The Greatest
Imagine a group of great writers getting together. Their purpose is to creatively use their minds to write a classical religious story of epic proportions. The intent is to come up with a plot that is bigger than life, bigger than time, bigger than any nation, tribe or people, and bigger than can be believed, though it must be believable.
Days, weeks, months pass. They write scripts. They spend countless hours discussing characters. They discuss geographical settings, climates, social customs, religions, and deities. They read ancient and modern history to incorporate archeological research of past civilizations. They search libraries and consult the wisest scholars. They ponder the philosophers of Greece, the lawmakers of Sumeria, and the sages of all ages. Their final work is a best-seller that makes a movie and becomes history.
Buddha said “I am but a man.” Confucius was a philosopher, not a god. Mohammed was a warrior evolving a religious story to justify his power. Hinduism has over 30,000,000 gods. Religious plots have been written.
Imagine a different scenario.
A story is to be written. Forty authors are chosen over 1500 years. Forty generations live and die while the plot is being woven. Kings, peasants, philosophers, statesmen, fishermen, poets, farmers and nomads write pieces of the story. Most of them never knew previous authors. Some of them may not have seen any part of the writings of the rest of the story.
Islands, deserts, mountains, wilderness and prisons were places that the pen was taken to write segments of the epic often without knowing that the words being penned were a perfect part of the total plot. Three continents were settings for authors to write and the story to unfold with an inclusive sense of the plot being to include all lands and nations known and unknown.
In times of war, peace and celebration writings happened. Moods of authors varied from despair to ecstasy.
Authors wrote in three different languages, yet the translations wove together a plot unified, systematic, and scientifically validated.
Many heroes integral to the plot were flawed in character, yet they persevered to triumph. Heroes’ weakest moments are revealed and punished by a loving God, yet every hero of faith is validated and crowned a victor.
Hundreds of prophecies over thousands of years come to pass without a hair’s-breadth of separation in truth. Good always triumphs. Evil always loses. All wars, kingdoms, weather and events great and small are subsumed into the plot without error. The plot stays on track without deviation. Four thousand years pass with the HERO arriving in a stable with perfect timing and angels singing.
A 15 year-old virgin girl has a baby reared in an humble village by peasant parents. The child never goes to college, yet when he is age 12 scholars are astonished by his wisdom.
Imagine the Greatest Hero of the plot of this Book is found innocent by his judge but sentenced to a cruel death. Imagine that the Hero forgives his executioners and a criminal who is being executed with him. Imagine the Hero says that his death is necessary for all men to be saved. Imagine that the Hero takes authority over his own body to give his spirit to God.
The body of the Hero is placed in a tomb guarded by soldiers. The third day the stone is rolled away. The dead body comes to life, walking, talking, eating, fellowshipping, and ministering to others.
Imagine the Hero ascends into the sky. Imagine angels stand by to say that the Hero will come back.
Imagine that 10 of 12 men chosen to be followers of the Hero are so convinced of His Resurrection they die as martyrs to prove their faith and hope that the Hero will come back to rescue them…even if they are in a grave—body gone back to dirt and bones going to dust.
Imagine the story written and published continues to be the best-selling book of the year 2,000 years later. Imagine it is the only book in the world that the Spirit of the author is with a sincere reader to help the reader understand the true meaning. Imagine that the Book has changed nations, kingdoms and survived attempts at annihilation. Ask yourself why such a Book would be so hated by evil people they would kill a person for copying for carrying the Book.
Imagine the power of the Book to change the way calendars were formed, nations were ruled, court systems established, and judgments rendered. Imagine that the book included evidence of the world being round and rotating and channels in the sea hundreds of years before scientists established the facts.
Imagine that this Sunday you had the opportunity to know and give your allegiance to the Hero. You can know Him has your Lord. Come celebrate the Resurrection with us at Covenant Church. We will have three services 8, 9:30 and 11. It is true. He lives! He is the Greatest Hero of them all. His is the Greatest Story ever told!
Imagine what He can do in your life.
In Hope Of The Resurrection,
Pastor Bare
Because He lives we shall live also (John 14:19).