The Living Hope

Man - "What do you think is the most important feature of the Christian religion?"
Lady - The most important thing is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Man - But I understand that the teachings about love or even the matter of salvation is more important.
Lady - What you say is really important, but the Bible says that we are weak, so where will we get strength to enable us to follow those good teachings? Unless we receive strength from Jesus Who arose from the dead. And salvation is just the same. Jesus died to save all men from sin, but if there were no resurrection we would be believing without any basis for that faith, because we would be believing in One Who was dead.

Man - Right now, does your faith have real foundation?
Lady : That's right, I have a sure foundation because I believe One Who has life and is all powerful - Jesus.

Man - Why do you say that believing on one who is dead is just the same as having no foundation for your faith? Lady - What can a dead man do to help us? Only one who is living can help us.

Man - What reason or evidence can you give to show that Jesus arose from the dead, and is still alive today?
Lady - There is no evidence in the world that can prove to the hard-hearted and deaf of heart that Jesus arose from the dead. But there is plenty of evidence for all who are willing to believe.

Man - If that's so, then please show me some of that evidence.
Lady - There was the group of disciples who saw that Jesus arose from the dead with their own eyes. They went out and preached the story of the resurrection. It was the very heart of their message as they preached. They preached with great bravery, certainty, ready to die for this Gospel - while before, these same followers were fearful, doubting, uncertain.

Man - Eh, what you've said here I think I agree. Because a false story certainly wouldn't have that much influence. And besides this, what else do you have as evidence?
Lady - Especially in the New Testament we have the testimony of those who saw and wrote down the story of the resurrection of Jesus more than l00 times, enough so that we could lay down our heart and believe.

Man - The story that we read in a book may be, could be false, or just anyone could write anything he wants to. Isn't that so?
Lady - But you must understand too that the Bible is respected and believed by many millions of people and it is the Word that God inspired man to write, and these would be willing to die for their faith.

Man - I'm not so sure. It may be just faith that is mistaken.
Lady - One easy way of looking at this is like this. You just try writing a book of standards and rules which are false, and take them out for people to read and believe, just like the Christians believe about the resurrection of Jesus. Do you think that you could do it?

Man - No, certainly not. Who would believe? If I would make up a false story, even though there might be some who believed, it certainly wouldn't be a faith that is sure like the Christians believe. Not just me, why, even the great wise men in the world all together, they couldn't do it either.

Lady - Another evidence of the resurrection is that the Christians sense or feel the presence of the Lord deep in their heart so that we know for sure that Jesus Christ is living and our hope is the kind that is called "The Living Hope."