A Hole in the Boat

1 Corinthians 15:17, John 20:31

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Where do you feel at peace? One of my favorite places to be is in a boat on a lake. I love the soft rocking of the water. It could almost rock me to sleep. But the one thing that would really destroy my peace in that moment is if I knew that there was a hole in the boat. If there’s a hole in that boat, there’s no way I’m going to trust it to carry me.

Well, what about Christianity? In the Christian faith. The apostle Paul talks about one big vulnerability, one big hole, you could say, he says,

If Christ has not been raised, then our faith is futile and we’re still dead in our trespasses and sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Can I really trust myself in the Christian faith if Christ hasn’t been raised from the dead? Well, there’s many people today that have lost their faith, their trust in Christianity, because they believe exactly that. They believe that Jesus really hasn’t been raised from the dead at all, that the Bible is a story about Jesus, a man who really lived and really died. But then they think that the disciples must have come back together at some point. And come up with a story about how Jesus had risen from the dead. That they decided to create a religion in Jesus name. Essentially what they’re saying is that the apostles were all lying.

There’s one thing all liars have in common. They want to be believed. Their credibility matters. And so, if you look back at the gospel accounts, especially the accounts of Easter, we see something really interesting. Who were the very first witnesses at the tomb? Who are the ones who first saw the stone rolled away? Who are the ones who spoke to the angels? And the very first ones to speak to the risen Savior Jesus? It was the women.

And why that is so important is because the apostles lived in a time, and in a culture that did not value the testimony of women. In fact, as much as it grates against our modern sensibilities to hear it, women weren’t given equal rights with the law. Their testimony wasn’t considered a valid testimony in the court of law. And it’s for this very same reason. When the women go to tell the apostles that Jesus had risen. They quickly dismiss their claims. This is so important because if the apostles had made up the whole story. If the apostles were just out to try to convince people that Jesus had risen from the dead. Everything that the Gospels report would hurt their credibility.

The truth is, the apostles remain true to the events, they reported everything just the way that they saw it and just the way they witnessed it, even if it made them look bad. The women did find the empty tomb. The women did see Jesus and speak with their risen Savior. They went and told the apostles, and Jesus himself appeared to them, and let them place their fingers in the holes in his hands and side to prove to them that the boat is secure. Their faith is secure. Your faith is secure. John tells us,

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

Amen.