The meaning of Jesus' life, death and resurrection for an individual is very personal. The question of what it means to the world is hard to assess. When Jesus walk and talked to people , it seems reasonable that they who witnessed certain events would have a judgement on what they did with that first hand experience. But what is the basis for judgement now?
People are baptised daily in many churches (JWs,too) who are full of teachings and do not really have a "saving"knowledge of Jesus. Will Jesus hold them responsible in some measure--"We are not blind,surely?"said some Pharisees. Jesus replied "Blind? If you were, you would not be guilty, but since you say, "we see", your guilt remains." John 9:40,41. But some refuse to live with hypocrisy and leave religion disillusioned with Christianity.How is that responsibility measured? As far as I can tell--we don't know.
Jesus said that "whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come." Mat. 12:32.
"Then that slave that understood the will of his master but did not get ready or do in line with his will will be beaten with many strokes. But the one that did not understand and so did things deserving of strokes will be beaten with few." Luke 12:47,48
"Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." Luke 24:34.
It would seem that in the times of the Apostles and even now our lives as Christians are the main tool for teaching. The kind of love that Jesus had was full of trust in his Father--"Into your hands I give my spirit." Loving his Father and his fellow humans he gave his life up and trusting alone in his Father, he showed the most faith and love that any can have.
When Christians manifest this faith, this love, then our obedience to the Word-made-flesh gives the evidence of the holy spirit at work. Honest people can know, can see, that Christ lives.Then I can understand that they would be responsible for the witness of holy spirit, and they may be culpable for this knowledge.It will not be an act of judegment primarily but a source of joy. Judgement if they know what they have rejected and what theyembrace as an alternative. The benefit of living a Christian life is obvious.It is a real incentive to live the Way he taught us.
So, if I want to ask an un-believer to examine the life, death and resurrection of Jesus then I am the one who has to field the question FIRST--not the un-believer, but I who am a professing Christian---I have to answer: What does the life , death and resurrection of Jesus mean to me?
