On this is Easter Sunday morning, I stand before you and proclaim that Christ is Risen!

We know this to be a fact, first of all, because somebody told us about it. Well, some of you might immediately say that that certainly isn’t very reliable.  And I would agree. But the truth of the matter is that most of what we know is simply because somebody told us about it.

How do you know that Columbus discovered America in 1492.  None of us were there, but there were people who were there, witnessed it, and wrote about it and that is how we know about that.

How do you know that man on the moon?  None of us were there.  But I believe that it happened because a lot of people have told me about it.

Truth is, we have far more historical proof of the resurrection than we do thousands of pieces of information which we routinely accept as fact every single day. If we are going to take a stand on something, then why not the historic testimony of countless people throughout history who declare the validity of the resurrection.

When Mary went to the tomb on that first Easter morning she did so with a heavy heart.  She stood at the entrance to the tomb weeping.  She meets a gardener who calls her by name: “Mary.”  Can you imagine the look in her eyes when she turns and looks into his eyes?  From what John writes I get the image that leaped into his arms. Jesus tells her not to hold onto him just yet.

And then Jesus gives her, and the church, a job description: “Go to my brothers and tell them. My friends I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because someone told me about it.”

There are people who are bothered by the fact they cannot prove the resurrection.  At the same time, it can’t be disproven, either.  Which is why there are as many brilliant people who believe in the resurrection as there are brilliant people who do not believe.  Because it can't be proven either way. We know this to be fact, first of all, because people have told us about it.

We know this to be a fact, second of all, because the resurrection has stood the test of time.  A lot of things start off good but soon fizzle out.  Even Tiger Woods will one day fizzle out.  Someone projected that by the time Tiger Woods retires his lifetime earnings will be 6 billion dollars. But fame fades as the newest athletic prodigy emerges.

The philosophy in the music industry is that, “You’re only as good as your last hit record.” Songs come and go so fast you barely have time to learn them. But look at Amazing Grace. Here’ss a song that has stood the test of time.  “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see”.

Our great grandparents sang that song, and long after we’re gone, people will still sing that song. Why?  Because it’s the real thing, because it’s stood the test of time.

I believe the resurrection is genuine because it’s stood the test of time. It was not something that was here one day and gone the next. As long as there is life on earth there will be people talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And we know this to be fact, third of all, because we’ve experienced it.  What else would explain our presence here this cold morning?  The first century disciples didn’t believe in the resurrection because they could explain it; they believed because they experienced it.

Again, why are you here this morning?  Because you’ve experienced the resurrection in your life, and you get up, bundle up, and stand up here in response to what you know to be true.

We can sing the great hymns of Easter, we can hear the familiar stories of scripture, we can enjoy the lilies (unless we have allergies), we can join the multitudes and sing the Halleluiah chorus.  We can experience Easter in these ways.

But the real power of Easter is seen in the way that people's lives are moved from death to life, from sealed tomb to open door, from despair to hope, from the old ways to new opportunities. That’s Easter. That’s the resurrection.

I believe in the resurrection because I have seen the God of resurrection at work. I have seen the risen Christ raise people from the death of despair to the joy of new life.

I believe in resurrection because somebody told me about it. I believe in the resurrection because it has stood the test of time. I believe in the resurrection because I’ve seen it in the lives of others and experienced it myself.

It’s why I can stand here this morning and declsre: CHRIST IS RISEN!  HE IS RISEN INDEED!