Will the truth of Christ triumph? We live in a world where it seems winning at all costs is normal. The idea of failing or coming second is considered loser talk, especially in the sporting world. At one point in modern history, it was military achievements and scientific explorations that demonstrated a country’s superiority over all others in the world. However, no one has matched the ability to be victorious over death since Jesus Christ.
In this category of winning, Jesus Christ stands alone, still, and the annual commemoration of the resurrection proclaims the truth about this historical and supernatural fact. However, we live in a world where the truth of Jesus and His Gospel of the Kingdom has been challenged, distorted, or rejected time after time since that first Easter Sunday.
This truth, sometimes in all its fullness, does not seem to be convincing to everyone, and that can feel disheartening to those who believe it. A key aspect of the Christian worldview is the pursuit of objective truth. Yet many consider it subjective, irrelevant, or even idle tales of people’s distant memories, like some thought on that first Easter Sunday (Lk 24:10-11). In Luke 24, there is a remarkable account of the first disciples hoping for something great to happen, and certainly thought Jesus had failed, until they encountered the risen Christ (Lk 24:21).
What is striking about this account is how Christ’s triumph in the end was not merely through their remembering him like some tale. It was not through just knowing some truth or fact about Jesus, but the very real spiritual and bodily presence. Although for the first real contact, they were prevented from literally recognising him, still the physical touching of his wounds confirmed his triumph to them. The significance of the hearts burning shows us that knowledge alone is not enough to experience Jesus. A spiritual awakening must occur and come from Christ alone, and in this way, the truth will triumph in the end (Lk 24:32-49).
We live in a competitive world where it very much appears to be a case of ‘dog-eat-dog’ or ‘kill or be killed’. However, the truth of Christ does not come by the same force or law according to this world but through a spiritual and supernatural intervention (Ek 36:22-38). The Christian can take great comfort that when Christ is proclaimed from the Scriptures and the breaking of the bread, as we observe in Luke 24, it is the same risen Lord who can triumph over the unbelief of this world.
基督的真理最終會得勝嗎？我們活在一個好像「不惜一切代價取勝」才是常態的世界裡。「失敗」或「屈居第二」常被視為失敗者的說法，尤其是在體育界裡。曾幾何時，在近代歷史中，一個國家的軍事成就和科學探索被用來彰顯其凌駕於世界各國之上的優越性。然而，自從耶穌基督以來，從未有人能像祂那樣，戰勝死亡。
在這種意義上的「得勝」範疇裡，耶穌基督至今仍然是獨一無二的；每年對祂復活的紀念，都宣告這歷史而又超自然的事實是真實的。然而，我們活在一個世界當中，耶穌和祂國度福音的真理，自第一個復活主日以來，就一再被挑戰、被歪曲、或被拒絕。
這真理有時候雖然以最完滿的方式呈現出來，卻似乎仍不足以說服每一個人，這也會叫相信的人感到沮喪。基督教世界觀的一個關鍵元素，就是追求客觀的真理。然而，許多人認為這真理只是主觀的、無關痛癢的，甚至不過是遙遠記憶所構成的無稽之談，正如一些人在第一個復活主日所想的那樣（路 24:10-11）。在路加福音第24章中，有一段引人注目的記載：最初的門徒原本盼望會有大事發生，並且一度認為耶穌已經失敗了，直到他們遇見了復活的基督（路24:21）。
這段記載最引人注目的地方，在於基督最終得勝，並不單單是因為門徒回想祂，好像只是在憶述一個故事。門徒得勝的經歷，並不是只停留在知道一些有關耶穌的真理或事實，而是遇見祂真實的屬靈同在和身體同在。雖然門徒在最初與祂相遇時，眼睛被攔阻而認不出祂來，但當他們親手摸過祂釘痕的傷口時，這實在的身體觸摸向他們證實了祂已得勝。門徒心裡火熱的經歷，向我們表明單有知識並不足以真正經歷耶穌。人必須經歷屬靈的甦醒，而這甦醒只能從基督而來；正是在這樣的經歷裡，真理最終必然得勝（路 24:32-49）。
我們活在一個競爭激烈的世界，好像處處是「弱肉強食」、不是你死就是我亡。然而，基督的真理並不是按著這世界同樣的力量或法則臨到人，而是藉著屬靈而超自然的介入（結 36:22-38）。 基督徒可以深深得著安慰：當基督按著聖經被宣講，又如路加福音第 24 章所見，在擘餅當中被人認出時，今日那位同一位復活的主，也必能戰勝這世界的不信。
