection is therefore a spiritual and not a physical matter, so I close with these words of St Paul:

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
  Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lent and the Baptism of Jesus

We continue through these days of the coronavirus lock down with all the restrictions on the freedoms we normally take for granted. This means of course we are unable to assemble for public worship. But I've noticed how some ministers have really taken to the internet, keeping in touch with their congregations by posting video recordings of their daily reflections. Others are now providing regular Sunday services through a tool known as Zoom, which as most of us know, is basically a form of video conferencing over the internet. For various reasons Zoom is not an option for all congregations, but I think that a prepared video may be a good alternative. It's what I've decided to do.

The only thing is, one has to talk into a camera, so to speak. When I'm doing this, I'm reminded of those days before mobile phones, when telephone answering machines came into popular use. And I remember that a lot of people when met with a recorded invitation to leave a voice message would simply put the phone down and perhaps call again later. I think we can understand this because as people would say at the time, there seemed to be something awkward about talking down a phone to someone who isn't there. Ideally, one would like to leave a short breezy message but there is also the danger that it might degenerate and record as a pointless ramble, or even worse! 

Alas! I soon discovered that before the camera, I was prone to the 'telephone answering machine syndrome' myself and came to realise that I have very little talent for such relaxed spontaneity. After some experimenting, it became obvious to me that I would have to rely on a script. Perhaps the best thing I can say about those scripts is, at least I've written them myself which I admit is not much of a recommendation!

Now, to help me get over the 'telephone answering machine syndrome' I thought I would ask my wife Sue, if she would read my Lenten reflection of 31^st March 2020, in which I stated that Lent begins with John the Baptist. I asked her to offer me some questions that I thought I could work on. In the event, she kindly provided a number of very interesting questions.  But I have found that the first question she asked has been enough to keep me busy.

Her question is as follows:

Why does Lent start with John the Baptist? I thought that Lent was the period of forty days and forty nights when Jesus was in the wilderness.

I can only say, well you've got me there Sue, you are right, except in my mind at least, I do find it helpful to see the trials of Jesus in the wilderness set in the context of his baptism by John at the River Jordan. In this story, John appears on the scene with all the fire and the passion of the prophets of old as announced in the pages of the gospel: 

'In the prophet of Isaiah, it stands written: 'Here is my herald whom I sent on ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. A voice crying aloud in the wilderness, “Prepare a way for the Lord; clear a straight path for him”.

(Mark 1:2-3)

This dramatic opening promises a great deal. As the story moves on, we discover that we are not going to be disappointed not just in terms of literary drama but because in its unfolding message, we may be thrilled to realise that the life of Jesus is a paradigm for the religious life; it's a personal message pointing towards one's own spiritual potential and destiny. Jesus said:

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (John13:15) 

John baptised others at the River Jordan for the forgiveness of sin. Of Jesus, he said to others, 'I have baptised you with water; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. Now, when Jesus asked John to baptise him, we know that John did not feel it was necessary. In any case, John didn't feel that it was his place to Baptise Jesus and he had already declared that he felt that he wasn't worthy enough even to untie his sandals. But we have these words of Jesus who replied, 'Let it be done to fulfil all righteousness.' The righteousness Jesus speaks about it is this: There were many, at that time, at the River Jordan receiving baptism for the forgiveness of sin but Jesus took his place in the queue with everyone else seeking no preferment thereby fulfilling all righteousness We may remember that Jesus' said:

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

(Matthew 23:12)

And so, Jesus was baptised in the waters of the River Jordan. and as he came up out of the water, we are told that the Spirit of God descended upon on him as a dove and a voice from heaven was heard to say, 'This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.' In this transcendent moment the blessing of God rested upon him as he received the Holy Spirit.

For a young man, it is reasoned that there should come important and significant moment perhaps at the time of graduation or marriage in which he should be acknowledged as a man in his own right and thus receive the approval or blessing of his father; 'This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased'. In the old fairy tales, we see this happening as a young man sets out into the world to make his fortune. Thus, the story begins with a blessing and departure. Who knows what adventures, dangers and opportunities any young person may encounter in their journey of life whether they be man or woman? Inevitably, there will be testing times, times of trial, difficulties which must be faced, but the good wishes and the approval of a father, important as they are, are not enough. In the end one must stand on one's own two feet to deal with the challenges of life with faith, with courage and personal strength.

At the River Jordan, Jesus received his baptism and his blessing from God the Father, the Spirit of God descending upon him as a dove. In a different story a son received his blessing - an inheritance from his father - only to squander it in a far-off country and then, found himself in want. St Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians (10) warned the early Church that the blessings of baptism could also be squandered. He pointed to those who were baptised into the fellowship of Moses and yet failed he said the desert was strewn with their corpses.

Immediately following his extraordinary baptism, Jesus was led or driven into the wilderness by the Spirit of God where he remained for forty days to face the hunger, the hardship and the temptations of the world, the temptations of Satan. The days of Lent therefore represent the days of Jesus' trial in the wilderness but for me, his baptism at the River Jordan is an integral part of that story.

In this letter to the Corinthians Paul wrote:

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

1 Corinthians 12-13

In closing I would say that in our own wilderness days in the days of trial that our faith will surely help us to endure. At his weakest point in the austerity and harshness of the desert Jesus kept faith with God. We can imagine that he would have gathered strength and would have been sustained by his memory of that transcendent moment at his baptism.  

You Must be Born Again

At the present time we, in Britain, are living under conditions popularly described as ‘lockdown’. We are all experiencing this as a result of government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and at the time of writing, sadly the death rate from this infection is continuing to rise. We all have concerns for the future and long for the resumption of normality. I believe the prime minister will end all the present restrictions as soon as this threat to human lives recedes. In the meantime, let our thoughts and prayers be for the sick, the bereaved and for others who are finding this a time of stress and difficulty.

Whatever is happening out there in the world, we should also try to find time to turn our hearts and minds to matters spiritual, to put things in perspective and to try to see things as they really are. After a long winter, these past few days have brought blue skies and glorious sunshine, the mornings are lighter and the days are warmer and soon it will be Easter.

In the meantime, let us remember that we are still in Lent. We are still in that period that begins with John the Baptist, ‘the voice crying in the wilderness’, who ‘preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.’ John said that he baptised with water but that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit. John baptised Jesus and as Jesus came out of the water the Holy Spirit descended upon him ‘like a dove.’ Thus, Jesus was able to say in the synagogue at Nazareth:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

In this time of Lent, once again, we are brought face to face, with the challenges and suffering that Jesus met. The meaning of Lent may be summed up in his words:

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

When Jesus came from Galilee to the River Jordan to John, to be baptised, John presumed that Jesus had no need to be baptised. In fact, John felt that it was more proper that he should be baptised by Jesus. But Jesus insisted that John should baptise him, saying that this was to ‘fulfil all righteousness’ and so John did as he was asked.

Humility demands that we must abandon our own sense of self as Jesus did before John at the River Jordan. We have to leave our own egos at the door in order to ‘fulfil all righteousness.’ Humility is a virtue of the Christian faith it is exemplified in John the Baptist, a great spiritual leader with his own following and disciples, who publicly confessed that he was not good enough to untie the sandals of Jesus.

Jesus said, ‘I and the Father are one’. He also said, ‘Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect’. In these words of Jesus, we are shown that the object of the spiritual life is to achieve unity with God. There are no perfect people on this planet but in moments of surrender we may get a sense of the presence of God; the kingdom of heaven within. In the presence of God there is perfection. Of this quest to transform our lives, Thomas Merton wrote: 

We seek to awaken in ourselves a force which really changes our lives from within. And yet the same instinct tells us that this change is a recovery of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in ourselves. To be born again is not to become somebody else, but to become ourselves."

In the Gospel of John, we have the story of Nicodemus a Pharisee not an ordinary man but an educated man, a Pharisee, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus was perturbed and confused by the presence and the godly power of Jesus. So perturbed and confused was he that he came to visit Jesus at night; secretly. Perhaps he didn’t want to damage his reputation in the world by being seen with Jesus. Now Nicodemus was not just an educated man, he was a teacher. He was a man of such great standing that Jesus referred to him as the teacher of Israel. It would almost be an understatement to say that Nicodemus knew the scriptures inside out. Yet Nicodemus must have felt that somehow, he was missing something, for in Jesus was a man who could preach like no other man. In Jesus something of God was revealed. Nicodemus was a man of great learning but Jesus showed that there was something more:

Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ But Nicodemus could not understand and so he said to Jesus

How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked. Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!

Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Faith is an affair of the heart for there is no academic learning that will give us that peace which passes all understanding. It is only in contrition, humility and love that we may be truly born again. As Easter approaches with its story of the death and the resurrection, we will be reminded, once again, that love conquers death. And so, we too must learn to die to ourselves as Jesus taught:

 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.