Resurrection changes everything...

I saw the new movie Risen last night. I highly recommend it as an inquisitive and thought provoking story revolving around the resurrection of Jesus.

Not to ruin the story line, but the movie follows the story of Clavius, the Roman solider second only to Pontious Pilot in Judea in AD33.  Clavius oversees Jesus' crucifixion and when his body goes missing three days later is charged with finding those who stole it, and bringing proof that the tales of a resurrection are false.

I felt the movie gave a very real depiction of the Roman occupation of Judea, a very correct description of crucifixion and treated Scripture with great respect and humility.

However the big thing that came out over and over again for me was the fact that if Jesus did actually rise from the dead that changes everything!!  The claim is huge, but if Jesus really did rise from the dead, then that is revolutionary... no one has ever done that... it means everything He said is true... it means He truly must be the Son of God - God Himself!

Even the non-believing Clavius is forced to wrestle with this... there may be many rumours, but if true that means even his loyalty to Rome has to change, if Jesus is really alive then his whole life must change too.

It left me thinking about how often I wrestle with the completely incredible fact that Jesus did rise from the dead.  No matter what anyone ever says, I know that happened - it is one of the objective truths of the Gospel.  Yet even-so I come to take it for granted. I lose my wonder, I spend more time thinking about my own life, than the fact my life is resurrected like Jesus was.

Risen helped put me in the scenario of a community learning someone has risen from the dead.  The disbelief, the indignation that people were lying, the slightest glimmer of wonder if this had really happened, the contemplation of what it means if this thing that is so unbelievable actually happened.  It has given me a new sense of wonder at my Lord, and what He did.  It moves me way out beyond a human perspective of the world - because a human perspective cannot account for someone who was dead for three days being alive again.

It really does change everything.