This is why at the heart of every orthodox confession of faith is the atoning death of Christ, which is the supreme outpouring of God's love for us. (pg. 89)
The consistent eyewitness testimony of the apostles and earliest believers to the reality of Jesus' bodily resurrection, given among those hostile to the claims of Jesus, clearly points to the resurrection as a historical reality. (pg. 93)
In this chapter, Colson addresses the ministry of Jesus, which he likens to an invasion, as God came into the world of humans himself to rid it of evil. However, unlike a military invasion, God came into the world through the virgin birth (essential because he could not be born into sin), and despite all his talks about the Kingdom of God, he showed no signs of overthrowing the Roman Empire, which is what was expected of the Messiah. He came to bring freedom and healing to fallen humans. The crucifixion was the climax of his ministry, where he took upon all the sins of humankind. Colson identifies the crucifixion as the heart of Christianity. Colson argues that also crucial to the faith is the resurrection, and a bodily one. He points out that many people, including many Christians are skeptical about the resurrection, but he argues that Christianity is meaningless without the resurrection, and that the eyewitness testimony of the apostles, who were willing to die for it, is enough evidence to its validity. Finally, Colson tells of Jesus' ascension so that he could send out the Holy Spirit, act on our behalf, and one day come again.
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