Podcast Summary: “Finding Faith: Why the Resurrection of Christ Matters”

Podcast: Renewing Your Mind (Ligonier Ministries)
Air Date: March 14, 2026
Host: Gabe Fluor (Message); Nathan W. Bingham (Introduction/Conclusion)
Main Theme:
Exploring the pivotal role and historical credibility of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, examining why it is the bedrock of Christian hope and faith, and offering practical tools for believers to defend its truth in a skeptical age.

Episode Overview

This episode launches a special series leading up to Easter from Gabe Fluor entitled "Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything." Gabe's message focuses on the historical reality of the resurrection, the challenges of modern skepticism and scientism, and how the resurrection of Christ addresses humanity’s deepest questions about meaning, truth, and life after death. The aim is to equip Christians to understand and defend their faith in the resurrection with confidence and clarity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Resurrection: Fact, Not Fiction

• Historical Foundation
  • Gabe opens with a forceful assertion:

    "The resurrection of Christ happened. It's a historical fact as much as the fact that George Washington was the first president of the United States." (00:00)

  • The resurrection is placed on the same level as well-attested events in history, highlighting its foundational significance for the Christian faith.

2. Living in the “Age of Anxiety”

• Modern Emptiness Amidst Material Plenty
  • Despite unprecedented material prosperity, people today struggle with anxiety and emptiness.
  • Gabe cites French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, referencing his book Nausea, to illustrate pervasive existential despair. (01:18)
  • The decline in faith in leaders, systems, and ultimately, in the gospel itself is noted as a root cause of this societal malaise.

"Why are we so full and yet so empty? ... The far more serious loss is the loss of faith in the Scriptures and in the truth of the gospel.” (03:30)

3. False Faiths and the Hope for Resurrection

• Death of Idols as a Path to True Faith
  • Loss of misplaced faiths (in institutions, leaders, or ourselves) creates a vacuum that can be filled by genuine resurrection faith.
  • The "funeral of idols" is necessary for renewal.

4. The Rise of Scientism and Waning Spiritual Authority

• Definition and Effects of Scientism
  • "Scientism" is described as the belief that natural sciences are the only (or primary) source of truth. (07:05)
  • This has led to declining church attendance and apathy toward the gospel, even as spiritual hunger persists.

“Scientism is the belief that the natural sciences are the surest—if not the only—way to know the truth. ... The problem is nobody can live like that.” (07:30)

• "Spiritual but Not Religious" Culture
  • Despite scientism, people remain spiritual, seeking meaning outside organized religion and the Bible—e.g., through self-help or astrology.
  • Noted is the irony that even in an age of tech advancement, people look “to the stars” (astrology) for answers.

5. Can We Believe in the Resurrection Today?

• Enduring Relevance and Possibility
  • Gabe asks and affirms:

    “Can we still believe that Jesus ... walked out [of the tomb] the third day? ... My answer is yes.” (15:40)

  • The series will provide Biblical and rational grounds for this belief.

6. Eyewitness Testimony and Historical Reliability

• Scripture's Concern for History
  • Focus on Luke 1:1–4 and Acts as examples of Biblical concern for accurate, eyewitness-based history.
  • Contrast with other "holy books": Unlike the Bible, they often lack a concern for verifiable history.
  • Eyewitness testimony, a bedrock of ancient and Biblical legal systems, undergirds the New Testament accounts.

“Eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, delivering these things to them ... so that you might know for sure everything is true.” (17:10, referencing Luke 1:1–4)

7. Ancient People Weren’t Gullible

• Dispelling the “Primitive Credulity” Myth
  • Ancient societies knew the difference between myth and reality, and “knew dead people didn’t come back.”
  • Citing Peter: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths, but were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)

8. Miracles: Not Violations of Natural Law

• Miracles within a Divine Framework
  • Miracles in Scripture are not arbitrary “violations” of natural law; rather, God continually sustains creation.
  • Every miracle, including the resurrection, fits within God's unfolding redemptive history.

“The Scriptures don't have that category of some kind of laws of nature that operate independent of the creator of nature. ... God sustains the world moment by moment.” (20:40)

9. The Resurrection as the Firstfruits: One Event, Two Episodes

• Eschatological Significance
  • Christ’s resurrection is not an isolated event but the beginning of the ultimate resurrection to come for believers (referencing 1 Corinthians 15).
  • This provides “unshakable hope” of our own resurrection.

“Jesus’ resurrection begins the resurrection harvest that will be brought to completion on the last day. ... To be continued.” (22:00)

10. Answering the Age’s Greatest Question: Is There Anything Beyond Nature?

• The Resurrection as the Ultimate Answer
  • Christianity proclaims a resounding “Yes!”
  • The resurrection proves that reality beyond nature exists—and it's even “better than nature itself, because nature is fallen.” (23:55)

"You can know for sure it’s all true. And in an age desperate for meaning and desperate for truth, the resurrection ... is one of the most important truths we can proclaim from the Gospel.” (24:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Opening Claim:
  “The resurrection of Christ happened. It’s a historical fact as much as the fact that George Washington was the first president.” (00:00, Gabe Fluor)

• On Scientism vs. Faith:
  “The problem is, nobody can live as if the physical sciences alone give us truth. We all feel, we all have deep emotions that the sciences can't explain.” (07:54, Gabe Fluor)

• On Desperation and Hope:
  “What began in Jerusalem will be brought to completion. ... The certainty of life beyond the grave and the certainty of the truth of the gospel.” (23:10, Gabe Fluor)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – 01:15: Forceful affirmation of Resurrection’s historicity
• 01:18 – 04:00: “Do you believe in miracles?” — Miracles, anxiety, emptiness in the modern age
• 07:05 – 10:00: Rise of scientism and its effect on culture
• 15:40 – 16:50: Can we still believe in resurrection today?
• 17:00 – 21:30: Eyewitness testimony and the historical reliability of the gospels
• 22:00 – 24:00: Resurrection as the firstfruits; promise of ultimate hope
• 23:55 – 24:45: The resurrection as the answer to life's ultimate questions

Conclusion & Application

In a culture marked by anxiety, skepticism, and the search for meaning, Gabe Fluor argues that the resurrection of Christ is not only historically credible but gives the unshakeable hope that Christians seek. He urges believers to grasp the resurrection not as abstract doctrine, but as a personal and communal promise—one that addresses profound questions about meaning, death, and what lies beyond. The episode sets the stage for deeper examination of both the evidence for the resurrection and its life-transforming significance in subsequent messages.

“In an age desperate for meaning and desperate for truth, the resurrection … is one of the most important truths we can proclaim from the Gospel.” (24:20, Gabe Fluor)