Some years ago a college student came by his pastor's office to discuss theological issues. That sort of thing does not happen often. I hope it will not disappoint you to hear that most of the pastor's days are spent in meetings and with budgets, and staff issues and reports and not discussing theology.

Eventually the conversation came around to the subject of Easter. After all, if you take Christianity seriously, it will ultimately always lead you to Easter. "What do you think of the resurrection, he asked. The pastor replied: I believe that it happened in reality and not just in the minds of men. What is your evidence, he asked, like a professor prodding a student. The pastor presented as Exhibit A: the disciples. Twelve men are not going to give up their lives to simply perpetuate that which they know to be a hoax.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "I just don't know." There was his problem. He was seeking knowledge, not faith. You do not say: resurrected Christ, appear to me and then I will believe. It is just the opposite. The resurrected Christ appeared only to those who did believe. The angel told the men: Go to Judea and there you will find him. I would suggest that Judea represents the community of believers. Judea was to be the place where Jesus would plainly reveal to his followers that he was indeed alive. He did not reveal himself to the Caiaphas and Pilates and Herods of the world.