Jesus rose from the dead or he didn't. Jesus was, who he claimed to be, or he wasn't. His death and resurrection was staged or it's the real thing. "Easter" forces these propositions to the surface. He was either the "Criss Angel" of his time, or the "Christ" of eternity. Jesus put this proposition to his followers one day by asking them a simple question. And the question he asked, and the answer he received, are still being "asked and answered" today.
We find this question and answer in Matthew 16:13-17 (and I paraphrase). While hanging out in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' Because they were speaking for others, they easily shouted out the answers: 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' Then Jesus made it personal, by asking 'But who do you say that I am?' You see, it's easy for me to speak for others but when forced to look at my own beliefs, I open up a window to my soul and I don't want to be exposed. Because It's within our soul that we either believe or we don't. But Peter exposed his soul and revealed the answer to Jesus' personal query: "Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven'"
On Easter, this question is asked and I have two ways I can go with it: Either Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is the Christ, the Son of the living God or He didn't and was a fraud. I answered Jesus' question when I was 19 years old. But The question is still out there for anyone to answer:
Who do you say that I am?
Happy Resurrection day...
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