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With tear-drops flowing down his face, Gustav said to his daughter, “Remember us.” Maria never saw him again.
In the recent history-based movie Woman in Gold, Maria Altmann challenges the Austrian government to receive back the famous painting, with the same title, stolen from her family by the Nazis.
She makes this decision toward the end of her life and refuses to accept Austria’s rejection to give her back the coveted painting.
As the story progresses, the movie flashes back to scenes when she was growing up with her family in Austria. One of the last flashbacks takes us to her last conversation with her dying father who is asking her to take a chance and escape Nazism as her Jewish parents stand at the edge of death.
He asks the recently wedded Maria to do one thing when she finds asylum. “Remember us.”
It will make you cry.
That single phrase, being one of the most meaningful events of her life, explains her entire motivation throughout the story. Austria was choosing to forget, but she will not let them.
At the end of the movie, we received this clarity behind her government-fighting desire. It turns out this scene never happened, but my point remains.
The resurrection narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John function in the same way. The authors give us a close-up view to Jesus’ actions and allow us to be a fly-on-the-wall listening to conversations. And these conversations did happen.
But the real meaning of all that Jesus said and did, including his death, is not revealed until the end—his resurrection.
The event of the resurrection provides meaning to the events of Jesus’ life.
Christianity is based in human history—God acted and we perceive.
So what happened matters. And we must know what happened.
Christianity is not ultimately a feeling of security, a way to gain success in relationships, or wise guidelines for our financial decisions. Though it produces these things.
Furthermore, it is not enough to accept that there is a God who created the world. Nor is it enough to accept that Jesus was a good man, wise man, or moral example.
It is certainly possible to have those understandings of Jesus by perceiving his life. But it is not the complete story or the main idea of what the early writers want you to know.
The early writers want you to know the Jesus who is the Jesus that created the world and resurrected from the dead. The authors want you to know that Jesus illustrates the person and works of God in the world. They want you to know Jesus is God.
With patience and perseverance, we must get the history right.
Some specific passages detailing the events surrounding the resurrection are:
- Matthew 27:57–66
- Matthew 28:1–20
- Mark 15:42–47
- Mark 16:1–8
- Luke 23:50–56
- Luke 24:1–53
- John 19:38–42
- John 20:1–31
- John 21:1–25
- Acts 1:1–11
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–11
They contain history. In this Resurrection History series, we will peruse the events contained in these verses along with others.
Our eyes will become the perspective of the author and their writings will become our telescope to see across the space of history.
Just as Maria’s dad asked her to remember them so too do the ancient writings bid you and me. They compel us to remember.
So we will remember together.
Thanks,
Aaron